Issue of Cultural Identity in Al-Tayyib Salih’s writings : (“Season of Migration to the North” and “The Doum-tree of Wad Hamid” as an examples)

Abstract

The issue of cultural identity is one of the most prominent themes in Al-Tayyib Salih’s writings, particularly in his novel “Season of Migration to the North” which deeply explores the tensions, trans­formations and crises that arise from intersection of Eastern and Western cultural influences. In his short story “The Doum-tree of Wad Hamid” Salih juxtaposes village life, its customs, beliefs and social structures with modern and urban life. Salih’s writings is a profound exploration of cultural identity in a postcolonial world. His characters reflect the internal conflicts of individuals caught between different worlds- colonial and indigenous, modern and traditional, Western and Eastern.