So Long a Letter

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the concept of marriage from a global perspective. In what ways do different cultures show their regard for common aspects of marital unions such as reproduction, childrearing, parental love, and financial security? How do cultures and historical traditions connect with polygamous familial structures (polygyny and polyandry)?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the sociological context of polygamous marriages in non-Western countries, particularly in Africa. Polygamy, which refers to one partner who marries many spouses, can be divided into subcategories of polygyny (one husband, multiple wives) and polyandry (one wife, multiple husbands). The polygyny category of polygamy is more widely practiced than polyandry; it is sometimes practiced in countries where it is associated with religious and cultural traditions related to reproduction and the consolidation of familial power.

In Bâ’s novel, polygamy (in particular, polygyny) is an often-practiced marital norm in Senegal; however, this does not mean that women whose husbands take other wives are not hurt by their husbands’ decisions, as they often protest their husbands’ decisions in various ways. Bâ’s novel raises the questions of whether or not polygyny is healthy for the Senegalese community as a whole, as many families are placed under financial constraints with the addition of new wives and children, and women experience significant psychological distress.

• Bahari, et al.’s 2021 article explores the “Psychological Impact of Polygamous Marriage on Women and Children.”
• The article “Polygamy in West Africa: Impacts on Fertility, Fertility Intentions, and Family Planning” from the US Population Reference Bureau shares statistics and conclusions.

2. Why is access to quality education important? In particular, how does the development and support of education for girls benefit communities as a whole?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question orients students with the novel’s theme of the importance of Education for girls in “New Africa.” The women in Bâ’s novel are educated; the narrator Rama and the letter recipient Aissatou studied at a teacher’s college together, with the latter eventually working for the Senegalese Embassy in the US. In this vein, Bâ’s text provides a view of women in African countries that defies a stereotypical representation of non-working women. Rama highlights that Education was not only instrumental for her and Aissatou’s success but is also crucial for the future generations of women in New Africa, particularly as it relates to women’s inclusion in both decision-making processes and political representation.

• The World Bank highlights some of the challenges for “Girls Education” globally.
• The International Monetary Fund explores the “Gender Gaps in Senegal: From Education to Labor Market.”

Short Activity

Author Mariama Bâ is one of the most important Senegalese authors in the 20th century. Working in small groups, research another African, woman author who published literature in the post-colonial era. Use these questions to guide your research:

• Where is this writer from?
• What repeating themes does this writer seem to develop in their work?
• How was/is this writer’s work received both domestically and internationally?

Share your findings with the class in an informal presentation. Be sure to include any relevant visuals, videos, and/or excerpts from your author’s literary canon.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to research women authors in the context of post-colonial African literature. Later, once students have read part or all of So Long a Letter, they might return to their research and make comparisons between writers. This and similar resources might be utilized as a starting point for their research.

• Whats_on Africa shares a list of the “50 Books by African Women that Everyone Should Read.”

Differentiation Suggestion: For an approach that focuses on a different aspect of perspectives and representation of voices in literature, students might consider colonialism and its impact on Africa: How does the continent’s history of colonization impact literature from different regions?

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

In your opinion, what is the meaning of feminism? How does the definition of feminism change across cultures? For example, is there a Western understanding of feminism compared to other regions of the world? If so, how do they compare?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to consider their own understanding of Feminism in relation to cultural expectations. For Bâ, feminism very much relates to a woman’s ability to make choices. For example, the narrator Rama and the letter’s recipient Aissatou differ in their reactions to their husbands’ decisions to each take another wife; however, Rama and Aissatou protest the decision in their own way, with Aissatou choosing to leave her marriage altogether and Rama choosing to remain with her husband. This Personal Connection Prompt segues directly to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.

• “Feminism Between the East and the West” offers discussion about representation in feminist theory.

Differentiation Suggestion: For an approach that serves as further analysis of feminism in literature, students might compare a piece of Western and a piece of non-Western literature in each one’s discussion or treatment of feminism. What are the differences between implied definitions of the term? How might these definitions speak to a cultural divide on the subject?