Writing about female oppression : the social and political significance of Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous conditions

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis demonstrates that an African woman writer often faces a number ofchallenges due to her social and economic situation in many countries, and this hasled to writers like Dangaremgba adopting unusual literary strategies in an attempt tobe heard in the literary arena, as well as in their communities. Most African womenare subjects of patriarchal systems and previously were subjects of oppressivecolonial systems, which meant that they were faced with sexual discrimination invirtually every aspect of life. For example, African women writers have had tochallenge male dominance in the literary arena, and rework sexist and stereotypicalrepresentations of African women in literature. They have also had to struggle to havetheir novels published and receive serious critical attention, as their works havefrequently been appropriated and misrepresented by a great deal of Western feministliterary analysis, which tends to construct artificial categories of analysis andultimately discriminates between us and them in an imperialistic and often racistmanner. In response to this social and literary context, Dangarembga has developed anumber of literary strategies which enable her to deliver social and politicalcommentary and challenge the status quo. For instance, she uses the technique ofwriting beyond the ending to critique her main character, Tambu, by narrating thestory from the point of view of an experienced self which develops outside the scopeof the novel. Because of this technique she is able to draw attention to theinconsistencies, dangers and ironies inherent in the position of many of her characters.She has also created a novel which appears to conform to the convention of aBildungsroman, but then reverses this familiar pattern by demonstrating that theindividual is at the mercy of the colonial system without the support and sense ofheritage that involvement with their community provides. The novel ultimatelydemonstrates that it is because of her involvement with the community that Tambuachieves consciousness and emancipation, as opposed to through her individualendeavours. Finally, Dangarembga challenges simplistic and reductive representationsof women in Western feminist and other texts, by vividly portraying the multiplicityand variety of her characters' responses to an oppressive situation, as well as theunique and multifaceted nature of their situation. She strongly rejects the idea thatAfrican women are ultimate victims of oppressive social systems, by demonstrating -that there are a number of choices and options available to women and that they are able to influence their situation, even though the circumstances they live in areextremely complex and stressful. This thesis concludes by pointing out the socialimportance of this kind of text, as it illustrates an alternate mode of behaviour foroppressed women and thus may ultimately contribute towards social and politicalchange. At the same time, writing of this sort provides a vital outlet for many Africanwomen writers who experience oppression and silencing as members of patriarchalsocieties, as well as a way in which to analyse and reinterpret their experiences ofoppression in a more constructive manner.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University