Food imagery as it relates to colonialism in 'Nervous Conditions'

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Food Imagery as it relates to Colonialism in "Nervous Conditions"
Nervous conditions book highlight the importance and the reasons why human beings live. In his book, Nervous Conditions, Tsitsi Dangarembga has explored the different interactions that exist between men and women. In this regard women are regarded as feminine. But despite their feminism women undergoes a series of struggles but eventually emerge victorious. The issue of gender has been explored deeply in the book. Basically gender has been explained in terms of the biological body, social responsibilities of both men and women and the manner in which these social roles are embraced and how they affect lives. The issue of inequality has been attributed by the fact that the male perspective is a universal perspective.
Tsitsi Dangarembga book is based on female traditions. It mainly highlights the protest of women against their socially acceptable roles. In fact women start debating on how they are being exploited by their male counterparts. Among the women activists who protests against their discrimination include: Tambudzai- She acts as one of the chief protagonist and she is the narrator of the story. The other one is Nyasha, who is her cousin and Lucy, her aunt. The fictional narrator is on her forefront to protest against gender inequality and has greatly repulsed some of their social roles accorded by the society to females. On the other hand, Lucia explains how she is able to manipulate women in order to benefit from them. She, Lucia, also, carries herself in manner that makes her happy and also vocals any issues that affect women and other female children. It is clear that Lucia is finally able to come out of the poverty situation and becomes literate that makes her outstanding.
The issue of education as said to be a key factor as far as gender equality is concerned. This is depicted by the fact that Mr. Sigauke is said to disregard women and therefore are bound to submit to the voice of men. For instance Mr. Sigauke feels that he must dominate upon Nyasha, that is, she must do as he says. When she tries to tell the truth about herself, he feels she is challenging him (Dangarembga, 193.). Similarly, there was discrimination in the sense that Nyasha was not allowed to read certain books. Moreover Nyasha was not entitled to sit on a table and had to eat all the food and also had to wait for her mother to finish serving him.
In his book, Tsitsi Dangarembga describes Nyasha as a young and intelligent. She has a very high understanding on the political and social issues. Apart for her mother, she is also regarded as mature and she is the only one who is said to understand the devastating effect of Christianity colonization. In one instance she is seen to criticize the move that her father takes in order to solve Jeremiah`s poverty situation. In fact she is upset by the advice and she gives a lecture on the negative effects of the assumption that by following Christian ways of doing things then it is the right ways. Unfortunately in an effort to speaking the truth with boldness, she is brutally attacked.
This finally makes her succumb to mental illness which is as a result of a fierce battle of food with her father. In the process of blackmailing his powers and authority against her daughter, she forces her to feed on all her food. In the process to show her defies against her father oppressive and patriarchal authority, Nyasha throws up the food away. While in his devastating situation, she comes to understand the reason behind her father`s oppressive authority. She says that the behavior of her father and her painful situation was as a result of her father`s need to obey the Africans traditions and gender values, and the effect of colonialism.
Therefore the need to obey the gender values is what makes her father discriminate women, in particular to his daughter, Nyasha. After all he is the man in the house, ‘the father` (Dangarembga, 189). Nyasha`s father is also said not to notice the sufferings of her daughter. Eventually, Nyasha is said to suffer from psychological condition, a condition that makes her not recognize anything and the reason behind her living. This condition becomes worse when Tambudzai leave for Sacred Heart because she has no one to laugh with and the latter being so young and still naïve and impressionable , forgets to write comforting letters to her desperate cousin or even to respond to her letters (Dangarembga, 196).
Despite the fact that Nyasha`s statement was full of truth, which culminated into her illness, neither the mother nor the father is said to be moved by her illness. In fact they blame her for her illness but in real sense Nyasha has not been defeated. Given the fact that Nyasha faces rebellion for her family and that she does not have anywhere to, she develops a chronic psychological disorder which leads her to a care of the psychiatrist. No doubt women have been enslaved and biggest challenge they face is how to rescue themselves from their situations. For instance, Tambudzai`s mother behaves in a manner to dupe his husband that she is against their daughter`s idea of planting maize. Despite the attempt to protest against her husband objection to their daughters move, she finally gives in to the situations. She them claims to have body aches which...