Essay
Title: The modern and the traditional as depicted in So long a Letter.
“So long a letter” as a piece of contemporary African women’s literature highlights the religious, social and other aspects of an African country passing into independence.
When I understood the cultural and contextual background of “So long a letter”, I came across many aspects, but the theme of tradition and modernity fascinated me. Ramatoulaye, the protagonist is undergoing trauma following her husband Modou’s death. She writes a letter to her dear friend Aissatou in which she recounts how their lives had developed almost simultaneously. Both the women had married men despite some sort of opposition from their families and ultimately both lost their husbands to …show more content…
That is because the main characters involved in the novella represent both the modern as well as the traditional nearly together.
Ramatoulaye, to a certain extent, represents the traditional aspects of marriage and its associated responsibilities; she has no choice but to follow the norms of Senegalese tradition but is conscious of the fact that tradition does not work when it seeks to be repressive and curtails individual’s freedom. This understanding in itself is the manifestation of modernity though education and self-empowerment.
“So long a letter” reflects a society which is probably torn between tradition and modernity, Ramatoulaye and Aissatou are pivotal factors in helping society to move forward- be it in their roles as wives, teachers, or mothers. Unfortunately, the worth of both women are undermined by their own husband and their in-laws who have their own selfish agendas to …show more content…
She broke the barriers of so called traditional norms which at that point of time every woman was following, displaying a new perspective self-respect and boldness. She quit the prison form of marriage and established her new life on her own the confidence and belief imparted by the education she had in her childhood which changed her mind set and gave her the confidence that she could live life on her own terms and take care of her children. It’s a lesson for every woman to chase her dreams without compromising on her
Title: The modern and the traditional as depicted in So long a Letter.
“So long a letter” as a piece of contemporary African women’s literature highlights the religious, social and other aspects of an African country passing into independence.
When I understood the cultural and contextual background of “So long a letter”, I came across many aspects, but the theme of tradition and modernity fascinated me. Ramatoulaye, the protagonist is undergoing trauma following her husband Modou’s death. She writes a letter to her dear friend Aissatou in which she recounts how their lives had developed almost simultaneously. Both the women had married men despite some sort of opposition from their families and ultimately both lost their husbands to …show more content…
That is because the main characters involved in the novella represent both the modern as well as the traditional nearly together.
Ramatoulaye, to a certain extent, represents the traditional aspects of marriage and its associated responsibilities; she has no choice but to follow the norms of Senegalese tradition but is conscious of the fact that tradition does not work when it seeks to be repressive and curtails individual’s freedom. This understanding in itself is the manifestation of modernity though education and self-empowerment.
“So long a letter” reflects a society which is probably torn between tradition and modernity, Ramatoulaye and Aissatou are pivotal factors in helping society to move forward- be it in their roles as wives, teachers, or mothers. Unfortunately, the worth of both women are undermined by their own husband and their in-laws who have their own selfish agendas to …show more content…
She broke the barriers of so called traditional norms which at that point of time every woman was following, displaying a new perspective self-respect and boldness. She quit the prison form of marriage and established her new life on her own the confidence and belief imparted by the education she had in her childhood which changed her mind set and gave her the confidence that she could live life on her own terms and take care of her children. It’s a lesson for every woman to chase her dreams without compromising on her