So Long a Letter (Ba)

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for So Long a Letter:

1. Talk about the treatment of women—in terms of upbringing, training, and cultural restrictions—in Senegal.

2. How does Ramatoulaye's life in Africa and Aissatou's life in the United States differ? How do their view of men and marriage differ? Why does Ramatoulaye decide to stay married to her husband, while her friend divorces hers. Which woman's decision to you agree with...or were both decisions the correct one for each woman?

3. What, if anything, does Ramatoulaye learn from her correspondence with her girlhood friend?

4. How does Ramatoulaye rationalize the differences between men and women? Do you agree...or disagree with her views?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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