Nervous Conditions
Encyclopedia
Nervous Conditions is a novel by Zimbabwe
an author Tsitsi Dangarembga
. Semi-autobiographical, it is set in the post-colonial Rhodesia
of the 1960s. The title is taken from the introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre
to Frantz Fanon
's The Wretched of the Earth
.
has since denounced this as a non sequitur.
girl living in a small village in Rhodesia, whose own story begins with the death of her brother, Nhamo.
Nhamo is sent to live with his uncle (Babamukuru), a strict disciplinarian, and aunt (Maiguru), so that he may be educated by a mission school in the local city and later provide his family with economic support. He falls ill, however, with a severe case of the mumps
, and dies suddenly, leaving his parents without a son to support them in their impending dotage. Tambudzai, who goes by the sobriquet "Tambu", is also keen to be educated, so much so that she works on her own mealie crop in a bid to pay her school fees. An elderly white lady takes pity on her and parts with ten pounds, so Tambu is able to return to the school that her father cannot and will not pay for.
The narrative's opening sentence is famously chilling. "I was not sorry," declares Tambu, "when my brother died." Her reasons, many and varied, but mostly to do with her brother's arrogance, interference — at one point, he steals her maize —, chauvinism and teasing, are expounded over the next three chapters, culminating in a cold description of his death.
Tambu's uncle argues for her to go to the mission school after the death of her brother, for there are no other sons available. The novel then shifts to Tambu's observations of the conflicts between her cousin, Nyasha, who was raised primarily in England and has no foundation of Zimbabwean culture, and her uncle, who is steeped in such tradition. Nyasha and her father spar with increasing frequency over her behaviour and the way that she talks to him. Nyasha eventually develops an eating disorder, which is tied strongly to her struggle to deal with the conflict between English and Shona society. "The connection between the refusal to consume," observed Raj Patel
, "and the refusals to behave as her father would wish, as her social position would suggest, and as her colonial masters would demand, suffuse the text."
as a stellar contribution to both African feminism
and the postcolonial canon. Patel has been especially laudatory.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an author Tsitsi Dangarembga
Tsitsi Dangarembga
Tsitsi Dangarembga is a Zimbabwean author and filmmaker.- Biography :Dangarembga was born in Mutoko, Zimbabwe , in 1959 but spent part of her childhood in England. She began her education there, but concluded her A-levels in a missionary school back home, in the town of Mutare...
. Semi-autobiographical, it is set in the post-colonial Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
of the 1960s. The title is taken from the introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
to Frantz Fanon
Frantz Fanon
Frantz Fanon was a Martiniquo-Algerian psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and writer whose work is influential in the fields of post-colonial studies, critical theory and Marxism...
's The Wretched of the Earth
The Wretched of the Earth
The Wretched of the Earth is Frantz Fanon's most famous work, written during and regarding the Algerian struggle for independence from colonial rule...
.
Publishing history
When Dangarembga first offered her novel to major southern African publishers, the response was a cool one. Her book, they declared, failed to capture the thoughts and language of the African woman and could not, therefore, connect with her. Raj PatelRaj Patel
Raj Patel is a British-born American academic, journalist, activist and writer who has lived and worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United States for extended periods. He is best known for his 2008 book, Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System...
has since denounced this as a non sequitur.
Plot summary
The story is told by and from the perspective of Tambudzai, a young ShonaShona people
Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
girl living in a small village in Rhodesia, whose own story begins with the death of her brother, Nhamo.
Nhamo is sent to live with his uncle (Babamukuru), a strict disciplinarian, and aunt (Maiguru), so that he may be educated by a mission school in the local city and later provide his family with economic support. He falls ill, however, with a severe case of the mumps
Mumps
Mumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...
, and dies suddenly, leaving his parents without a son to support them in their impending dotage. Tambudzai, who goes by the sobriquet "Tambu", is also keen to be educated, so much so that she works on her own mealie crop in a bid to pay her school fees. An elderly white lady takes pity on her and parts with ten pounds, so Tambu is able to return to the school that her father cannot and will not pay for.
The narrative's opening sentence is famously chilling. "I was not sorry," declares Tambu, "when my brother died." Her reasons, many and varied, but mostly to do with her brother's arrogance, interference — at one point, he steals her maize —, chauvinism and teasing, are expounded over the next three chapters, culminating in a cold description of his death.
Tambu's uncle argues for her to go to the mission school after the death of her brother, for there are no other sons available. The novel then shifts to Tambu's observations of the conflicts between her cousin, Nyasha, who was raised primarily in England and has no foundation of Zimbabwean culture, and her uncle, who is steeped in such tradition. Nyasha and her father spar with increasing frequency over her behaviour and the way that she talks to him. Nyasha eventually develops an eating disorder, which is tied strongly to her struggle to deal with the conflict between English and Shona society. "The connection between the refusal to consume," observed Raj Patel
Raj Patel
Raj Patel is a British-born American academic, journalist, activist and writer who has lived and worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United States for extended periods. He is best known for his 2008 book, Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System...
, "and the refusals to behave as her father would wish, as her social position would suggest, and as her colonial masters would demand, suffuse the text."
Critical reception
Nervous Conditions has been hailed both within and outside AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as a stellar contribution to both African feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and the postcolonial canon. Patel has been especially laudatory.
Major themes
- The clash of cultures: the novel's primary theme is the clash between traditional African cultures and the cultures of the Western colonial powers. The clash covers social traditions, religious beliefs, the roles of women and children, racial distinctions, and the view that Western culture is more sophisticated.
- The role of women: Tambu herself struggles against the societal proscription on a role for women beyond housewife, as she wishes to be educated and move beyond the small and isolated world of her own village. She sees the results of similar struggles as her mother, cousin, and aunt all face consequences for their attempts to break out of the narrow roles society has given them.
- Retaining "traditional" culture: Tambu sees the void in Nyasha's life as she tries to re-integrate into Zimbabwean society without the knowledge of or respect for her country's traditions. Retaining culture and tradition as a part of one's identity even as a society evolves is a major conflict within the novel.