Candi Walker
Professor Melinda Snow
Revision Paper
April 14, 2008
So Long a Letter, by Mariama Ba, and Song of Lawino, by Okot p’Bitek, tell the stories
of women who were affected by polygamy and how they accept or reject the idea of group
marriage. The Senegalese and Acoli women are aware of their own cultural backgrounds as well
as the European influence on their cultures. The women in both novels represent the story of
more than just the main characters; the novels reveal the story of women who are similarly
affected by what is going on around them. In comparing and contrasting So Long a Letter and
Song of Lawino, the audience is able to see how polygamy is practiced within both societies, and
how instead of embracing the religious traditions, the women speak out. This paper will
carefully examine the behavior of Ramatoulaye and Aissatou in So Long a Letter and the
behavior of Lawino and Clementine in Song of Lawino. It will unveil the characters’ feelings
about polygamy and explain how each character has taken a very different approach in living in a
polygamous society. This paper will also contrast the educated women and the uneducated
women in the novels and will describe how education and independence played a significant role
in each character’s decision to accept change into their lives. The main goal of this paper is to
explore each character’s new role in life.
So Long a Letter is a novel written in the form of a diary by Ramatoulaye to her
childhood friend Aissatou. Ramatoulaye and Aissatou made their own choices regarding
marriage, and their choices did not come without consequences. After their husbands’
exploration of new cultures and values, Modou and Madow, returned to their traditional practice
of polygamy. Ramatoulaye and Aissatou write back and forth, discussing their husbands’
decisions to take on second wives after many years of blissful marriages.
Ramatoulaye, the protagonist of So Long a Letter, is a well educated Muslim woman
who has been happily married to her husband, Modou, for twenty-two years. Modou decides to
take on a second wife without the approval of Ramatoulaye. Modou abandons Ramatoulaye and
spends their money on his new wife, Binetou. Oddly, Ramatoulaye decides to stay with Modou
because of her good faith. Ramatoulaye often prays to God for her strength as she is deeply
troubled by her husband’s neglect. After the sudden death of Modou, Ramatoulaye morns his
death for four months and ten days (a Senegalese tradition), and it is at this point where
Ramatoulaye discovers her oppression. She seeks support in her letters to Aissatou.
Like Ramatoulaye, Aissatou is a well educated woman who is aware of the traditional
practices in the Senegalese culture. Aissatou is also familiar with modern Western traditions.
Aissatou’s strong-minded character makes her somewhat of a radical as she rejects the idea of
her husband, Madow, taking on a new wife, and she chooses her own life. Aissatou moves to the
United States, and perhaps her decision to accept Western traditions influences her decision to
leave her husband and reject the idea of group marriage.
Song of Lawino, a narrative poem, tells the story of Lawino, who is married to Ocol. Ocol
leaves Uganda to obtain an education, and upon his return home, Ocol decides to marry a second
wife. Like Ramatoulaye and Aissatou, Lawino is aware of her culture accepting polygamy
however, she is not too accepting of her husband’s methods of obtaining a new wife. Like
Modou, Ocol does not consult with Lawino before adding to the family. Lawino is not an
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educated woman, but she is a very skilled woman who is proud of her culture. Lawino feels
abandoned like Ramatoulaye as Ocol adopts Western values and customs. Ocol no longer values
his own cultures as a Ugandan. Ocol’s rejection of Ugandan cultures hurts Lawino more than
Ocol’s decision to take on a new wife. Ocol asks, “What is Africa [t]o me... [it is] blackness,
deep, deep fathomless darkness.” (p125) Lawino writes to her husband, explaining her heartache
and her disappointments in regard to his actions. Lawino finds additional pain and agony when
Ocol is not receptive to her needs. Lawino becomes angry with Ocol’s second wife, Clementine.
Clementine has also incorporated Western ways into her lifestyle; Lawino makes mention of
Clementine’s obsession with European ways and how she aspires to look like a white woman.
Lawino describes Clementine as “[t]he beautiful one [who] aspires to look like a white woman;
[h]er lips are red like glowing charcoal [s]he resembles the wild cat that has dipped its mouth in
blood”. (p37) Towards the end of the poem, Lawino takes a different stance and is no longer
angry at Clementine. It is at this point when Lawino seeks reconciliation with Ocol and remains
loyal to her husband. She longs for the same time and attention that Clementine receives from
Ocol. Clementine is an educated woman who has a fascination with the white colonialist.
Clementine has no problem living in a polygamous family. It is perhaps the white colonialist
exposure that has given Clementine the knowledge and understanding of becoming a second
wife.
The women in each culture share different beliefs; however, they both share the same
common notion of abandonment and deceit. Ramatoulaye and Lawino are very similar; they both
remain in their African society with little influence of Western culture. Ramatoulaye and Lawino
not only remain loyal to their husbands, but to their religion as well. Although polygamy is a part
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of their religion, the two women find it very difficult to accept. They both dislike their sister
wives and Ramatoulaye says, “[t]he presence of my co-wife irritates me.” (p11) Ramatoulaye
and Lawino find strength from a higher power and make the decision to remain in their
marriages. It is not only the loyalty that Ramatoulaye and Lawino have to their husbands’, but it
is the loyalty to their culture that made these women choose to stay with their husbands out of
love and commitment. Education is not a factor; instead, they hold onto what they have been
taught by their African society and culture.
Aissatou and Clementine’s characters also reveal similarities. Aissatou and Clementine
are two educated westernized women who are confident in what they will and will not accept out
of life. Even though Aissatou rejects the notion of having a sister wife and chooses her own life
without being denied a life of her own by her husband, she reveals confidence. Clementine has
no problem being a sister wife to Lawino as this is revealed by Clementine’s confidence.
Clementine does not allow Lawino’s insecurities to bother her. Aissatou’s and Clementine’s
diverse backgrounds has enabled the two strong- minded to accept peace within their hearts and
accept their new lives, one with a husband and one without.
So Long a Letter and Song of Lawino both reveal how women are similarly affected by
polygamy and how they cope with its negatives and positives. Both novels observe gender
inequalities in African societies. Many Senegalese women have seen their husbands move out of
the range of their education and experience through travel and leaving their wives feeling
abandoned and alone. Many Ocols’ return home with nothing but contempt for the ways of their
parents and their fathers (p.12).
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Works Cited
Ba, Mariama. So Long a Letter. South Africa: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1980.
P’Bitek, Ocol. Song of Lawino/Song of Ocol. South Africa: Heinemann Educational
Publishers, 1966.
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