Representing a strictly patriarchal society, where the rights of women are heavily infringed upon, postcolonial Senegal is one of the places where women suffer particularly harsh injustices. In her semi-autobiographical novel, “So Long a Letter,” Mariama Bâ depicts the struggles of Senegal women in a disturbingly vivid and realistic manner, portraying the harsh environment and the necessity to confront it. Specifically, Bâ addresses the problem of polygamy in Senegal society and the effects that polygamy-based relationships have on women coupled with the absence of any personal agency.
The issue of polygamy is the main source of challenges faced by women in Senegal as described in Bâ’s “So Long a Letter.” In addition, polygamous relationships depicted in the novel are portrayed as the causes of further divisions within the community. Specifically, Bâ demonstrates how the struggle for gaining better treatment and striving to improve their rank in the polygamous family hierarchy leads women to conspire against each other. The author illustrates the observed relationships with the help of a single sharp commentary: “The presence of my cowife beside me irritates me” (Bâ 3). Therefore, the development of envy and bitterness as the main outcome of polygamous relationships within the Senegal community is described as the foundational problem that needs to be eradicated.
However, delving further into the description of the society that Bâ provides, one will notice that polygamy is not the cause of women’s distress and the challenges that they face but, rather, a symptom of a larger underlying issue. Namely, the persistence of stereotypes regarding gender roles and especially the role of a woman, who is relegated to giving birth and keeping the house, is pointed at as the primary issue within the Senegal community. The description of the lead character giving birth provided by Bâ, who described the process of childbirth in metaphors that sound both poetic and rough, indicates that the specified event is a major turning point in the leading character’s life, a “Joyous miracle of birth” (Bâ 4). The described issues portrayed in Bâ’s novel lead to a major challenge that women living in the specified community have to encounter throughout their entire life. Namely, the absence of any source of happiness and the resulting drop in the quality of life are the most egregious examples of how gender inequality affects women in Senegal, according to Bâ’s novel.
In addition, the fact that the role of a woman is relegated solely to that one of a mother and a wife needs to be seen as one of the major issues. Although the idea of being a mother itself is rather positive, placing the entire value of a woman onto it suggests that, outside of the specified role, a woman is not perceived as an equal human being. Therefore, the fight against the stereotypical perception of women as solely potential mothers is evident in the novel.
Much to the credit of the author, the importance, value, and challenges of being a mother are not downplayed in the novel, either. Furthermore, motherhood is specifically described as one of the key sources of positive emotions in the life of a Senegal woman: “… One is a mother to understand the inexplicable. One is a mother to lighten the darkness” (Bâ 82). By portraying motherhood as the only solace for women in Senegal, Bâ illustrates the depth of despair in which these women live and the challenges that they have to overcome regularly to survive. Therefore, the plight to be seen as equal human beings rings throughout the entire novel, representing a loud cry for help and justice.
Likewise, the challenges faced by women in Senegal are portrayed in Bâ’s novel through the descriptions of friendship. Despite the development of unhealthy relationships, primarily, rivalry, within families, women in Bâ’s novel also tend to seek consolation in each other, which leads to the development of strong connections and long-lasting interactions that result in complicated and sad yet beautiful friendships. In the author’s own words, “My friend, my friend, my friend. I call on you three times” (Bâ 2). The quote above demonstrates a touching attempt at seeking the support of a friend who is most likely suffering the same challenges and facing the same mistreatment and discrimination.
By describing the issues of complete dependence on a husband and the impact of polygamy on the perception of women in the Senegal society, Bâ openly argues that the problem of misogyny and the focus on gender stereotypes constitute the foundation of gender inequality in Senegal. The resulting development of unhealthy relationships within families, the development of a divide between men and women, as well as resentment of the latter toward the former, is portrayed directly and unequivocally, outlining the drastic need for change. Thus, Bâ’s novel represents a crucial piece on the challenges of women living in Senegal, as well as on the problems within a patriarchal society in which women are seen as lesser people. Being a plight for equality and the importance of changing n the inhumane traditions, Bâ’s work demands change and creates premises for a liberation movement.
Work Cited
Bâ, Mariama. So Long a Letter. Heinemann, 1989.