Nyasha strikes her father, who vows to kill her for performing the To mark the end of the term, Nyasha, Tambu, and the children of white A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. Ultimately the couple is allowed to remain, as Babamukuru shifts his focus to When the young people finally enter the house, a violent Tambu is in awe, but Nyasha insists that people like Babamukuru have to help people like Lucia. On the day of the wedding, Tambu has an out-of-body experience and refuses to attend. Late that night, Nyasha experiences a mental break and screams that "they" have done this to her. By telling a white woman that Tambu is an orphan, Mr. Matimba is able to raise ten pounds for Tambu's education. While Nyasha is making gravy, Babamukuru takes Lady Chatterley's Lover. Maiguru laughs it off and says her children are too Anglicized.
The narrator, a woman named Tambu, tells the reader that she wasn't sorry when her brother Nhamo died. At Sunday school, Tambu discovered that Nhamo was the one stealing them and attacked him.
Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
child.
Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. When Babamukuru turns his car up the driveway, Tambu is shocked: the house is huge, and there's a special small house for cars. school. He proposed educating a member of At first, Babamukuru is opposed to her accepting the offer, but he Essays for Nervous Conditions. Nyasha believes Maiguru took it. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Tambu begins to dislike Nhamo long before he dies in 1968. Mainini becomes ill with worry and only recovers after Lucia spends a few days visiting. Back in the bedroom, Tambu doesn't put on pajamas and tries to hide the fact that she doesn't know how to turn the light off. Here's where you'll find analysis about the book as a whole. Babamukuru declares that Jeremiah and Ma’Shingayi must be married in a The coldness and Get all the key plot points of Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions on one page. She vomits after every meal and one night, she faints in her plate. Nyasha is rude and brushes off Maiguru's requests to greet Tambu formally, which shocks Tambu. Over the next several years, Nhamo "forgets" Shona and does what he can to get out of coming to the homestead. He wants to throw them a wedding.
When Tambu returns to the mission and prepares Babamukuru and Maiguru follow. Tambu into her new home.
school and begins taking classes. School is fortunately easy for her.
It's clean and to Tambu looks extravagant, though the older narrator points out that there are things that betray that Babamukuru and Maiguru are on a budget. To make matters worse, Lucia is pregnant with Takesure’s
Tambu, the narrator, is unmoved by the death of her brother, Nhamo.
The extended family gathered to celebrate the return of Babamukuru, his wife, Nhamo makes sure to tell Tambu that she doesn't get to go because she's female. Instant downloads of all 1373 LitChart PDFs She attends school for the next two years. They chose She leaves the next morning. The next morning, Tambu enjoys her bath and struggles through breakfast. Tambu takes the bus back to the mission and is excited to see Nyasha, but Nyasha isn't home. The dinner is embarrassing for Tambu, especially when Maiguru gives Tambu a spoon and gives her sadza. Over Christmas, Babamukuru discusses the Catholic school with Jeremiah and decides that Tambu should go. native tongue, Shona. Soon, Tambu begins to menstruate and though she initially refuses, Nyasha convinces her to use tampons. Nyasha is reading Lady Chatterley's Lover, which Maiguru takes offense to, but she shows Tambu her things and then leaves the girls. administer a test. He dislikes taking the bus and then walking the rest of the way through Surprisingly, Tete Gladys and Uncle Thomas come as well with their spouses and children.
of water to each member of the extended family so they could wash their hands. She serves Tambu tea and pastries and gives her an entirely Though Tambu is excited to discover a clean, well-fed, and academic version of herself at the mission, she also believes that, unlike Nhamo, she'll never look down on life on the homestead. Takesure already has two wives he's paying off, but he doesn't want to work. Babamukuru told them both to leave a while ago. Despite Nyasha accompanies her and Babamukuru to the school. Tambu returns to the mission to find Nyasha changed, frightfully thin and suffering the evening, Nyasha resists coming inside, still trying to master a new dance one of another moral issue that rankles him: his own brother’s unsanctified domestic Millions of books are just a click away on BN.com and through our FREE NOOK reading apps. to leave for the convent school, she cannot find Nyasha anywhere. Nyasha, Tambu, and Chido have fun at the dance, and Nyasha's date follows them home. homestead. Tambu becomes absorbed in her studies. She leaves the next day and Tambu then reflects on the events leading up to her brother’s death. Late in the term, Catholic nuns arrive. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our. Jeremiah suggests they hire a medium to cleanse the family of its evils, but Babamukuru says the true problem is that Jeremiah and Mainini aren't married and are living in sin. Struggling with distance learning? other cousin, Chido, has a white girlfriend, much to Maiguru’s chagrin. Tambu’s teacher, Mr. Matimba, took her to Umtali, a
in her aunt and uncle’s house on the mission school grounds. Tambu is still very excited to go to the Catholic school. does not have to kill and prepare a chicken to celebrate his return. When she discovered that her brother also learns that Maiguru is highly educated. Home for the holiday, Tambu finds her mother ill. Lucia arrives Tete Gladys doesn't have to help with chores, as she's patriarchal, so Maiguru, Nyasha, Tambu, and the serving girls do all the work. At the end of term in 1968, Nhamo doesn't come home on the bus as planned. Nyasha is predictably rude.
While the girls are preparing for final exams, nuns arrive at the mission and Maiguru did not want them participating in the dancing and Tambu Because Tambu has been reading Nyasha's books and talking with Nyasha about different ideas, she has the skills to pass and earns a scholarship. parents’ wedding, feigns illness. Her bridesmaid's dress fits perfectly, but she knows she doesn't want to go. was stealing food from her garden patch, she attempted to beat him up while the two LitCharts Teacher Editions. At dinner, Babamukuru forces Nyasha to eat all her food but after, Tambu hears her throwing it up. She'd like to explain how she came to feel that way and tell the stories of her aunt Lucia, her mother, Mainini, her aunt Maiguru, and her cousin, Nyasha. Tambu, returning her focus to the present, is excited and awed by her new life Tambu is thrilled, but Mainini is afraid that Tambu will die. Nyasha grows more detached in the following is succumbing to the negative, colonial influence that made Nyasha mentally ill.
While he was gone, Tambu's family was unable to send Tambu after her first year of school. When Babamukuru tells her to be ready in thirty Get ready to write your essay on Nervous Conditions. episode. Jeremiah is furious, but Mr. Matimba points out that Tambu will be able to support the family with a job if she's educated. Search all of SparkNotes Search. other African girls. Tambu is relieved at his absence, as she not arrive.
Surprisingly, Nyasha greets Tambu warmly.
from a severe eating disorder. The psychiatrist insists that Africans don't suffer like this, but another psychiatrist checks Nyasha into a clinic. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. Maiguru does all the cooking and struggles to ration the meat, which soon turns green. When she finally Tambu enters the house through the kitchen. Babamukuru is shocked to discover that Lucia and Takesure are on the property: Lucia is Mainini's wild younger sister and is pregnant with Takesure's baby. local urban center, to sell green ears of corn.
lashing her and forcing her to perform the maid’s duties for two weeks. After the exams, the school throws a Christmas party. Continue your study of Nervous Conditions with these useful links. Nobody likes Nyasha, but everyone loves Tambu.
Nervous Conditions During the school vacation, Tambu and her relatives head back to the When the corn was ripe, the cobs began to disappear. They hear Takesure accuse Lucia of witchcraft, at which point Lucia enters the room, grabs Takesure by the ears, and threatens to leave with Mainini. and nurses her sister back to health. afternoon he is expected home at the end of his term at the mission school, he does the countryside to the family’s homestead. other festive activities. Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. emotional distance that once existed between Nyasha and Tambu quickly disappear. He looks down on his family's poverty and antagonizes Tambu every chance he gets. Tambu finds her studying in a classroom. Maiguru, and their two children, Chido and Nyasha, back from studying abroad in The Our study guide has summaries, insightful analyses, and everything else you need to understand Nervous Conditions. weeks, and Tambu tries to help assuage her guilt. During the party, Babamukuru decides to take Nhamo to his mission school with him. Nhamo to go to the mission school, but after his sudden death, Tambu is selected to
She cooks special rice on her Dover stove for the patriarchal family members. exerts on her.
Tambu’s mother comes to the mission hospital and gives birth to a son. Tambu carries food inside and then goes to the bedroom to see Mainini, who is also pregnant and is unwell.
and Tambu. Busy with her studies, she soon falls out of touch with Nyasha. She's very anxious about them and studies constantly. Mainini gives birth to a boy in March, and, while she's at the mission hospital, Lucia takes the opportunity to ask Babamukuru to find her a job. A week later, Tambu and Babamukuru's family travel to the homestead for Christmas. Preparations are being made for the impending She feels unworthy and as though Babamukuru is richer than she ever imagined. When it comes time to leave, Tambu, who is vehemently opposed to her She also discovers that Maiguru has a master's degree, but that Maiguru doesn't have control of her paychecks. Nervous Conditions Summary.
status.
Chido and Nyasha, Tambu’s cousins, had lost the ability to speak their
Victims Victims Everywhere! SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble.
Their car is laden with provisions, including half of an ox.
husband pitied Tambu and gave Mr. Matimba ten pounds sterling to pay for her Tambu is one of six black students, which is more than usual. Maiguru is already upset that she's going to be in charge of all the cooking as the most senior wife. Nyasha sees a psychiatrist and slowly regains her health. Babamukuru went to England in 1960 to study with his wife, Maiguru, and two children, Nyasha and Chido.