Season of Migration to the North

Reflect on the narrator’s role as an observer in the novel. In which ways does the narrator grapple with finding a balance between Passivity and Action? How do the novel’s final moments indicate a change in the narrator’s character and choices?

Additionally, or separately, compare your response in the Personal Connection Prompt with the narrator’s character traits. What are your similarities and differences with the narrator, if any?

Teaching Suggestion: Although the narrator is differentiated by his privileged educational background and employment status, he admits to Mahjoub that his role as a civil servant equates to more passivity than activity. Even though he takes a somewhat active role in remaining the guardian of Mustafa’s widow and sons, he ultimately does not act to save Hosna. He struggles with the consequences of this passivity. The narrator’s internal struggle between Passivity and Action climaxes in the river, where he actively decides to resist death and choose life as he is pulled between the north and south shore. Students may benefit from guided discussion of these points before independent writing. This prompt encourages students to recontextualize their previous Personal Connection Prompt response with the narrator’s internal struggle in the novel.