So Long a Letter Lesson Plan

A Letter from... Part 3

Kind of Activity:

Creative Writing

Objective:

Students will imagine a letter from Binetou to Ramatoulaye.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.A

Structure:

This is Part Three of a unit-long project.

Binetou is, perhaps, the character whose inner world we understand the least. She is extremely passive in the novel, and, except for what she tells Daba, we know little about her desires or thoughts. For today's letter, imagine Binetou wrote to Ramatoulaye. It is up to you when this letter would be written—before or after Modou's death. What do you think Binetou might say to Ramatoulaye? Would she be apologetic? Would she want sympathy?...