Mariama Bâ's long letter depicts the life of a newly widowed Ramatoulaye who writes a letter to her childhood best friend Aissatou, describing her life as a co-wife and d 'oppressed. woman in Senegalese culture and tradition. By writing the novel in epistolary form, the author indicates that women are silenced and do not have the right to publicly express their protest against injustice. Bâ's epistolary novel, through the use of indirect characterizations, reinforces prominent negative stereotypes about wives, husbands, and mothers to highlight inequality in a Senegalese society. In So Long Letter, the female characters are presented as victims of Senegalese societal patriarchy. The novel's protagonist and narrator, Ramatoulaye Fall, is seen as a stereotypical Senegalese woman silenced and oppressed by her community and society's accepted norms. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the novel, which uses an epistolary form, Ramatoulaye recalls her memories of her failed marriage after the death of her husband Modou. Modou Fall married a younger woman as his second wife without the consent of his first wife. Even if she does not display it, Ramatoulaye's constant suffering outweighs her responsibilities since in addition to her “former functions, [she] took over those of Modou” (Bâ 53). Stuck in a vicious circle, Ramatoulaye continues to please her husband rather than herself, despite her lack of presence. Ramatoulaye declines any new marriage proposal made by Daouda Dieng, his former lover and decides to "remain faithful to the love of [his] youth" (59), even if it was after Modou's death, thus showing his total dependence on her husband. Well after their separation, Ramatoulaye “[was] still crying for Modou” (59). Binetou, Modou's co-wife, is also portrayed as a voiceless woman and a follower of society's norms. Although she does not want to marry Modou, she does so because, like many other women, she is "a lamb slaughtered on the altar of wealth" (40), showing that she does not have the responsibility to act on one's reasoning and make decisions based on one's own good. -be. By being a young co-wife by force, she is “exiled into the adult world, which was not hers” (50), but continues to participate in this foreign world to please her husband. Binetou is also characterized as an object that is "sold" (50) to an older man, making her Modou's ultimate property and the obedient object for her husband. In addition to being considered an object, she is adorned with “jewels and rich boubous” (52), making her look like a trophy wife. Although the representation of women is stereotypical and negative, Aissatou challenges these stereotypes by taking on the role of a strong-willed and independent woman. Aissatou, opposed to Ramatoulaye and Binetou, takes charge of her life by leaving her husband and choosing to work in France. Aside from Aissatou, Bâ characterizes women in a negative form in Senegalese culture, representing them as silenced, oppressed and obedient. Finally, the protagonist Ramatoulaye and her rival Binetou from Une si longue lettre emphasize these stereotypes of a Senegalese wife totally dependent on her husband. Women are not the only ones to be represented with strong Senegalese stereotypes in the novel. Bâ depicts the Senegalese male characters as misogynistic and as a source of oppression towards women due to their interpretations of Islam, but they are also ridiculed in the novel. Modou Fall rejectsthe option of polygamy at the start of her marriage to Ramatoulaye, and even goes against her parents' word to marry her. Thirty years and twelve children later, he embraces the traditional Senegalese custom of polygamy and marries Binetou, a young student forced by his mother. Although his actions are supported by the views of Islam, it is considered shocking and abrupt since Ramatoulaye did not give consent and the co-wife is the friend of Modou's daughter. Bâ, by having Modou characterized by Ramatoulaye, criticizes his patriarchal behavior and mocks his physical appearance such as his “graceless sag of a double chin” or the fact that he “dyed his hair every month” (Bâ 50 ). This gives the impression that Modou is trying to impress his young wife by trying to remain his youthful self, even though Binetou "would never miss an opportunity to nastily mock him" (50) because of his stupidity. Additionally, the Quran states that men can marry up to four wives provided they treat them all equally and with respect, so that it is "more likely that he will not commit injustice" (Quran 4:3). ). Instead of starting a harmonious life with his two wives as allowed, Modou abandons his first wife for Bientou. His actions reveal misogynistic behavior due to the abandonment of his children and wife, and highlight his indifference to Ramatoulaye's feelings. Without divorcing, Modou leaves Ramatoulaye like “a floating leaf that no hand dares to pick up” (56), showing his selfish and self-centered side, and using the Islamic faith only at his convenience. Additionally, Mawdo, Aissatou's husband, also uses his religion and Senegalese traditions for his convenience by marrying a younger woman, although he initially refused to do so. Unlike Modou, Mawdo still cares about Aïssatou and wants to continue living with her as tradition dictates, even if she refuses and moves on. His initial suggestion to only see young Nabou, his co-wife, to “fulfill a duty” (31) could suggest that he only wanted her for pleasure and not for love. Although he continues to follow Senegalese traditions and the Islamic faith as suits him, which oppresses Aissatou to the point that she leaves him to settle in France. The author portrays Modou as a misogynistic oppressor and ridicules him for his physical appearance, and further ridicules Mawdo by representing him as naive and easily influenced by his mother. Mothers, in Senegalese culture, are stereotyped as dominant, materialistic and in constant control of life as a couple. In So Long a Letter, Bâ depicts maternal figures as irrational and authoritarian with respect to the decisions they make for their children or stepchildren. Binetou's mother, also known as Stepmother in the novel, has no qualms about forcing her daughter to stop studying and marry a man old enough to be her father, just so she can live a luxurious life. When Binetou told her mother about Modou, she “cried so much [and] begged her daughter to give her a happy ending” (Bâ 37), without taking into consideration the relationship they have together or whether it This is something Binetou wishes for. . The mother-in-law's actions portray her as a selfish and superficial woman who would rather enjoy the luxuries of "marriage" (40) than care about her daughter's desires. Additionally, her sudden rise in social status due to marriage makes the community "resentful and jealous of [her] promotion" (40), indicating her lack of morality and rational thought. Another woman described as a dominant and controlling woman is Aunt Nabou, Mawdo's mother, who raises young Nabou as a perfect wife for her son. »..