The Indirect Effects of Colonization in Tsitsi Dangarembga's"Nervous Conditions"
Do you see what they’ve done? They’ve taken us away. Lucia. Taksure. All of us. They’ve deprived you of you, him of him, ourselves of each other. We’re groveling. Lucia for a job, Jeremiah for money. Daddy grovels to them. We grovel to him.” (Dangarembga, Chapter 10)
This statement made by Nyasha illustrates the indirect way in which the colonizers take control of the colonized, in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions. Therefore, Babamukuru’s family can be seen as a microcosmic unit of the colonized society as a whole. It is through his family we are able to see the impact of colonization on the colonized people. This is essentially exhibited by Babamukuru, who is the mimic man. “The mimic man Represents a by product of colonial civilization, not an entity separate from the colonial sphere,” (Yang, 1999). Thereby, Babamukuru is a product of Western education and Western means of success. Moreover, it is also illustrated through Nyasha’s eating disorder. Nyasha represents the very few who reject the system and ultimately pays the price. Lastly, through Tambu, we are able to see the majority of the people who are brainwashed by the system and slowly begin to forget their roots.
They thought he was a good boy, cultivatable, in the way that land is, to yield harvests that sustain the cultivator (Dangarembga, Chapter 2)
This statement made by Tambu, demonstrates how Babamukuru ultimately benefits the cultivators, in this case the colonizers. Babamukuru although Shona in ethnicity is essentially a product of Western influences. Therefore, it is evident his family respects him not because he is high in power in the Shona culture, but because he has the voice and power of the white man, which he uses to gain this respect. “Babamukuru cannot exist without the power of his Western education. Babamukuru seems genuinely vested in the social and financial improvement of his family, notions which serve to infuse pride into the indigenous people. However, he must
This statement made by Nyasha illustrates the indirect way in which the colonizers take control of the colonized, in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions. Therefore, Babamukuru’s family can be seen as a microcosmic unit of the colonized society as a whole. It is through his family we are able to see the impact of colonization on the colonized people. This is essentially exhibited by Babamukuru, who is the mimic man. “The mimic man Represents a by product of colonial civilization, not an entity separate from the colonial sphere,” (Yang, 1999). Thereby, Babamukuru is a product of Western education and Western means of success. Moreover, it is also illustrated through Nyasha’s eating disorder. Nyasha represents the very few who reject the system and ultimately pays the price. Lastly, through Tambu, we are able to see the majority of the people who are brainwashed by the system and slowly begin to forget their roots.
They thought he was a good boy, cultivatable, in the way that land is, to yield harvests that sustain the cultivator (Dangarembga, Chapter 2)
This statement made by Tambu, demonstrates how Babamukuru ultimately benefits the cultivators, in this case the colonizers. Babamukuru although Shona in ethnicity is essentially a product of Western influences. Therefore, it is evident his family respects him not because he is high in power in the Shona culture, but because he has the voice and power of the white man, which he uses to gain this respect. “Babamukuru cannot exist without the power of his Western education. Babamukuru seems genuinely vested in the social and financial improvement of his family, notions which serve to infuse pride into the indigenous people. However, he must
References: Braman, Valerie . "The Most Nervous of Conditions: The Implications of Nyasha 's eating Disorder in Nervous Conditions." Postcolonial and Postimperial Literature: An Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. . Grundy, Maureen. "Missionary and Colonization in Dangarembga 's Nervous Conditions." Postcolonial and Postimperial Literature: An Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. . Grundy, Maureen . " "A Special Kind of White Person"." Postcolonial and Postimperial Literature: An Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. . Hill, Janice E.. "Purging a plate full of colonial history: The 'Nervous Conditions ' of silent girls. - Free Online Library." Free News, Magazines, Newspapers, Journals, Reference Articles and Classic Books - Free Online Library. N.p., 1 Feb. 1995. Web. 25 Nov. 2010.