A Post-Colonial Construction of an Authentic and Dignified Identity: Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North

Tahsin Çulhaoğlu

Article Details

A Post-Colonial Construction of an Authentic and Dignified Identity: Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North

Authors:

Tahsin Çulhaoğlu

Publisher:

Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University

Main Topics:

Sömürge Dönemi Sonrası Edebiyatı

Journal:

Dünya Dilleri, Edebiyatları ve Çeviri Çalışmaları Dergisi Vol.5 Issue 2, pp.151-169

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338232

pISSN:

2717-9877

Keywords:

Abstract:

 This paper aims to analyze Tayeb Salihs classic novel Season of Migration to the North in terms of and as a post-colonial construction of an authentic and dignified identity. Post-colonial literature at large tries to re-read and re-write the history of colonialism and imperialism through the perspective of the colonized who was almost entirely silenced in the Western version of history. Refusing the silencing and misrepresentation of the colonized peoples by the colonizers in accordance with their interests, post-colonial literature enables the colonized to speak and to construct an authentic and dignified self. In this respect, post-colonial literature is a project of self-understanding, self-representation, and self-construction. As a post-colonial novel, Salihs Season of Migration to the North deals with the biased construction of the identities of both the colonized and the colonizer as the heritage of the 19th and 20th century British imperialism and demonstrates that those identities constructed by the imperialist culture are misrepresentations that have devastating effects on the relationships between cultures and people. Telling the story of two well-read Sudanese men who were educated and lived in Britain for long years, the novel shows how the imperialist culture has negatively impacted the lives and souls of both the colonized and the colonizer. As a meaningful response to this culture, Salihs novel examines the question of how people and cultures should interact in a disinterested manner and how the colonized can construct an authentic and dignified self in opposition to the imposed colonial identities and representations.

 This paper aims to analyze Tayeb Salihs classic novel Season of Migration to the North in terms of and as a post-colonial construction of an authentic and dignified identity. Post-colonial literature at large tries to re-read and re-write the history of colonialism and imperialism through the perspective of the colonized who was almost entirely silenced in the Western version of history. Refusing the silencing and misrepresentation of the colonized peoples by the colonizers in accordance with their interests, post-colonial literature enables the colonized to speak and to construct an authentic and dignified self. In this respect, post-colonial literature is a project of self-understanding, self-representation, and self-construction. As a post-colonial novel, Salihs Season of Migration to the North deals with the biased construction of the identities of both the colonized and the colonizer as the heritage of the 19th and 20th century British imperialism and demonstrates that those identities constructed by the imperialist culture are misrepresentations that have devastating effects on the relationships between cultures and people. Telling the story of two well-read Sudanese men who were educated and lived in Britain for long years, the novel shows how the imperialist culture has negatively impacted the lives and souls of both the colonized and the colonizer. As a meaningful response to this culture, Salihs novel examines the question of how people and cultures should interact in a disinterested manner and how the colonized can construct an authentic and dignified self in opposition to the imposed colonial identities and representations.

 This paper aims to analyze Tayeb Salihs classic novel Season of Migration to the North in terms of and as a post-colonial construction of an authentic and dignified identity. Post-colonial literature at large tries to re-read and re-write the history of colonialism and imperialism through the perspective of the colonized who was almost entirely silenced in the Western version of history. Refusing the silencing and misrepresentation of the colonized peoples by the colonizers in accordance with their interests, post-colonial literature enables the colonized to speak and to construct an authentic and dignified self. In this respect, post-colonial literature is a project of self-understanding, self-representation, and self-construction. As a post-colonial novel, Salihs Season of Migration to the North deals with the biased construction of the identities of both the colonized and the colonizer as the heritage of the 19th and 20th century British imperialism and demonstrates that those identities constructed by the imperialist culture are misrepresentations that have devastating effects on the relationships between cultures and people. Telling the story of two well-read Sudanese men who were educated and lived in Britain for long years, the novel shows how the imperialist culture has negatively impacted the lives and souls of both the colonized and the colonizer. As a meaningful response to this culture, Salihs novel examines the question of how people and cultures should interact in a disinterested manner and how the colonized can construct an authentic and dignified self in opposition to the imposed colonial identities and representations.

 Bu makale, Tayeb Salihin klasik romanı Kuzeye Göç Mevsimini, post-kolonyal otantik ve itibarlı bir kimliğin inşası bağlamında ve böyle bir kimliğin inşası olarak analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Post-kolonyal edebiyat genel olarak sömürgecilik ve emperyalizmin tarihini, Batılı tarih versiyonunda neredeyse tamamen susturulmuş olan sömürgeleştirilmiş insanların bakış açısıyla yeniden okumaya ve yeniden yazmaya çalışır. Sömürgeleştirilmiş halkların sömürgeciler tarafından kendi çıkarları doğrultusunda susturulmalarını ve yanlış temsil edilmelerini reddeden post-kolonyal edebiyat, sömürgeleştirilmişlerin konuşmasını ve otantik ve itibarlı bir benlik inşa etmesini sağlar. Bu bakımdan post-kolonyal edebiyat, bir kendini anlama, kendini temsil etme ve kendini inşa etme projesidir. Post-kolonyal bir roman olarak Salihin Kuzeye Göç Mevsimi, hem sömürgeleştirilenin hem sömürgecinin kimliklerinin önyargılı bir şekilde inşa edilmesini 19. ve 20. yüzyıl İngiliz emperyalizminin mirası olarak ele alır ve emperyalist kültür tarafından inşa edilen bu kimliklerin kültürler ve insanlar arasındaki ilişkiler üzerinde yıkıcı etkileri olan yanlış temsiller olduğunu ortaya koyar. Uzun yıllar İngilterede eğitim görmüş ve yaşamış iki iyi eğitimli Sudanlı adamın hikayesini anlatan roman, emperyalist kültürün hem sömürgeleştirilenlerin hem de sömürgecilerin hayatlarını ve ruhlarını nasıl olumsuz etkilediğini gösterir. Bu kültüre anlamlı bir yanıt olarak Salihin romanı, insanların ve kültürlerin önyargısız bir şekilde nasıl etkileşime girmesi gerektiği ve sömürgeleştirilenlerin dayatılan sömürgeci kimliklere ve temsillere karşı nasıl otantik ve itibarlı bir benlik inşa edebileceği sorusunu inceler.

Article Details

A Post-Colonial Construction of an Authentic and Dignified Identity: Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North

Authors:

Tahsin Çulhaoğlu

Publisher:

Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University

Main Topics:

Sömürge Dönemi Sonrası Edebiyatı

Journal:

Dünya Dilleri, Edebiyatları ve Çeviri Çalışmaları Dergisi Vol.5 Issue 2, pp.151-169

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338232

pISSN:

2717-9877

Tayeb Salih

Season of Migration to the North

Post-Colonial Literature

Authentic

IdentityTayeb Salih

Kuzeye Göç Mevsimi

Post-Kolonyal Edebiyat

Otantik

Kimlik

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Tahsin Çulhaoğlu

Publisher: Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University

Main Topics: Sömürge Dönemi Sonrası Edebiyatı

Journal: Dünya Dilleri, Edebiyatları ve Çeviri Çalışmaları Dergisi Vol.5 Issue 2, pp.151-169

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2024

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001338232

pISSN: 2717-9877

Issues

Authors:

Tahsin Çulhaoğlu

Publisher:

Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University

Main Topics:

Sömürge Dönemi Sonrası Edebiyatı

Journal:

Dünya Dilleri, Edebiyatları ve Çeviri Çalışmaları Dergisi Vol.5 Issue 2, pp.151-169

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338232

pISSN:

2717-9877