Mariama Ba Woman
Oppression based on race, religion, and gender, and caused by fundamentalism and extremism, exists everywhere today. Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter and Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero focus on the oppression and subsequent suffering of women by mainstream patriarchy. People respond to adversity in a multitude of ways, including further hostility and moderate protest. Woman at Point Zero’s Firdaus exemplifies the former method, while So Long a Letter’s Ramatoulaye elucidates the latter, more successful method. Hence, Ba answers the question of how people should embrace their ideals, while El Saadawi reveals the cause and effect of rampant societal extremism. Ultimately, the two authors convey the universal theme that bigotry always results
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Moreover, according to karma, the experiences one goes through in life reflect one’s actions in previous lives. Together, these can form a cycle in which extremism, violence, and other negative kamma can build indefinitely. Firdaus is a victim of a samsara in which the others’ fundamentalism engulfs her. She strongly alludes to this when she says, ”I became another woman. My previous life was behind me” (El Saadawi, 98). Yet, just like in samsara, Firdaus’ metaphorical rebirths only worsen her mental state, making her increasingly unstable, hateful, and violent. In contrast, Rama is able to break her samsara by realizing the answer to society’s extremism is not her own radicalization. Upon embracing an enlightening middle way, as Gotama Buddha does in the Buddhist Pali Canon, she remarks, “I let out a sigh of relief. I felt I had emerged into the light after a long journey through a dark, narrow tunnel” (Ba, 93). Rama’s feelings of liberation in this statement intensely parallel the Buddhist concept of nirvana, the state of unity with the universe and simultaneously the cessation of suffering. By escaping the clutches of the dark, narrow tunnel of suffering, Rama is able to liberate herself and emerge into the light of nirvana. Via these brief allusions to Buddhist doctrine, Ba and El Saadawi are able to convey the earth-shattering theme that one can only liberate themselves from the world’s suffering and loathing through a stance of moderation and
Moreover, according to karma, the experiences one goes through in life reflect one’s actions in previous lives. Together, these can form a cycle in which extremism, violence, and other negative kamma can build indefinitely. Firdaus is a victim of a samsara in which the others’ fundamentalism engulfs her. She strongly alludes to this when she says, ”I became another woman. My previous life was behind me” (El Saadawi, 98). Yet, just like in samsara, Firdaus’ metaphorical rebirths only worsen her mental state, making her increasingly unstable, hateful, and violent. In contrast, Rama is able to break her samsara by realizing the answer to society’s extremism is not her own radicalization. Upon embracing an enlightening middle way, as Gotama Buddha does in the Buddhist Pali Canon, she remarks, “I let out a sigh of relief. I felt I had emerged into the light after a long journey through a dark, narrow tunnel” (Ba, 93). Rama’s feelings of liberation in this statement intensely parallel the Buddhist concept of nirvana, the state of unity with the universe and simultaneously the cessation of suffering. By escaping the clutches of the dark, narrow tunnel of suffering, Rama is able to liberate herself and emerge into the light of nirvana. Via these brief allusions to Buddhist doctrine, Ba and El Saadawi are able to convey the earth-shattering theme that one can only liberate themselves from the world’s suffering and loathing through a stance of moderation and