Season of Migration to the North

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. With the collapse of many of the world’s empires in the mid-20th century, most African colonies declared their independence. Consider the geopolitical context during this era. Why did collapsing empires allow former colonies to become independent during this time? What were the new dynamics between newly independent societies and their former colonizers? Share relevant examples from this era.

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students with the geopolitical context of colonialism and postcolonialism in the mid-20th century. At the end of World War II (WWII), the combination of the financial stress of the colonizers with the rise of the self-determination ideology in the colonized regions resulted in the European nations of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK relinquishing their control of colonies. As a result, many African nations declared their independence between 1945 to 1965. While these newly formed countries were no longer formally attached to their colonizers, many maintained special relationships with their metropoles involving political, economic, and educational ties.

These new countries were considered a part of the “Third World,” or a sphere of the world that was not aligned with either the “First World” capitalist countries (e.g., the US, the UK, etc.) or “Second World” communist countries (e.g., the Soviet Union, North Korea, etc.) during the Cold War era. In this vein, the newly liberated “Third World” countries were strategic in balancing the world order, as both the “First World” and “Second World” powers were heavily involved in politics in Africa. Salih refers to Sudan’s relationship with the UK, particularly in the theme of The Value of Education, as the brightest African male students were sent to the metropole to continue their education.

• The US Department of State’s Office of the Historian reviews the “Decolonization of Asia and Africa” in the mid-20th century.
• The Council of Foreign Relation’s article on how decolonization shaped the world discusses the challenges of newly independent countries.

2. With the rise of decolonization globally, many newly independent countries have sought to unify with neighboring states based on historical, religious, and cultural similarities. Pan-Africanism and Pan-Arabism were examples of these unification movements. What were the goals of unification movements, such as Pan-Africanism and Pan-Arabism? Were these movements successful? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: While the beginning of the decolonization process in the postcolonial era predates Salih’s novel, the pan-regional movements (i.e., Pan-Africanism and Pan-Arabism) were the context in which Salih wrote this work. In response to decolonization, unification movements aimed to create new regional partnerships to decrease dependency on their former metropoles in the postcolonial transition period.

The Organization of African Unity (OAU), which was a result of Pan-Africanist ideology, was formed to “enhance cooperation between the newly decolonized African governments” (Ghanian Museum). Similarly, Pan-Arabism took form in the United Arab Republic, the political union between Egypt and Syria; however, unlike the OAU, the United Arab Republic lasted only three years. While Salih’s novel does not explicitly comment on such pan-regional movements, he touches upon the ambiguous nature of political, economic, and social challenges that newly independent countries experienced in the postcolonial era. After students address the questions, you might allow small group discussion for sharing responses before extending discussion in the larger group. Information from these or similar resources can help students develop additional context on the topic.

• The African Union's website discusses the formation of the OAU.
• The Graduate Institute of Geneva’s interview with Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania and current Harvard Professor, traces the rise and fall of Pan-Arabism.

Short Activity

Salih’s novel is considered a “classic of modern Arabic literature” (Introduction). Working in small groups, research famous authors of modern Arabic literature and consider the following questions in your research:

• What is this person’s background?
• Did this writer receive formal education, and if so, where?
• What ideas does this person espouse?
• What is this person’s legacy in modern Arabic literature?

Finally, share your findings with the class, including any visuals or media (if relevant).

Teaching Suggestion: This short activity invites students to research influential Arabic writers of the 20th century and share their contributions to modern Arabic literature with the class. Students should consider these works’ placement in the postcolonial literature study and any related themes to Salih’s works.

• The British Academy’s 2020 article discusses possible definitions of postcolonial literature.
• Arablit.org shares the Arab Writers’ Union top 105 novels in Arabic of the 20th century (Salih’s novel is #24 on the list).

Differentiation Suggestion: For classes focused on Comparative Literature, this activity can be amended to the following: Working in small groups/individually, read one of Salih’s other works, and share a summary with the class. What are some of the important motifs and themes in this work? Is this work an extension of Seasons of Migration to the North? If so, how?

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Consider the difference between the terms Passivity and Action. In your opinion, when is an appropriate time to choose a pacifist approach? Conversely, when is it important to exercise action? How do you find a balance between the two approaches? If relevant, share an example from your personal experience.

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to reflect on their experiences related to passive and active actions. Throughout the novel, the narrator grapples with his intrinsically passive nature as he chooses to stay out of politics in the village and government and remain the quiet observer. His entrance into the Nile at the end of the novel is a turning point in his passivity, as he makes an active choice to stay alive. This prompt links directly with the Discussion/Analysis Prompt; readers might keep a running list of recurring examples as they read in preparation for that and other After Reading activities.