There are several dimensions to the issue of widow inheritance in this text. I will provide a brief overview of how it is discussed to help get your started.

One of the main issues Bâ highlights is how difficult it is for widows to advocate for themselves and their property in the wake of a husband's death. For example, when Ramatoulaye’s husband Moudou was still alive, the couple opened a joint bank account and used it to take out a mortgage on an estate. But Moudou had a second wife, Binetou, who ended up living at the estate with her mother at the time of his death. Ramatoulaye and her daughter have to fight for their right to an inheritance, and they do eventually end up evicting Binetou and her mother from the villa. However, the struggle makes Ramatoulaye reflect on the implications of polyamory and patriarchal culture. She feels that her husband abandoned her when he married Binetou, treating her like an object he was tired of using rather than a person.

Ramatoulaye’s story also shows how inheritance is a common reason why widows receive marriage proposals. After her mourning period, many suitors visit her and she receives two proposals. In an outburst to Moudou’s brother Tamsir, we see how frustrated Ramatoulaye is with this behavior.

“You forget that I have a heart, a mind, that I am not an object to be passed from hand to hand” she exclaims (Bâ 110).

Ramatoulaye’s frustration here demonstrates how a widow’s inheritance reinforces the cycle of female objectification. While married to Moudou she felt rejected and used, especially when he took a second wife. Now that she is alone, she sees other men trying to take control of her through marriage in order to access her wealth. Overall, this shows how widow inheritance is used to maintain the social standards of this patriarchal culture.