Nervous Conditions
Men In Nervous Conditions: An Ignored Matter
The men of Zimbabwe struggled to assert the independence of their people against political, cultural and religious colonial pressure (Vembe), but reduced women to silent supporters (Stone 113).
This dynamic still holds true on the literary front, where male writers of Zimbabwe, and Africa in general, present to the west male-centered, idealized pictures of traditional women and culture.
Women, however, uncertain that men will revalue them, concern themselves with the pressures within the culture (McLeod). For this reason, the men of Africa generally discourage female authors from revealing their gritty perspectives. Further, E. Kim Stone writes, “Under colonialism, female storytellers were excluded from the few powerful positions the British system of colonization allowed in Rhodesia,” suggesting the traditional place of women as storytellers, somewhat ironically, was also suppressed by the colonizers. Only women are interested in revealing the internal pressures of postcolonial Zimbabwe. But these hidden pressures are just the ones that cause the “nervous conditions” in the book titled as such. A female character narrates this text about women, bearing to light women 's struggles to be themselves within a constraining environment. But even as critics revel in this rare, realistic portrayal of Zimbabwean women, they seldom explore the significance of Tsitsi
Dangarembga 's representation of men, too often passing them off as flat characters.
But because
male-authored African texts hide domestic turmoil and mixing of cultures, they not only hide the realities of women, they also hide the reality of their own selves. Thus, Nervous Conditions is an important text, not just for what it reveals about women, but also for what it reveals about men, the value of which is under-explored.
Indeed, the male characters do appear relatively flat upon first glance. For example, when
Tambu asserts her desire to continue school even
The men of Zimbabwe struggled to assert the independence of their people against political, cultural and religious colonial pressure (Vembe), but reduced women to silent supporters (Stone 113).
This dynamic still holds true on the literary front, where male writers of Zimbabwe, and Africa in general, present to the west male-centered, idealized pictures of traditional women and culture.
Women, however, uncertain that men will revalue them, concern themselves with the pressures within the culture (McLeod). For this reason, the men of Africa generally discourage female authors from revealing their gritty perspectives. Further, E. Kim Stone writes, “Under colonialism, female storytellers were excluded from the few powerful positions the British system of colonization allowed in Rhodesia,” suggesting the traditional place of women as storytellers, somewhat ironically, was also suppressed by the colonizers. Only women are interested in revealing the internal pressures of postcolonial Zimbabwe. But these hidden pressures are just the ones that cause the “nervous conditions” in the book titled as such. A female character narrates this text about women, bearing to light women 's struggles to be themselves within a constraining environment. But even as critics revel in this rare, realistic portrayal of Zimbabwean women, they seldom explore the significance of Tsitsi
Dangarembga 's representation of men, too often passing them off as flat characters.
But because
male-authored African texts hide domestic turmoil and mixing of cultures, they not only hide the realities of women, they also hide the reality of their own selves. Thus, Nervous Conditions is an important text, not just for what it reveals about women, but also for what it reveals about men, the value of which is under-explored.
Indeed, the male characters do appear relatively flat upon first glance. For example, when
Tambu asserts her desire to continue school even
Cited: Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. London: Heinemann, 1962. Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. 1988. Emeryville, California: Seal Press, 1989. McLeod, Dr. Corinna. Personal interview. 18 Nov. 2008. 25.4 (Winter 1994): 89+. Research In African Literatures. 38.4 (Winter 2007): 7-27. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Grand Valley State Univ. 23 Oct. 2008 <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do? p=LitRC&u=lom_gvalleysu>. Stone, E. Kim. “In the Bedroom: The Formation of Single Women 's Performative Space in Tsitsi Dangarembga 's Nervous Conditions.” The Journal of Commonwealth Literature 41.111 (2006). 23 Oct. 2008 <http://jcl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/41/1/111>. Literatures. 26.1 (Spring 1995): 75+. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Grand Valley State Univ Vambe, Lawrence. An Ill-Fated People. London: Heinemann, 1972.