So Long a Letter

Daouda Dieng, Rama’s suitor from her youth, reappears in her life. At Modou’s funeral, he presents her with a large sum of money and insists she take it. He is now a deputy in Senegal’s National Assembly. He comes to visit Rama, and she asks after his wife and children, then about his job. They become embroiled in a debate over whether it is acceptable for Senegal to have a predominantly male Assembly. Daouda says that four women is more than enough—any more, and the Assembly would “‘go up in flames’” (63). Rama counters that it been twenty years since independence, and it’s time for equality, in both government and education. Daouda agrees, noting that the other men in the Assembly think of him as a feminist, which they consider a pejorative term.

Daouda returns for another visit. He begs that they not discuss politics, but asks Rama to marry him, to be his second wife. She has no immediate answer for him, and he encourages her to take her time and think it over.