Tsitsi DangarembgaTsitsi Dangarembga

Nervous ConditionsNervous Conditions

Biographical InformationBiographical Information

Born in 1959 in Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia.Born in 1959 in Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia.Spent early years in England where her parents were Spent early years in England where her parents were educated.educated.Returned to Zimbabwe in 1965 and attended mission Returned to Zimbabwe in 1965 and attended mission schools.schools.She went to Cambridge to study Medicine, but returned She went to Cambridge to study Medicine, but returned home on the eve of Zimbabwe’s independence (1980) home on the eve of Zimbabwe’s independence (1980) because she didn’t want to put up with the isolation and because she didn’t want to put up with the isolation and racism she experienced in England.racism she experienced in England.She studied psychology and authored three plays, which She studied psychology and authored three plays, which were produced at the University in Zimbabwe.were produced at the University in Zimbabwe.Nervous Conditions was published by Women’s Press in Nervous Conditions was published by Women’s Press in London in 1988.London in 1988.In the spring of 1993 she was living in Germany and In the spring of 1993 she was living in Germany and working on a second book.working on a second book.

Nervous Conditions and Nervous Conditions and Literature in ZimbabweLiterature in Zimbabwe

Dangarembga observes that it’s difficult to get Dangarembga observes that it’s difficult to get fiction published in Zimbabwe because people fiction published in Zimbabwe because people see education as an instrument of advancement. see education as an instrument of advancement. You read to increase your language skills. You read to increase your language skills.

In addition, because publishing houses in Z are In addition, because publishing houses in Z are controlled by men, it is difficult for women to get controlled by men, it is difficult for women to get their work published. “It seems difficult for men their work published. “It seems difficult for men to accept the things that women write and want to accept the things that women write and want to write about.”to write about.”

Literature in Zimbabwe Cont.Literature in Zimbabwe Cont.

““I would say that one thing I was very I would say that one thing I was very concerned with was to leave a very real concerned with was to leave a very real taste of life during the times that I grew up. taste of life during the times that I grew up. I had been reading all the English classics, I had been reading all the English classics, and you know how they give you a real and you know how they give you a real sense of time, of the passing time, and it sense of time, of the passing time, and it just seemed to me that there were people just seemed to me that there were people living in Zimbabwe, and nobody knew living in Zimbabwe, and nobody knew about them, and if nobody set it down, then about them, and if nobody set it down, then nobody would know about them.”nobody would know about them.”

Lit. in Zimbabwe Cont.Lit. in Zimbabwe Cont.

She talks about people “inserting themselves in to She talks about people “inserting themselves in to literature” and observes that people in her country didn’t literature” and observes that people in her country didn’t have that opportunity.have that opportunity.““With all the things you read, everything you’re taught, With all the things you read, everything you’re taught, you construct a kind of cognitive map for yourself that is you construct a kind of cognitive map for yourself that is comfortable. This was something that was denied to us, comfortable. This was something that was denied to us, absolutely and completely. People were not absolutely and completely. People were not encouraged to write. We had what was called the encouraged to write. We had what was called the Literature Bureau and they published all the African Literature Bureau and they published all the African writing. And they would only allow tales of traditional writing. And they would only allow tales of traditional witchcraft, wives poisoning their husbands, you know. witchcraft, wives poisoning their husbands, you know. That was the only cognitive map that the forces in power That was the only cognitive map that the forces in power then were allowing us to construct.”then were allowing us to construct.”What kinds of cognitive maps does U.S. What kinds of cognitive maps does U.S. education/publishing allow us to construct for ourselves? education/publishing allow us to construct for ourselves?

More about Lit. in ZimbabweMore about Lit. in Zimbabwe

““I’ve been thinking about 18I’ve been thinking about 18thth, 19, 19thth and and even 20even 20thth century women writers in Britain. century women writers in Britain. Writing developed indigenously in those Writing developed indigenously in those societies. Now what you have in societies. Now what you have in Zimbabwe is a whole society where the Zimbabwe is a whole society where the actual technique of writing (novels, poetry actual technique of writing (novels, poetry short stories) has been imposed. And, short stories) has been imposed. And, what is important is that they were not what is important is that they were not even imposed by an elite that belonged to even imposed by an elite that belonged to that group.” that group.”

Home and Nervous ConditionsHome and Nervous Conditions

She claims that none of her characters are “at home.” She claims that none of her characters are “at home.” Colonization has forced all of them to internalize a Colonization has forced all of them to internalize a consciousness of powerlessness in order to survive. If consciousness of powerlessness in order to survive. If you don’t cave in and figure out how to act, it looks as if you don’t cave in and figure out how to act, it looks as if you are being self-destructive. This double-you are being self-destructive. This double-consciousness encourages you to act in one way at work consciousness encourages you to act in one way at work and in another at home. Your submissive characteristics and in another at home. Your submissive characteristics come out at work and your power characteristics are come out at work and your power characteristics are intensified and distorted at work.intensified and distorted at work.How is this not-at-homeness evidenced in the first three How is this not-at-homeness evidenced in the first three chapters?chapters?

Feminism and Nervous ConditionsFeminism and Nervous Conditions

Tambu understands that her problems are Tambu understands that her problems are related to gender, they’re about male/female related to gender, they’re about male/female subordination. Is this a false consciousness? subordination. Is this a false consciousness? asks the interviewer.asks the interviewer.

““Your consciousness is defined by your world. Your consciousness is defined by your world. And, so, if this is the world that she perceives And, so, if this is the world that she perceives then it’s not false consciousness. If she then it’s not false consciousness. If she maintains this view even as her world changes maintains this view even as her world changes then it would be false consciousness.”then it would be false consciousness.”