So Long a Letter by Mariamma Ba and the role of women and the impact of Western culture on Islamic women in postcolonial Senegal: a critical analysis by Aissatou. European vs. African Culture: France occupied Africa and introduced the language and education system, but the cultural traditions of marriage, life, and the place of women are still under African traditions. Senegal, a country colonized by the French, has seen a slight change in the role and place of women. In Senegal the disparity between men and women has gone in favor of men. Senegalese culture, which was already a male chauvinist culture coupled with the Islamic religion which in many ways favored men, was a recipe for disaster for Senegalese women. It is largely populated by Muslims. Postcolonialism refers to freedom from a nation's governmental influence over a dependent country. After Senegal gained independence, their women changed their way of life. They have been affected economically, socially and politically. Most young Muslim women were torn between their traditional culture and the Western ways that most Africans are now adapting to. The main problem was the way Muslim women dressed and their desire for education and other privileges that should only be ascertained by men. Furthermore, they no longer appreciate polygamy even though it is not against the law of Islam. This can be said in reference to the decision made by a character, Aissatou, in Mariamma Ba's So Long a Letter, when she decides to leave her husband Mawdo, after having four children with him because she wants to marry a woman her mother approves of. Many Senegalese women have become aware of their rights and have begun to rise up to defend themselves against injustice... middle of paper... intent on breaking away from the Muslim religion. It seems that in the novel the women judge and separate from each other because they are afraid of being replaced by a younger wife. Therefore, the woman separates, but Mariamma Ba urges the woman to do the opposite because the numbers will increase the woman's strength. Ramatoulaye realizes that she was obeying and depending on her husband and following social norms and urges all other women to unite and be independent of a man who does not appreciate a woman. Furthermore, Ramatoulaye chooses to be a single woman who will do anything for her children and does not want to be with a man like Daouda who may be rich, but already has a wife.Bibliographyhttp://findpdf.net/documents /So-long -a-letter-Ramatoulaye.htmlhttp://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/4615/ar_rizwana_muslim_women.pdf?sequence=1