Betrayal or Abandonment in So Long a Letter

Introduction

Art and literature are meant to highlight the weakness, strengths, fairness and injustices that occur in a society. Therefore, the basic aim of any literature piece or writing in any era has been to highlight the events in a society that can have a strong influence on the various moral and social values. In fact, literature also focuses, emphasizes and discusses the role individuals play in a society and the impact on their lives by the actions and decisions made by others. Literature also focuses on the relationships and feelings that exist amongst individuals in a society. “So Long a Letter” is one such similar short story written by Mariama Ba in the form of a semi- autobiographical novel. The story also takes the form of a long letter written by the leading character Ramatoulaye to her best friend Aissatou Ba. The story revolves around the character of Ramatoulaye, however uses many other female characters to discuss and highlight the emotional, physical and psychological battles women faces.

Thesis Statement

The story is a heart touching tale that revolves around the betrayal and abandonment of the male characters towards the female characters and how the life of these characters is affected in following years.

Discussion

It will be fair to say that the story or plot of “So Long a Letter” is very rich in terms of the themes or lessons it offers to its readers. For instance, the story focuses on the concept of feminism and discusses the roles and possibilities of independent working women in their families and the overall societies. The story also explains the distinct factors and practices in the African and European culture (Nnaemeka, pp.18). However, the most prominent aspect that is beautifully highlighted in the story is the pre and post events of the incidents when two of the male characters betrayed their wives.

When it comes to the character of Ramatoulaye, the story explains the trials and hardships of a woman who was dealing with the emotional trauma of the death of her husband. The plot depicts that although Ramatoulaye is upset on his death. However, she still remembers his unfaithfulness. She remembers of how her husband betrayed her many years back and married a much younger girl as his second wife. She also still feel hurt by the fact that her husband did not even think once of their children before leaving them for good (Njoya, pp.454). In fact, the readers will find it very obvious that Ramatoulaye is equally hurt by her husband betraying him with a second marriage as she was shocked by him abandoning her and their 12 children. Ramatoulaye, in a letter she wrote to her friend Aissatou, explains her feeling that she has and the scenarios she encounters on her recent widowhood. Ramatoulaye in the letter reflects on her marriage with her husband Modou. She reflected on her life that was filled with happiness and joy for as long as she and Modou were ...