Abstract

This work examines Tsitsi Dangarembga’s ideological stance of gender importance in education and development in her novel, Nervous Conditions. This entails the analysis of the patriarchal environment and gender awareness in the novel. This work proves through the hypothesis that Dangarembga is a feminist.

The research was based on the feminist approach and it was carried out from various places like the library, the internet and the novel Nervous Conditions which helped in the collection and analysis of data.

The feminist approach to literary criticism has equally been employed in this research because literature does not exist in a vacuum. This is because to know who Dangarembga is, one has to know who a feminist is. After carrying out a critical research on the topic, I realised that women play multiple roles in the development of the society when they are given the right to education as they use the knowledge to impact the society and the nation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Feminist discourse clearly reveals that the position occupied by the African women between the various historical periods, that is, pre-colonial and post-colonial era hasn’t been anything to boast of as her effort in the developmental domain be it social, political, economic or cultural is still limited. The main issue has been on societal norms on gender, as a woman is seen as a property to her husband, a child bearing machine, a second class citizen in her society, a person that is only seen and not heard. Women have been seen as occupants of the kitchen.

In most African societies, a woman has been under rules and regulations that cuts as a barrier to their right to education and involvement in developmental activities as they are affected both physically and psychologically. This is due to the honest and humble nature of a woman which is mistaken for a weakness.

The African woman during the period of slavery and slave trade was first considered as a slave and then a woman. But in order to abolish this, she is fighting against the inferiority complex. Black feminism was the highest point in the fight against issues that confronted the African woman. Feminism is a movement to encourage women to fight for their rights and identity in all aspects of life. This includes socio-cultural, economic and political barriers to the freedom and empowerment of the woman would someday come to an end as the women are positive towards their liberation. In most of the works by female writers like Tsitsi Dangarembga, Mary Wollsterncraft and Ama Atta Aido, shared these views.

They encouraged women in their narrative style of writing satirizing male chauvinism. Moreso, Acholonu (217) opines that the Africans are “trapped in the claw of the taboo and the restriction that only help to propel male chauvinism.” The oppression and suppression of women is not peculiar to the African woman alone. Its a worldwide phenomenon that women have to grapple with within these last few centuries.

Also, Katrack (163) has stated that, “as a female grows from childhood to womanhood, she is controlled and owned by her father, her husband and then her sons, thereby ensuring the continuation of the subjugation of women in the patriarchal society.” This is evident in Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions which is my case study.

Statement of the Problem

Over the years, studies have proven that the number of females involved in education and development are very small.

Women from time immemorial up to the early nineteenth century were deprived of many things like the right to education, freedom of speech and the freedom to be involved in developmental activities. In those days, women were considered as a property that a man bought from another family.

Also, it was known that the woman’s place is the kitchen and she was considered useful only for childbearing. Furthermore, little or no rights were given to a woman since they believed that nothing good could come out of a woman. The male on the other hand were given the rights and all the credits and advantages that a human being deserves. The aspect of gender discrimination has been a problem even in this present time.

There is gender discrimination even in heaven as it is believed that God Almighty, Jesus Christ and the Arch Angels are male. In Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions, she is guided by the gender ideology with an interest in engaging the women folk into power as empowerment through the protagonist Tambudzai.

Hypothesis

Tsitsi Dangarembga, like other feminist writers solidly supports women. She sees the woman as an intelligent person and also as one who can make good decisions on the education of the masses, hence development.

Aim of the Study

This study sets out to find out how education influences or benefits the woman and how they use these skills to develop the society by looking at two sub-topics: Gender and education and Gender and development and to show how African women are presented in modern day society and how they behave in a patriarchal environment.  Our focus in this work is to analyze Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions to explain how she educates the women about women involvement in education and development and also to empower themselves in order to boost their moral in a patriarchal society.

Research Question

1. In what ways does Tsitsi Dangarembga present gender bias in terms of education in Nervous Conditions?
2. Based on Tsitsi Dangarembga’s narrative, how can women be important agents of education and national development?

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