Season of migration to the North - Case Study Example

Running head: SEASON OF MIGRATION SEASON OF MIGRATION TO THE NORTH Goes Here al Affiliation Goes Here The paper analyses the book Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih. The book has numerous symbolisms and the paper tries to offer arguments on the various differences that existed culturally between the British imperialists and the Sudanese. Season of Migration to the North The effects of Western Imperialism in the colonial and post colonial periods, although controversial, are quite important for understanding the manner in which the “the West” interacted with the Muslim countries and regions. Although one can understand a given novel in many ways, making use of the Imperialist encounter for everyday natives in Arab North Africa, and specifically in the Sudan is a useful way of understanding Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North. Salih (2009) has constructed the novel in such a manner so as to bring out the effects of colonialism on individual lives which in turn depicts the society as a whole. In this novel, the life of Mustafa Sa’eed runs in parallel with the history of Sudan. Mustafa Sa’eed was born in the year 1898, the very year when Sudanese resistance collapsed to British encroachment in the battle of Omdurman. The trajectory of Mustafa’s life, along with the main events reinforces the fact that Imperialism did have a deep impact on him. Mustafa’s journey to Egypt and England are an important representation to Sudan’s relationship with its colonizers. For most of his adult life, Mustafa is shown to be warring against the colonizing powers. He has described his mind as a “sharp knife” suggesting that he was using his mind as a weapon against his colonizers. By means of his superior intellect, he will overcome the colonizers of Sudan by breaking through the system. Ultimately when he reached London, Mustafa tried to reverse Modern European colonialism’s history in the most symbolic manner. He did so by “inflicting pain and suffering on British women” (Salih, p.159). However, just like Sudan was crushed under the force of the colonial powers, Mustafa was overpowered by London when he met and married Jean Morris. For Mustafa, every night spent with his wife was like “warring with bow and sword and spear and arrows” (Salih, p. 34). This meant that Jean Morris was not like other European women who had succumbed to Mustafa and every night he was met with defeat. Several years later, Mustafa was imprisoned for murdering his wife. During the trial Mustafa claimed himself to be “a colonizer, the intruder whose fate must be decided” (Salih, p. 94). He also discussed how “when Madmoud Wad Ahmed was brought in shackles to Kitchener after his defeat at the battle of Atbara, Kitchener said to him, ‘Why have you come to my country to lay waste and plunder?”(Salih, p 94) This is in reference to the defeat of Sudanese in April 1898. This very resistance against colonization is seen in Mustafa’s life as well with the only difference being the shift of battlefield from Sudan to Britain. Just like “it was the intruder” who was calling Sudan as his country to “the person whose land it was, and the owner of the land bowed his head and said nothing” (Salih, p 159), so too did Mustafa wanted to be the intruder and disrupt the lives of Britishers while staying on their land. Through this, Mustafa seeked to avenge the humiliation faced by Ahmed after his defeat in the battle. In effect, Mustafa’s actions also represent the continued rebellion of the Society against British colonialism. During Mustafa Sa’eed’s trial, the defense attorney argued that “these girls were killed not by Mustafa Sa’eed but by the germ of a deadly disease that assailed them a thousand years ago”. This argument was used for reducing Mustafa’s sentence in the murder of his wife Jean Morris and the suicide of his other three lovers. This statement refers to the fact that as a result of colonialism, alienation was caused between western and eastern cultures. And this alienation was responsible for the downfall of the romantic relationships of Mustafa. The defense lawyer further argued that Mustafa came to England with the expectation of getting enlightened but here also he found the same barbarism that was prevalent in Sudan. In this manner, he was disappointed by the Western civilization. Although, the trial is seen as Mustafa’s revenge against the colonizers, it ultimately resulted in his own defeat, just like Sudan’s resistance got crushed. Just as Sudan remained under the control of the colonizers, Mustafa too remained imprisoned throughout the course of his life. In this context, Mustafa states that although dominating Jean Morris is his “destiny””in her lay his destruction”. He considered himself to be an invader who would not make a safe return. Though metaphorically he desired to liberate Sudan by means of his conquests of English women, he ultimately turned into a victim himself. Hence, Mustafa’s life is a true representation of Sudan under the rule of its colonizers, in spite of all the resistance, not much harm or damage could be inflicted on the British colonizers. And because of the resistance, he himself got converted into a sacrifice, just like the thousands of Sudanese people who succumbed to the British rule. Furthermore, even when Mustafa was gone, he continued to retain a part of Britain which is evident in terms of the manner in which his secret room was maintained. According to Davidson (1989, p. 21), although he is a symbol of resistance against the British rule, some part of the English culture managed to seep into his identity. Similarly, in many ways even Sudan retained a part of the culture followed by its colonizers. Sudan has been described as a place which was struggling against a culture, from which, it also ended up adopting. Finally, the year when Sudan got independence, Mustafa’s life also ended. The end of his life is a representation of the end of colonialism in Sudan. And yet, although Mustafa was no more, his legacy continued, just like Sudan’s independence did not truly put an end to its colonial past. The continued existence of Mustafa Sa’eed can be seen in a number of ways. Firstly, the narrator was continually disturbed by Mustafa’s memory. This reflects that just like it was difficult to forget Mustafa even after his death; colonialism could not be forgotten although independence was achieved. Mustafa’s existence also persisted through his widow’s fate who said “after Mustafa Sa’eed…she will go to no man”. (Salih, p.140) This means that Mustafa’s violence and resistance lived through his wife, just like the influence of British Empire continued to haunt Sudan. This can also be considered as a symbol of the painful memories of colonialism. Even though independence was achieved, the influence continued to live and changed the country irrevocably. After independence, Sudan’s conflict between rebellion and complicity indicated the uncertainty of the transitional phase, just like Hosna’s murder and suicide. Hosna’s crime was covered up by the villagers by making a pact never to utter a word about it. But if Hosna’s crime is metaphorically equivalent to the continued influence of colonialism, then there is complicity on the part of the villagers in covering up the crimes of colonialism rather than preserving tradition. This creates quite a complicated situation for post-colonial Sudan wherein maintaining the vestiges of colonialism in perhaps unavoidable. According to Davidson (1989, p. 34), ultimately, Sudan’s uncertain future is revealed towards the end of the novel. If we consider Mustafa to be a symbol of colonialism, the narrator can be considered as the post colonial Sudan. With the death of Mustafa, colonialism died. However, just like the lasting influence of colonialism, Mustafa’s memory too remained alive, leading to an uncertain future. Although the narrator survived, he was left trapped between north and south and east and west and his screams of help were absorbed by the immensity of the Nile. Season of Migration to the North can thus be seen as a complicated novel wherein the lives of the two main characters represent two entirely different periods of Sudan, pre and post colonialism. The entire work is a symbolic representation of the struggles faced by Sudan which involves the clashing of tradition and progress along with the vestiges of colonialism faced by the country. References Davidson, John E. (1989) "In Search of a Middle Point: The Origins of Oppression in Tayeb Salihs Season of Migration to the North." Research in African Literatures 20.3, pp. 385-400. Salih, T. (2009) Season of Migration to the North, New York: NYRB Classics Read More