29th Annual Student Research Conference
Landscape as Metaphor in Season of Migration to the North
Emily N. Stobbe
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
This paper presentation explores the relationships two men in Season of Migration to the North (by Tayeb Salih) hold with their environment, both North Africa and England, as well as how these relationships indicate conceptions of power and control. In an act of reverse-colonization, Mustafa (of Wad Hamid) seduces many women in London, demonstrating his core belief that he holds final and irrevocable control over his surroundings, even if this control can be harmful to those around him. In contrast, the nameless narrator sees himself as another element of his surroundings, subject to the whims of nature and his environment. Both men undergo vast transformations in their perception of place in the world power structure, and these changes are demonstrated through how they interact with their environment, alternately shaping it or letting it shape them.
Keywords: Season of Migration to the North, power, control, North Africa, London, masculinity, landscape and environment
Topic(s):Middle Eastern Studies
English
Women's and Gender Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -4
Location: MG 2090
Time: 3:15