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God's Bits of Wood

by Ousmane Sembène

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What does God's Bits of Wood reveal about Senegalese and Malian society and the role of women?

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God's Bits Of Wood is a book about the railway workers' strike on the Dakar-Niger railway in French West Africa in 1947. It showcases the impact of poverty, exploitation, racism, tradition, and industrialization on the Senegalese and Malian societies during the colonial period.

Tired of the injustices and discrimination they face from the colonial powers, the railway workers decide to go on strike in order to improve their financial situation, as well as end the racial discrimination and prejudice they face on a daily basis from the French government. Even though the men lead the strike, the Senegalese and Malian women take a firm stand and confidently showcase their intellect, skills, valor, courage, and determination.

Sembène describes how the women in the Senegalese and Malian societies are mainly focused on domestic work. They aren't included in politics or business; they support their husbands, raise the children, take care of the household, prepare the food, and organize the markets. As an example, Sembène introduces several conservative female characters who have no influence or social position higher than that of a wife and mother, the most notable being Assitan, who is described as the "perfect wife" according to the social standards of Islamic West Africa.

By the ancient standards of Africa, Assitan was a perfect wife: docile, submissive, and hard-working, she never spoke one word louder than another. She knew nothing whatever of her husband’s activities, or, if she did, she gave no appearance of knowing ... Her own lot as a woman was to accept things as they were and to remain silent, as she had been taught to do.

The strike not only transforms, but also completely erases the traditional roles of women, as they go from supporting their husbands to standing alongside them and even taking charge of the strike and marching on their own. Penda, a prostitute, who ends up leading the march from Thiès to Dakar, is the greatest example of the power and resilience of African women during times of great hardship and struggle. In her speech before the women march for Dakar, Penda speaks to the men and explains to them that the women have decided to take action.

I speak in the name of all the women, but I am just the voice they have chosen to tell you what they have decided to do. Yesterday we all laughed together, men and women, and today we weep together, but for us women, this strike still means the possibility of a better life tomorrow. We owe it to ourselves to hold up our heads and not to give in now ... Men, you must allow your wives to come with us! Every woman here who is capable of walking should be with us tomorrow!

Some men oppose the idea at first but quickly come around once they realize that solidarity and community matter the most in the fight for justice and social, economic, and political equality. In this context, Sembène also alludes to his Marxist ideologies.

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