What do you think Tayeb Salih’s story is ultimately saying about the relationship between tradition and modernity?
The relationship between tradition and modernity does not need to be either or. As the elder suggested “ what all these people have overlooked is that there’s plenty of room for all these things”(pg 824). There is room for both tradition and modernity, it’s just a matter of the needs of the people. I think that the elder is suggesting that it takes time when it comes to advancing towards a modern society and that it’s inevitable. The elder suggests that when tradition does not hold the same amount of values for the people, they will eventually leave the tradition behind. Tradition provided value for the people by giving people that needed them, such as old beliefs and faith. But perhaps for the generations to come such as the elder’s son, those beliefs and faith loses its value. It is then when modernity’s value increases, such as science. But ultimately we do not need to force people to convert necessarily, we just have to provide enough time for them to come around. Eventually with enough time what was once modern will become traditional and the cycle begins again.
Yes, but it doesn’t sound like the old man imagines that the tree will eventually be abandoned by the villagers, does it? I think he imagines that it will take time for people to understand that it isn’t an either/or proposition.