BOTM April 2023 Nervous Conditions

[Celia]

Nervous Conditions is a non-fiction book that deals with the themes of poverty, the challenges faced by women trying to achieve their aims in life and the struggles they have to undertake to be able to succeed. The main protagonist of the novel is Tambu, who is given a chance to go for higher education after the death of her older brother Nhamo.

Nhamo was the only male in the entire family and therefore he was always given the most attention as Jeremiah (their dad) expected that he would bring them out of the squalor they were living in. However, due to exposure to western culture he shuns his own culture and starts to distance himself from the family. Soon after his death, this opportunity is given to Tambu to go and achieve her dreams, however her mother Ma Shingayi is afraid of the change that may happen to Tambu due to a similar influence by western culture.

Nervous Conditions
Tambu goes along with Babamukuru (her wealthy and learned uncle) for higher studies in England. Babamukuru was always given respect and was looked upon with awe as he could achieve success through persistance and hard work. As Tambu goes on to live with Babamukuru, many other secrets and true colours of Babamukuru is revealed. In her journey to better her condition through education she finds out shocking truths in the Babamukuru’s household. It is not what seemed like from a distance and the lives of Maiguru and Nyasha were not what it should have been like.

This book introduces us to many numerous struggles that women experience. This journey of Tambu helps us view society from a different perspective and the fact that everything is achievable is what is portrayed throught this marvellous work by Tsitsi Dangarembga. It surely is a must-read book… You are missing a lot in your life if you haven’t read it yet. Make sure to READ IT.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens...

[Mariya]

I've just finished the book. Here are my thoughts along with a few of the quotes that made a deep impression.

[Mariya]

"It’s bad enough . . . when a country gets colonized, but when the people do as well! That’s the end, really, that’s the end."

A coming of age tale, relatable to any woman who comes from a predominantly patriarchal culture.
The writing is very easy to get into, even with all the unfamiliar references to food, family relations, and places. It painted a vivid picture of the life of a poor black woman in Zimbabwe, but it is also the universal tale of any woman who has been told what she couldn't and shouldn't do because of her sex. At the same time, it paints the universal portrait of every man, who thought respect and superiority were his birthright, and favours are given to exert control over others.
One moment that impressed me was when the main character was admiring her cousin for the ability to forgive herself. Don't we all need to learn how to do that more often than not?
The author's obvious belief in education and passion for books was also very relatable to me.
A wonderful albeit often painful read. I would love to read more from this author and recommend to anyone to give her a chance.

"The victimisation, I saw, was universal. It didn't depend on poverty, on lack of education or on tradition. It didn't depend on any of the things I had thought it depended on. Men took it everywhere with them. Even heroes like Babamukuru did it. And that was the problem. You had to admit Nyasha had no tact. You had to admit she was altogether too volatile and strong-willed. You couldn't ignore the fact that she had no respect for Babamukuru when she ought to have had lots of it. But what I didn't like was the way that all conflicts came back to the question of femaleness. Femaleness as opposed and inferior to maleness."

"You can't go on all the time being whatever's necessary. You've got to have some conviction, and I'm convinced I don't want to be anyone's underdog. It's not right for anyone to be that. But once you get used to it, well, it just seems natural and you just carry on. And that's the end of you. You're trapped."

"Marriage. I had nothing against it in principle. In an abstract way, I thought it was a very good idea. But it was irritating the way it always cropped up in one form or another, stretching its tentacles back to bind me before I had even begun to think about it seriously, threatening to disrupt my life before I could even call it my own."