Dr. Ramirez
Miriama Ba. So Long a Letter
Write for 10 min. on Ramatoulaye's
trials as a parent. What are her recourses for handling her sons
and daughters?
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Differences between Nabou who has
a practical education as a midwife and Binetou, who is wasting away in
her wealth and privelege
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R assumes an even more central role
in household after Moudo leaves; she arranges for food, for the bills to
be paid, and repairs to be made.
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Alone, she enters theaters self
consciously but then with some sense of comfort.
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With Aissatou's gift of a Fiat,
she can now drive; she has mobility (modern idea)
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Seclusion lasts 40 days--the imam
(representative of the mosque) tries to arrange a marriage for her with
Tamsir
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Use of textuality in the novel:
R's letter to Daouda (other letters include Aissatou's and of course the
novel itself is comprised of a letter)
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Farmata--matchmaker of sorts, also
a fortune teller who casts cowrie shells
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Children: Ousmane, Omar, Aminata,
Awa, Arame, Yacine, Dieynaba, Malick, Alioune, Mawdo, Aissatou, Daba