Identity in Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North :: Season Migration North

Identity in Tayeb Salihs duration of Migration to the NorthSeason of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih tells the story of a man searching for an identity he was unaware he had lost. Through his growing understanding of Mustafa Saeeds life, the central office eventually reconciles his own identity conflicts. Throughout Salihs novel the main characters identity is unclear. While the reader learns much about his background cultureal, familial, and professional, his name is never mentioned. A surname is used in reference to his family, but is never applied to him. In once instance he is referred to by another character as effendi (85). This phrase, however, is an Arabic title roughly equivalent to sir rather than a name. The central characters namelessness serves to focus attention on another character with whom he develops an uncomfortable friendship Mustafa Saeed. Mustafa entrusts the main character with his affairs after his death, including the key to a private chamber. When the central character enters the mysterious room and uncovers Mustafas past, the identity conflict becomes spare out of the darkness there emerged a frowning lawsuit with pursed lips that I knew but could not place. I moved towards it with hate in my heart. It was my adversary Mustafa Saeed. The face grew and I found myself standing face to face with myself. a picture of me frowning at my face from a mirror. (135)Several parallels are drawn betwixt the central character and Mustafa Saeed. Both speak English and had studied in London. Even though the central character had self-aggrandising up in the village, his education and time abroad had made him as much an outsider as Saeed. Upon seeing his own reflection in the darkness, he believes it to be Mustafa, who he had grown to despise. As he moves closer to the object of his hatred, he discovers that he is standing face to face with himself. Mustafa represents to him all that he despises in himself.