Season of Migration to the North

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Almost all the women in this book come to a tragic end, except for Bint Majzoub.

• How does Bint Majzoub’s attitude towards sex, marriage, and men differ from other women? (topic sentence)
• Provide examples from the text where Bint Majzoub displayed opinions that are outside the gender norms of the village.
• Consider why Bint Majzoub is treated differently than the other women in the village. How does this speak to the theme of Misogyny and Violence Against Women?

2. Both the narrator and Mustafa are educated in the UK.

• Does this education empower them, or does it prove a hindrance? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 examples from the novel to substantiate your argument.
• Does the narrator believe that the Value of Education in Europe is superior to local institutions? Why or why not?

3. Consider the novel’s final scene, where the narrator wades into the river.

• How do you interpret the narrator’s swim in the Nile? For example, does he knowingly or unknowingly repeat Mustafa’s actions? (topic sentence)
• Identify a moment in the scene where he compares himself with Mustafa.
• How is his cry for help linked to the theme of Passivity and Action?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. As the novel progresses, the narrator becomes a government official and enters into several conversations about colonialism. Choose one of these conversations to analyze. What position does the narrator take? How does he respond to defenses and critiques of colonialism? How does his opinion speak to the larger theme of The Legacy of Colonialism?

2. Consider the role of masculinity in the novel. Choose a male character from the novel and analyze what it means to be a “man” according to the social norms of the village. Does this idea of masculinity change based on location? How is the definition of masculinity linked with the theme of Misogyny and Violence Against Women? Does your chosen character live up to these social norms? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your claims.

3. Write a comparative essay that focuses on the narrator and Mustafa. Are they more similar or different? Describe how the narrator wrestles with the idea that he is similar to Mustafa. Use evidence from the text to support your claims.