It is the people of Africa who find themselves falling short of their revolutionary goals, and these frustrations resonate within contemporary African writers. So Long a Letter by Mariama BÃ, points out many of these frustrations, however, she offers a woman’s perspective. This is important because so many African writers and play writes are men. Women’s opinions and views have to be heard because they are one of the groups fighting for equality in their society.
So Long a Letter was an epistolary novel which discussed the problems many contemporary African women face. It did this through the two main characters, Aissatou and Ramatoulaye. Although their stories’ both seemed lugubrious at first, their desire and ability to overcome the struggle set a precedent for African women when dealing with gender inequality. BÃ promoted womanism throughout her novel, or the greater idea of African women bonding together to fight for the struggle. She also highlighted many disappointments of her country and fellow