So Long a Letter

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the concept of marriage from a global perspective. In what ways do different cultures show their regard for common aspects of marital unions such as reproduction, childrearing, parental love, and financial security? How do cultures and historical traditions connect with polygamous familial structures (polygyny and polyandry)?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the sociological context of polygamous marriages in non-Western countries, particularly in Africa. Polygamy, which refers to one partner who marries many spouses, can be divided into subcategories of polygyny (one husband, multiple wives) and polyandry (one wife, multiple husbands). The polygyny category of polygamy is more widely practiced than polyandry; it is sometimes practiced in countries where it is associated with religious and cultural traditions related to reproduction and the consolidation of familial power.

In Bâ’s novel, polygamy (in particular, polygyny) is an often-practiced marital norm in Senegal; however, this does not mean that women whose husbands take other wives are not hurt by their husbands’ decisions, as they often protest their husbands’ decisions in various ways.