IB World Lit

The IB WL HL course requires candidates to choose a given prompt and analyze and answer it using one of the international novels their class read during a chosen semester of one of the IB centered years. First, candidates must write a Reflective Statement on the Interactive Oral Presentation presented about the candidate's chosen novel by a group of their peers at a previous point in the year. Then, the IB Diploma candidates return to their individual prompts and complete their Written Assessments on their novels.

For my IB WL RS, I reflected on the background research and messages of my peers' IOP, and for my WA, I chose the prompt: Identify one or more symbol, motif, or strand of imagery. What role do they play in Season of Migration to the North? Thus, I used Tayeb Salih's Season of Migration to the North to create the WA topic: The Relationship between Disease and Colonialism within Season of Migration to the North. I talked about how Salih plays on the motif of disease and its colonialism parallelism, focusing on how such an infection suffocates the evolution and sincerity of people as seen in the main character’s poisonous sexual relationships. Overall, my goal was to show how this important novel developed the disease motif using symbolism and ambiguity to acknowledge the cruel effects of colonialism’s touch in order to spread the knowledge of such cultures around the world and what can be learned from such pains expressed in books.

During the process, I myself learned of the stereotypes that take place around the world and in cultures that many are too caught in the web of ignorance to care about. I was able to deepen my understanding of various forms of rhetorical and literary devices as I used the IB Learner Profile to form connections with Salih’s complex and tragic fictional characters, analyzing my personal topic through critical thinking and reflection. I truly loved the international books we read and explored within the IB Program. With these books, we were taught to exit ourselves and our advantages to become one with these characters and the hardships they face, transforming into even more caring, knowledgeable, and open-minded thinkers.