Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

“Quietly, unobtrusively and extremely fitfully, something in my mind began to assert itself, to question things, and to refuse to be brainwashed…” The main character, Tambudzai, in the novel Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga, is determined to get a white education without losing her native tongue and ways. However this proves to be more difficult that she would expect and seeds that are planted in her mind by the whites begin to take shape, and greatly affect her existence. I will begin by giving an overview of the story leading up to the point where Tambu heads off to begin her education at the missionary school. Next I show how Tambu has already been brainwashed into believing that the white’s educational system is better than her own. Following I will discuss the influences that Tambu had to overcome in order to refuse to be brainwashed further. Finally I will give exam to the insight that Tambu’s story offers on the situation of a person in her position.

Tambu, as we shall call her, wants very badly to attain an education. Since her brother is the oldest and male he is given the first opportunity to attain an education. Because Tambu is a female it is thought by her family that attaining an education would not benefit her family, but some other man outside of her family, because she will marry, therefore she is not given an opportunity to be educated. Tambu fights this oppression by cultivating mealies in her grandmother’s old garden, and then taking them to the city to be sold. While there she is told by a white woman that she should be in school, and her teacher who was with her states that Tambu would very much like an education but can not afford it. The woman gives Tambu ten pounds which pays for her education at the local village school for a long time. Her brother then dies, creating a opening for a student from their family at the missionary school where her uncle Babamukuru is the headmaster. Since she has no more male siblings at the time it is okay for Tambu to be educated. Tambu’s education is now of some value since her brother is gone, as it will help pull the family further out of poverty since a higher education will allow her to marry well. Tambu believes that her education will help her family, although she hopes it will be independent from marriage.

Because of her desire...

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...ch as white culture, and that some things are bad, such as African culture. However it can work both ways. Nyasha had to face being told that her culture was bad while in England so she conformed to the English culture; however Nyasha’s father is now telling her that all her English ways are bad, both parties sought to educate Nyasha, and she did not bother to ask why. Finally I believe that Tambu would want people to know that one’s will to succeed can cause them to be able to triumph over circumstance.

In this paper the quote from Nervous Conditions, “Quietly, unobtrusively and extremely fitfully, something in my mind began to assert itself, to question things, and to refuse to be brainwashed, bringing me to this time when I can set down this story” has been analyzed to show how Tambudzai thought she was brainwashed. Also examined were the influences that Tambudzai had to overcome in order to refuse further brainwash. Finally we deducted what insight Tambudzai would offer to a person who was in her similar situation. Like Nyasha and Tambudzai, millions were negatively affected by colonialism not only because of the plundering, but because of the loss of their culture.