The differences among the polygamous marriages in So Long a Letter

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It is quite evident from the beginning of the novel, of the close friendship between Ramatoulaye and Aissatou. It shows that their association is not a new one and that their friendship has survived their youth and hence strengthened over time. “We walked the same paths from adolescence to maturity, where the past begets the present”. This signifies the growth of their friendship over time, and that even after such a long time their friendship remains intact; they both have someone who they can count on, who they can truly count as a friend. Even after they both matured their lives “developed in parallel”, they experienced the “tiffs and reconciliations of married life”, and in all senses Ramatoulaye and Aissatou led very similar lives. Each woman sought to marry for love but was tipped up by tradition. Aissatou because her husband follows the directions of his mother as the “knocks and disappointments of life have weakened her heart”, and Ramatoulaye because her ...

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as the family of Mawdo , it was seen as an insult towards the mother of Mawdo as Aissatou did not share the nobility of her in laws . However Mawdo was different, in this case he did not give into customs and “remained firm. Marriage is a personal thing, he retorted to anyone who cared to hear”. Mawdo raised Aissatou up to his own level; he was the son of a princess whereas Aissatou was the child of the forges. His mother’s rejection did not frighten him.

In both cases, we can see that the relationships at least at the start were happy ones , both couples seemed content with their lives. Modou was steadily gaining reputation and climbing up the social ladder, and Mawdo remained as ...

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