Pamela
Student No:
Unique No: 760246
ENG2603 Assignment 1
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
2. Lucia is an embodiment of women’s empowerment in Nervous Conditions, whilst
Maiguru eventually achieves a limited level of liberation.
Using the above statement as a starting point, write an essay in which you discuss these
two characters, and compare the circumstances and decisions that lead to their differing
levels of empowerment.
The novel, Nervous Conditions provides us with an insight of the colonial era. It was during
this era/ period of time whereby societies were organized on a patriarchal ranking whilst
families were organized against a hierarchical ranking. When Tambu said, “The needs and
sensibilities of women in my family were not considered a priority, or even legitimate”1, she
meant that women were portrayed as people that were dominated by men, while men were
seen as leaders who made all the rules that women had to follow. In this essay I will compare
the contrasts between two characters from the novel and the steps or decisions they took that
led to their different levels of empowerment.
Gender inequality and sexual discrimination created the background of all of the female
characters. In the novel, inequality is as infectious as a disease2. It is an awful mind-set that
kills dreams, pounds on women’s spirits, and discourages them from planning for their future.
Lucia, Tambu’s aunt, is shown as a strong-willed and outspoken character. She is depicted as
a woman who lives by her own set of rules in spite of being raised in a stern patriarchal
society that has certain cultural norms set in place for a woman. Lucia is seen as the ideal
rebel who challenges the conventional roles of a “submissive wife”, a “dutiful daughter”, and
the “virginal bride”.
Her boldness and unwillingness to comply by the stereotypical ideals of a woman is what
makes her the talk of the village. Her opinionated personality often gets her in trouble, which
causes some of the men in the village to refer to her as a witch. Lucia is considered
“uneducated” as she has never attended school, however she does not back down from a fight
and believes to have her views and opinions acknowledged. Furthermore into the novel, she
takes a leap of faith and decides to study to attain a better future for herself and her child with
the help from Babamkuru.
1
Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions, pg 12
2
sparknotes
Student No:
Unique No: 760246
ENG2603 Assignment 1
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
2. Lucia is an embodiment of women’s empowerment in Nervous Conditions, whilst
Maiguru eventually achieves a limited level of liberation.
Using the above statement as a starting point, write an essay in which you discuss these
two characters, and compare the circumstances and decisions that lead to their differing
levels of empowerment.
The novel, Nervous Conditions provides us with an insight of the colonial era. It was during
this era/ period of time whereby societies were organized on a patriarchal ranking whilst
families were organized against a hierarchical ranking. When Tambu said, “The needs and
sensibilities of women in my family were not considered a priority, or even legitimate”1, she
meant that women were portrayed as people that were dominated by men, while men were
seen as leaders who made all the rules that women had to follow. In this essay I will compare
the contrasts between two characters from the novel and the steps or decisions they took that
led to their different levels of empowerment.
Gender inequality and sexual discrimination created the background of all of the female
characters. In the novel, inequality is as infectious as a disease2. It is an awful mind-set that
kills dreams, pounds on women’s spirits, and discourages them from planning for their future.
Lucia, Tambu’s aunt, is shown as a strong-willed and outspoken character. She is depicted as
a woman who lives by her own set of rules in spite of being raised in a stern patriarchal
society that has certain cultural norms set in place for a woman. Lucia is seen as the ideal
rebel who challenges the conventional roles of a “submissive wife”, a “dutiful daughter”, and
the “virginal bride”.
Her boldness and unwillingness to comply by the stereotypical ideals of a woman is what
makes her the talk of the village. Her opinionated personality often gets her in trouble, which
causes some of the men in the village to refer to her as a witch. Lucia is considered
“uneducated” as she has never attended school, however she does not back down from a fight
and believes to have her views and opinions acknowledged. Furthermore into the novel, she
takes a leap of faith and decides to study to attain a better future for herself and her child with
the help from Babamkuru.
1
Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions, pg 12
2
sparknotes
