Nervous Conditions

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Nervous Conditions is a novel by Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga. The novel is semi-autobiographical, set in colonial Rhodesia of the 60's.

[edit] Plot summary

The story is told from the perspective of Tambudzai, a young black girl living in a small village in Rhodesia, whose own story begins with the death of her brother, Nhamo.

Nhamo was sent to live with his uncle Babamukuru, a strict disciplinarian, and aunt so he could be educated in a mission school in the local city. However, he falls ill with a severe case of mumps, and dies, leaving his parents without a son to support them as they grow older. Tambudzai, who goes by "Tambu," asks to fill that gap by going to the city to be educated as well, but her parents oppose this - her father because he feels it is improper, her mother because she is afraid of losing another child to what she sees as the culture of whites.

Tambu's uncle eventually wins out and brings her to live with him so she can be educated. From there, the novel 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. Nyasha and her father spar more and more frequently over her behavior and the way she talks to him. She eventually develops an eating disorder that nearly kills her.

Ironically, Tambu never felt sorry for her brother's death because he would behave in an unacceptable manner towards his sister, and do everything he could so that she would not be able to attend school. He for example rips the maize that she was growing to pay her school fees.

[edit] 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 might be more "sophisticated." Although Zimbabwe was an independent nation in the time of Nervous Conditions, it was still ruled by whites and the clash of cultures continued despite the lack of an official Western presence.

• The role of women: Tambu herself struggles against the societal proscription on a role for women beyond housewife, as she wants to be educated and to move beyond the small 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.