So the reader can clearly see that this marriage happened due to family obligations, a goldsmith's daughter Aissatou had never gotten Aunt Nabou's approval. Aissatou's reaction to this betrayal is completely opposite to that of Ramatoulaye; she decides to break up with her husband, to abolish traditions and customs. He then decides to leave Africa altogether and move to America to work in the Senegalese embassy. Unlike Modou, Mawdo responds very differently to starting a polygamous relationship. Even after marrying the young Nabou, Mawdo's happiness is destroyed by his polygamy. Her reasons for marrying the young Nabou are very different from Modou's, unlike Modou he did not marry her for personal gain, nor because he was attracted to her. although Mariama Bâ suggests that perhaps she didn't "really want to fight" that "the young Nabou was so tempting". Unlike Modou, Mawdo did not chase Aissatou away, he did his duty and wished for Aissatou to stay, it was Aissatou he loved and not the young Nabou. This is evident as he says he "was completely disoriented" and where he looked he found him alone