The narrator’s grandfather is a man nearing 90. He is a role model for the narrator, who looks up to him as a pillar of strength and endurance and as an example of how to live simply and happily. In spite of his age, the narrator’s grandfather is in full possession of his mental and physical powers. A religious man, he constantly carries a rosary in his hand and goes regularly to the mosque to attend prayers. He is good friends with Bint Majzoub, Wad Rayyes, and Bakri, with whom he spends his free time chatting and laughing. The murder of Wad Rayyes by Hosna Bint Mahmoud, however, devastates him, and sets the familiar world of the village of Wad Hamid—where he has spent his entire life—upside down.
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The narrator’s grandfather Character Timeline in Season of Migration to the North
The timeline below shows where the character The narrator’s grandfather appears in Season of Migration to the North. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...he feels a sense of stability and rootedness. He thinks of the fact that his grandfather can tell him stories about the village as it was fifty—or even eighty—years ago. During...
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Two days after the narrator’s visit to his grandfather, Mustafa knocks on the narrator’s door. The narrator is at home with his family during...
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Chapter 3
The narrator then went to his grandfather’s house, where he found him already preparing for his morning prayers. In the presence of...
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Chapter 5
During his visit to the village, the narrator goes to his grandfather’s house, standing outside a door built by the “village engineer” Wad Baseer. He notes, however,...
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After the guests leave, the narrator’s grandfather informs the narrator that Wad Rayyes wants to marry Mustafa Sa’eed’s widow, Hosna. Wad Rayyes...
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Chapter 8
...to his father and asked that he tell the narrator to marry her. The narrator’s grandfather, too, refuses to share any details about the recent events. He mourns the death of...
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