An Interpretation Of Season Of Migration To The North From The Perspective Of Baudrillard's Consumerism

Tayeb Salih,known as the“genius of the modern Arabic novel”,is the most famous realist writer in Sudan in the 20~thh century.His representative work,Season of Migration to the North,is a classic post-colonial novel that has been translated into more than 30 languages.Setting in the rural north of Sudan and the metropolitan London of Britain,this work shows the influence of British colonialism and European modernity on rural Africa.At home and abroad,the studies of this novel mainly touch upon psychology,feminism and cross-cultural studies,in which post-colonial research is still the hot spot.In most of the post-colonial research,the tragedy of the protagonist is generalized as the result of a colonial influence.Relatively,there is little insight into the social and cultural ideology hidden in the colonial system.Therefore,this article will focus on the hidden British consumerism based on the consumption theory of Jean Baudrillard,aiming at exploring the underlying reason for causing Mustafa Sa'eed's tragic fate.In the novel,the protagonist fails to realize the original goal of conquering the colonial power.Instead,he is immersed in the trap of consumerism and eventually becomes a follower of the western consumerism.His tragedy reflects that consumerism plays a crucial role in serving as a carrier of ideology and reveals how the bourgeoisie realizes the purpose of social manipulation by means of consumption with the ideology in the 20~thh century.Interpreting the manifestation of colonialism from the perspective of consumerism can provide us with a reflection on the trap of modern western society,attempting to conquer the world through consumer culture.This paper is composed of three parts.The first part includes the introduction of the author Tayeb Salih and the plot of novel Season of Migration to the North,the summary of foreign and domestic research and the introduction of Baudrillard's consumerism theory.The second part includes three chapters.Chapter one discusses the background of British consumer society when the protagonist studies in Britain.In the first half of the 20~thh century,the advancement of productivity in Britain,the advocacy and support of politicians and economists for consumption,and the transformation of consumption view have jointly promoted the formation of a consumer society.Chapter two discusses the close connection between the protagonist and British consumer society with Baudrillard's analysis on the sign value.From the rural areas of Sudan to the metropolis of Britain,the protagonist is attracted by the consumption atmosphere created by the urban culture,and actively mobilizes his consumer right and desperately pursues the sign value of commodities,building his social status and prestige in Britain step by step.Chapter three uses the concept of Baudrillard's ideological function of consumption to interpret the influence of consumer society on the protagonist.With the establishment of his British identity,he has been manipulated by the bourgeois ideology hidden in consumption,eventually becoming a supporter of the colonists and being engaged in British colonization.After he returns to his hometown,this hero who claims to conquer the British is degraded as a national betrayer so he chooses to drown himself in the Nile River.However,the protagonist's tragedy fails to prevent the spread of consumerism.Instead,western consumerism is even spreading in his hometown.The third part is the conclusion of the paper.Firstly,it reviews the main views of this thesis.Being indulgence in the British consumption atmosphere,Mustafa gradually becomes obsessed with the signs encoded by the bourgeois ideology,and eventually becomes the prey of the bourgeoisie.Secondly,through the exploration of the protagonist's tragic fate,we can see that modern social consumerism acts as a kind of colonial means by Western society.Hence,living in an affluent society,consumers must rationally consume to avoid being controlled by commodities.Additionally,we must be alert to consumerism that Western society utilizes to spread ideology to achieve its world hegemony.