"Season of Migration" and "The Stranger"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Tayeb Salih's narrator in "Season of Migration to the North" and Albert Camus' Mersault in "The Stranger" and, in particular, their growth experiences by means of facing death. The paper relates that the narrator in Tayeb Salih's "Season of Migration to the North", voyages as far as England, never standing still, in an attempt to flee from facing himself. Only when he is standing toe-to-toe with death, does he begin to appreciate the gift of life and make a decision in its favor. The paper then compares the narrator's behavior to that of the character of Mersault in Camus' "The Stranger", in which he refuses to move in any direction to ensure his own safety. Yet, when he eventually accepts his terminal verdict he then chooses to live deliberately. The paper concludes that both the protagonists' confrontations with death serves as a window for both characters to transcend their fear and see themselves more positively.

From the Paper:

"Both Salih and Camus indicate that the irrational fear of missing out causes equally irrational responses in those who suffer from it. Salih illustrates this pattern through his mountain allegory. "My sole concern was to reach London, another mountain, larger than Cairo, where I knew not how many nights I would stay," (26) says Mustafa exhibiting his urge to climb yet a higher mountain. His undirected greed aims at the future, because there he sees the potential of surpassing what he has already won. Regardless of any losses, he wreaks havoc amongst the British women for just the same reason: to live it all. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: Vintage International, 1946.
• Salih, Tayeb. Season of Migration to the North. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 1997

More papers on "Season of Migration" and "The Stranger":

• Analytical Essay # 5065 : "Tayeb Salih's "Season of Migration to the North"
• Book Review # 102701 : "Season of Migration to the North"
• Analytical Essay # 67371 : "A Passage to India" and "Season of Migration to the North"

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