Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga.

¶ … Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Specifically it will explore the first paragraph of the book, and its usefulness of the description for making sense of and interpreting the book. Dangarembga's opening paragraph sets the tone for what is to come, and it does give the reader a somewhat solid footing for interpreting the rest of the novel. The first paragraph makes it clear that something extraordinary happened to main character after her brother died, and it eventually affected her entire family. In the end, this is what she writes about, and this first paragraph give the reader an idea that an extraordinary story is about to follow, but there is much more than just a family story in this book, and so, the first paragraph gives a hint, but certainly does not totally prepare the reader for the book's many threads and characters.

This is a coming of age novel for women, and some of that foundation is laid in the first paragraph of the book, where the narrator, Tambu, makes it quite clear that she did not like her brother, and that his death made a difference in her life. The first paragraph does set the pace of the story, and let the reader know that something uncommon will happen to the narrator/heroine of the novel, but it does not prepare the reader for the many experiences the narrator has, or how they affect her life. In addition, the novel shows how imperialistic rule by another country affects all the residents, and creates many kinds of havoc in their lives, from having to move their traditional bathing place in the river when a new District Council House is built, to the eating disorders and illnesses that affect some of the characters, which seem to be one of the only ways they can rebel against colonialist rule. Nyasha illustrates this late in the book when she says to the narrator, "Look what they've done to us,' she said softly. 'I'm not one of them but I'm not one of you'" (Dangarembga 201). Tambu's mother understands the difficulties her culture faces too, even though, as she often admits, she is not an "educated" woman. She tells Tambu, "It's the Englishness,' she said. 'It'll kill them all if they aren't careful,' and she snorted" (Dangarembga 202). The illnesses and eating disorders also indicate the struggle of Africans to live in two worlds, white and black, modern and traditional, and it shows that the young women of Africa are dominated by their culture, their men, and their desire to fit in and belong to something, even if it is a dysfunctional family.

Therefore, the book is much more than what the author describes in her first paragraph. It is much more complex, more thought-provoking, and more dynamic. Early on, it seems the story will mainly be about the narrator and her life, but it is really about Africa, and her struggle to break free from colonial rule, just like the narrator breaks free from her family and the bonds that tie her to poverty and ignorance. It is also about Tambu's own growing maturity and questioning of what is going on around her. Early in the novel, her only goal is to break free of the "homestead" where her parents live, and get an education. She worships the whites and wants to be like them, somewhat like her uncle, who has a responsible position and knows how to deal with the whites. However, she comes to question everything the whites represent, which even surprises herself. She notes on the last page of the book, "It was a long and painful process for me, that process of expansion" (Dangarembga 204). However, it is clear she becomes more of a woman in the process, and that her life will never be the same. The first paragraph prepares the reader for change, but not all the changes and experiences that Tambu has throughout the novel. She learns how the men dominate the women in her society, and that when women actually rebel, sometimes they succeed, but most often they do not. Decisions about her education are left to the men of the family, but it seems by the end of the novel that this will no longer be the case. Tambu has found herself, and it may not be what others want of her, but it will be what she wants for herself, and that is the most extraordinary thing that happens in this interesting and thought-provoking novel.