In her feminist novel So long A letter, Mariama Ba uses the protagonist of Ramatoulaye and her dear friend Aissatou, to convey her messages of criticism of culture and religion and therefore the implications it has on society and women in particular. As Ramatoulaye is portrayed as a conservative feminist, the recipient of her letter, Aissatou, is shown as a radical feminist and this is evident in how they respond to the situations they find themselves in. As a conservative feminist, the expectation would be not to deeply challenge decisions, but rather to take a less practical approach and not act against the limits that have been set for them. On the other hand, a radical feminist is one who leaves her "comfort zone" and faces situations rigorously, not tolerating any form of injustice towards her and is often characterized as a person who acts recklessly or those who they act "on the basis of their emotions". Faced with similar challenges, we see Aissatou reacting by more independently making the opposite choice by undertaking the unexpected for a woman in that society during the postcolonial period while Ramatoulaye, in a more orthodox manner, remains satisfied, settles and compromises, against the desires of her heart, in the name of respecting the culture and remaining in union with the religion as it was presented to her. This essay aims to analyze the effectiveness of Ba's use of juxtaposition and parallelism, to discover to what extent her message that feminism is a rewarding method of escaping the shackles of culture and religion imposed on women, and that feminism is the way forward for The novel African Women has been successfully delivered to its audience to realize its intention. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ba introduces the nature of Ramatoulaye early in the novel, in order to introduce the conservative feminist. From the beginning, it informs us of Ramatoulaye's docile and submissive nature, where against his emotions he refuses to react due to his anger, where he evidently feels uncomfortable and does not appreciate the existence of his co-wife in his house and in his life as a whole. When we see Ba ​​he writes “The presence of my co-wife irritates me. It was installed in my house for the funeral, according to tradition. This quote demonstrates the strong repercussions that culture has had on the women of Senegal through the writer's choice of words. The word "installed" refers to an object that has been placed or fixed somewhere forcefully, thus dehumanizing Binetou and implicitly questioning Modou's reasons for marrying her, while also informing the audience of Ramatoulaye's disdain for her co wife - Binetou. However, despite expressing her dismay, she does nothing to protest, but rather resists, familiarizing the audience with the true nature of the conservative feminist. Her friend Aissatou's actions, which make a significant character statement, are used to convey Aissatou's radical feminist nature. When Aissatou, against all odds, defies the cultural expectations of women in a society where - as established by Seynabou - "...a woman does not need much education..." and pursues further education after leaving the marriage, eventually earning a job at the embassy. We note his persistent nature in promoting radical feminism in this society, going against the cultural expectation to remain docile and submit tomen. The unexpected nature of this decision emerges from Ramatoulaye's reaction. “You had the surprising courage to take life into your own hands.” The use of the word “surprising” shows the unfamiliarity of the decision. “They allowed you to better yourself. What society has denied you. This shows the hindering characteristics of Senegalese culture and the detrimental effect it has had on the lives of women in this society. Through the quote "the first quality of a woman is docility" we see society's lack of consideration for the social progress of women. So, it was out of the ordinary for Aissatou to succeed, let alone do it the way she did. Once again, Aissatou buys her best friend Ramatoulaye a Fiat 125 when she mentions in passing her difficulties with public transport. These feats show her persistent and independent character, traits often characterized by radical feminists. Criticism from many, including Mawdo's mother and Modou who believed that "...a goldsmith's daughter had no heart". it only pushed Aissatou to change the norm further. Ba's vivid descriptions and focus on Aissatou's acts as persistent, thorough and determined, paint her as a role model for Ramatoulaye, a feminist in her own respect, as a metaphor to represent feminism and the reward it can bring to women by allowing them to emancipate themselves from the servitude of culture. The two sides of feminism and their respective "representatives" are juxtaposed and examined to represent the most fruitful one when both their husbands, Mawdo and Modou, remarry in these relationships, and the exercise of the traditional practice of polygamy subsequently induces emotions of anger in both women as it is sufficiently represented to the public. Ramatoulaye perseveres and carries on his marriage in tatters despite his dislike of his co-wife who intervened in his marriage and the disoriented contact between Ramatoulaye and Modou. Ramatoulaye's distress was no secret and she "...cried every day..." in desperation and despite her children's pleas to divorce Modou and "do what Aunt Aissatou did", she remains in marriage where her love for her husband has not yet faded. , his for her, is no longer there. Aissatou, after Mawdo's marriage to the young Nabou, even in desperation, decided to leave the marriage which she considered not beneficial to her well-being as it brought sadness, even though Mawdo "still loved her". These scenarios describe the burden that polygamous relationships – an important aspect of Senegalese culture and the Islamic religion – have brought on women, so much so that Ramatoulaye is linked to this “toxic” marriage. Aissatou's reaction, however, was that of a strong, self-sufficient woman, as she found solace in books and immersed herself fully in them to expand her knowledge, eventually overcoming her despair, much faster than Ramatoulaye. This statement made by Aissatou challenges the above-mentioned idea that “…a woman does not need much education”. The scenario shows the difference between the two types of feminism, in showing that feminism was a rewarding method of addressing the problems faced by women and even though radical feminism produced results faster than conservative feminism, in the end, the two women , they are ultimately freed from the pain they suffer from and are able to move forward and overcome challenges. This is effective in showing the collaboration of women in feminism as a whole to achieve a common goal and in showing that feminism is the path to an equal society where men would no longer be placed above women,.