Dionne Spencer

European Literature

5/11/06

The Effects of Assimilation

The book Nervous Conditions is about a family living 2 different lifestyles. The lifestyles they choose shape who they are and what they are to their people. In Nervous Conditions the main character Tambudzai suffers from balancing her Shona culture and assimilating into the English culture. Tambu overcomes many obstacles in trying to be bi-cultural. From inequality in her family, when she wants to attend school, to remembering her roots when everyone around her has been totally assimilated, she struggles to keep the balance. In this way Dangarembga shows that assimilation is a way to move up in a poor society, but that it comes with consequences.

In the book Dangarembga uses Maiguru to show assimilation is necessary to survive. Although there are many female characters in Nervous Conditions that show the effects of assimilation. One of the main characters that shows this is Maiguru. Maiguru is the wife of Babamakuru who is a headmaster at the mission. Maiguru and her husband were offered a scholarship to go to England in their early years to continue their education. When they left for England their children did as well. When they returned to the homestead near Umtali, the family had felt the impact of assimilation. As the family tried to use the knowledge they acquired to help the other members of the family, problems seemed to arise. As the family tries to integrate back into their Shona culture Maiguru began to see that she had become nothing more than a servant to her husbands family. I am tired of my house being a hotel for your family. I am tired of being a housekeeper for them. I am tired of being nothing in a home that I am working myself sick to support.(pg.172) Maiguru knows that she has to do something drastic to show Babamakuru of her seriousness, this ends up in her departure from the house. She eventually returns to see that

her absence from the house has changed Babamakurus perception of a females role in traditional Shona culture, which ends up in more equality in their household. If it wasnt for her education, her learning about womens suffrage she would not be able to express herself in a way that shows Babamakuru about modern ways of living.

Babamakuru is treated as though he is a god, admired by all. In this book knowledge really is power. The more knowledge you have the better off you will be, and Babamakuru is the ideal example of this. Babamakuru has a house described as a palace; he has a much respected position at the mission, and a very educated family to go with it. He has accomplished much and is appreciated by all. But life wasnt always this way for him and Dangarembga uses this to show assimilation is necessary to survive but can unconsciously threaten traditional culture. Babamakuru learned at an early age that life had many depressing stages, especially when his father died, and his mother was left to support 6 children. His mothers solution was to take Babmakuru to the mission so they could prepare him for life in their world(pg.19) Little did she know that life in their world was not all it was cracked up to be, that in fact it was cause a loss of traditional Shona values and replace them with new Anglo ones. No one had knowledge of the future so life went on with no sign of what was ahead. As a young boy Babamakuru was not only putting in a full days work at the farm, but performing above standards in school as well. He was diligent, he was industrious, he was respectful.(pg.19) Babamakurus diligence led to him getting a scholarship to South Africa, where he continued his education, and which in turn made him not only prosperous, but well respected in his community as well. To Tambu this indicated that life could be lived with a modicum of dignity in any circumstances if you worked hard enough and obeyed the rules.(pg.19)

Moving from place to place can have a dramatic effect on a child; it can result in loss of culture, confusion and behavior problems. In Nervous Conditions Dangarembga uses Nyasha to show a parents assimilation can cause confusion and damage to a child. The decision to move a child from where they come from to a place theyve never been is a hard one. Thats why the decision that ended up in Nyasha and her brother Chido moving to England with their parents

played over and over in Babamakurus head. But, his reason was clear remembering how difficult life was on the homestead, did not want his children to experience the want and hardship that he had experienced as a young child.(pg.14) And who can blame him. If you had an opportunity to provide a great life for your children, give them what you never had wouldnt you? I would, because I understand that people want the best for your children and at the time thats what he thought the best was. But, as Nyasha moves back Babamakuru soon sees that it may not have been the best one. As Nyasha moves back to her homeland shes confused about her surroundings, and she doesnt know how to act. She doesnt know what is right and what is wrong. Her moving back is a complete shift in what is ordinary to her. She grew up in England, and returns to Africa. The rules in these places, what is allowed and what is not are very different. Its not Nyashas fault that she behaves this way. Its the culture around her that made her into someone not feeling connected to place where her roots should be. Living in England deprived her of her Shona culture and as her life in Africa continues she realizes that her living in England makes her someone that doesnt fit in to either culture. Theyve taken us awaydeprived you of you, him of him, ourselves of each otherIm not one of them but Im not one of you (pg.200) Its hard to say what was better for Nyasha, culture, background, roots, or her education to get her so that she can move up in a society that African females usually stay down in. To me I just see a father that unconsciously shaped the future of his daughter, and the way shell live out her life forever.

In this book there is one character that stands out, one character that shows that people can live a life that shares two cultures. Her name is Tambu, in Nervous Conditions Dangarembga uses Tambu to show biculturalism is the ideal alternative to assimilation. It may seem as though assimilation has totally taken over everyone in this book, but this is not true and we see this especially when Tambu is offered a position at Sacred Heart. When Nyasha hears this news she is surprised how excited Tambu is to go there. But Tambu tells her it would be a wonderful opportunity to go to a school like that, what an experience shed have, how she put her opportunity to maximum use. It would be a marvelous opportunity, Nyasha said sarcastically, to forget. To forget who you were, what you were and why you were that. The process, she said,

was called assimilation. (pg. 178) How can Nyasha say this? Tambu is the perfect symbol of what it means to not forget. How can Tambu forget when shes been through so much to get to where shes at right now? I would go. I was sure of myself. I was not skeptical like Nyasha. How could I possibly forget my brother and the mealies, my mother and the latrine and the wedding? These were all evidence of the burdens my mother has succumbed to. (pg.179) Tambu is not affected by total assimilation because she hasnt even had enough time to be. Everyone she has been living with has been to England, really experienced what its like, and has adopted their culture and their values. Tambu is the ideal example of biculturalism because in the beginning of the book she could not balance the two cultures around her but by the end so much has happened because of all these two cultures that shes force to never forget.

In conclusion, people assimilate everyday; it is in our nature to adapt to our surroundings. In Nervous Conditions Tambu had to adapt to hers. She saw all the females around her that had miserable lives and she chose not to take that route. She felt that she should have the chance to make something of herself. It was unfortunate that her brother had to die for her to get this opportunity, but if her brother were still alive she wouldnt be where she is today. Although Tambu has been through so much, there were many sacrifices she had to make to get to where shes at. I think its great that she came up from a poor farm girl, into a student at one of the most prestigious schools in Rhodesia. But, there are some things she had to give up that she can never get back.

Dangaremba, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Seattle: Seal Press, 1989.