Mariama Bâ facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mariama Bâ
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | 17 April 1929 Dakar, Senegal |
| Died | 17 August 1981 (aged 52) Dakar, Senegal |
| Resting place | Unknown |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language | French |
| Nationality | Senegalese |
| Citizenship | Senegal |
| Genre | novel |
| Notable works | So Long a Letter |
| Children | 9 Children |
Mariama Bâ (born April 17, 1929 – died August 17, 1981) was an important writer from Senegal. She wrote two novels in French. These books were translated into many different languages. Mariama Bâ was born in Dakar and grew up in a Muslim family.
Her first novel, Une si longue lettre (1979), showed her feelings about the challenges faced by African women. This book is like a series of letters. In it, Mariama Bâ describes a woman's sadness after her husband dies. The woman has to share her grief with her husband's younger second wife. This short book won the first Noma Award for Publishing in Africa in 1980.
Contents
About Mariama Bâ's Life
Mariama Bâ was born in Dakar, Senegal, in 1929. She came from a well-educated and wealthy Senegalese family. Her father was a government worker who later became a minister of health. Her grandfather worked as an interpreter during the French colonial rule.
After her mother passed away, Mariama Bâ was mostly raised by her grandparents. They followed traditional customs. She learned French at school and also attended a Koranic school.
Mariama Bâ's Education and Career
Mariama Bâ was a very bright student. During the time when Senegal was fighting for independence, it was hard for girls to get a higher education. Mariama Bâ's grandparents did not want her to study beyond primary school. However, her father insisted that she should continue her education. He eventually convinced her grandparents.
She did very well on the entrance exam for a teacher training college in Rufisque, a suburb of Dakar. She got the top score and was accepted into the École Normale. This school prepared her to become a teacher. Her principal noticed how smart she was and helped her prepare for the teaching exam in 1943.
Mariama Bâ worked as a teacher from 1947 to 1959. After that, she became an educational inspector.
Family Life and Later Years
Mariama Bâ was married three times and had nine children. Her longest marriage was to Obèye Diop, a member of the Senegalese Parliament. They later divorced.
Mariama Bâ passed away in 1981 after a long illness. Her second novel, Un Chant écarlate (Scarlet Song), was published after she died. This book tells a love story between two people from different backgrounds. They struggle against old traditions.
Mariama Bâ's Writings
Mariama Bâ wrote two novels: So Long a Letter (1979) and Scarlet Song (1981). She also wrote an article called "The Political Function of African Written Literature" in 1981.
So Long a Letter
In 1980, Une si longue lettre, known in English as So Long a Letter, won the first Noma Award for Publishing in Africa. In this book, Mariama Bâ showed how much African women have helped build their societies.
The book is written as a long letter from a widow named Ramatoulaye to her childhood friend, Aissatou. Aissatou lives in the United States. The main character, Ramatoulaye, has little power over her own life because she is a woman. However, her friend Aissatou chooses her own path and does not let her husband control her life. The story shows the importance of friendship and support among women.
Scarlet Song
Scarlet Song (1981) also became well-known around the world. This book talks about how important it is for women to create their own strong spaces. It means women should not be seen as the "weaker sex."
Scarlet Song is about a marriage between a European woman and an African man. Mireille, whose father is a French diplomat, marries Ousmane, who comes from a poor Senegalese Muslim family. When they move back to Senegal from Paris, Ousmane starts following his old traditions again. Mireille, being from a Western culture, finds it hard to adapt. This is especially true when Ousmane takes a second wife. In Senegal, having more than one wife (polygamy) is accepted in their religion and society. But Mireille cannot accept it and suffers in the marriage. The book criticizes strict traditions and shows the difficulties of marriages between people from different cultures.
Her Article: "The Political Function of African Written Literature"
In this article from 1981, Mariama Bâ wrote that every African woman should be proud of her strength and what she has achieved. She believed that every woman helps Africa grow and develop.
Mariama Bâ's Views on Women's Roles
Mariama Bâ did not like the term "feminist" because she felt it was too focused on Western ideas. However, she also did not agree with all traditional Senegalese Muslim views for women.
She believed that African women writers had a special job. She said they needed to show the true situation of women in Africa. She felt there was still a lot of unfairness. Mariama Bâ said that women must work for their own future. They must change things that hurt them and not just accept them. She believed women should use writing as a peaceful but strong way to make a difference.
Mariama Bâ's Lasting Impact
A book about Mariama Bâ's life was published in Dakar in 2007. It was called Mariama Bâ ou les allées d'un destin and was written by her daughter, Mame Coumba Ndiaye.
Mariama Bâ Boarding School
The Mariama Bâ Boarding School is a top school for girls located on Gorée, an island in Senegal. It was started in 1977 by Leopold Sedar Senghor, who was the first president of Senegal. The school was named after Mariama Bâ because of her strong beliefs and what she wrote about.
The school accepts young women who get the highest scores on the national high school entrance exam. Each year, about 25 female students from different parts of Senegal get to attend this school for their high school years. The school's lessons are similar to those in France. Students study for seven levels and finish with their baccalaureate diploma. In 2009, a Spanish film company made a documentary about the school.
See also
In Spanish: Mariama Bâ para niños
