28th Annual Student Research Conference
A Contrapuntal Analysis of Season of Migration to the North
Alyssa L. Aubuchon
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Edward Said, critic and lover of classical music, asserts in Culture and Imperialism that the aim of comparative literature is to move beyond ones culture, literature, and history to gain perspective beyond ones own nation. Said proposed that counterpoint--a musical term describing two intertwined harmonies--could be effectively used to examine both literary and real world relationships between two interacting cultures. Said's recognition of the involvement of music in the understanding of the literary world allows us to see the value in observing cultural interactions as one would view two interacting musical harmonies, in novels such as Tayeb Salih's Season of Migration to the North. Said's theory of contrapuntal analysis reveals the hidden voices of colonized nations and exposes the dissonance between cultures. One can use this musical model to interpret this postcolonial novels engagement with colonialism and resistance.
Keywords: Edward Said, Counterpoint, Contrapuntal, Tayeb Salih, Season of Migration to the North, Colonialism, Resistance, Music
Topic(s):English
Music
Middle Eastern Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 101-1
Location: MG 1000
Time: 8:00