The Impact of Colonization on Mental Health in Nervous Conditions throughout the novel. Certainly, Nyasha's British customs are very visible even when she returns to Africa, as she spent the majority of her childhood in the United Kingdom. His first appearance in the novel clearly illustrates his British customs and Tambu's strong disapproval of them; Tambu describes her cousin's appearance, explaining that Nyasha "had obviously [been in England]." There was no other explanation for the little dress she wore…. I would not agree” (Dangarembga 37). Despite the fact that she chose to wear a dress that “barely covered her thighs” (Dangarembga 37), Nyasha in fact realizes that she “should not have worn it” (Dangarembga 37). Similarly, Nyasha, a hybrid, faces many other internal battles regarding her British and African customs. Through an analysis of Nyasha's behavior, I will argue that one cannot escape one's hybridity due to the permanent psychological alterations one experiences as a product of conflicting cultures. Ultimately, Nyasha, a hybrid, attempts to return to her Shona self, but ironically, in doing so, she employs Western tactics and suffers from nervous disorders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essay As a child, Nyasha was forced to accompany her parents to Britain while they pursued higher education. Scholar Lindsay Pentolfe Aegerter explains that “she returned to Rhodesia at the onset of puberty” and “became ‘European,’ better understood as middle class, urban, Western” (Aegerter 237). Due to her childhood years spent in the Western Hemisphere, upon her return to Africa, Nyasha no longer adheres to African customs; she regards Rhodesian customs as a foreign concept. The timing of Nyasha's move to Britain is crucial to understanding that she is a hybrid character. According to “The Development of Children Ages 6 to 14” by Jacquelynne S. Eccles, a child is often most impressionable during his or her prepubescent years. As she explains: “The years between 6 and 14—middle childhood and early adolescence—are a time of important developmental progress that establishes children's sense of identity” (Eccles 30). Precisely, the most impressionable years of Nyasha's life are the same years she spends in England. Even Nyasha herself realizes this. She confides in Tambu: “You know, it’s easy to forget things when you’re so young. We had forgotten what our house looked like. I mean really forgotten – what we look like, what we smell like, all the things to do and say and not to do and say” (Dangarembga 79). Correlating with Nyasha's awareness, author Eccles continues to explain, "During this period, wherever they spend time, children learn the fundamental skills considered important by their culture" (Eccles 33). Following this logic, Nyasha's development and use of Western customs, even when she returns to Africa, can be easily understood. Even when performing simple tasks, Nyasha clearly shows her absorption of Western culture. For example, she eats with a fork and knife – a British custom – rather than eating with her hands – an African custom. Ultimately, she grew up immersed in the cultureWestern and, therefore, it is the culture to which she unconsciously continues to conform. Throughout the novel, Nyasha's internal battle between her conflicting cultures causes her to behave irrationally. At the start of Nyasha's return to Africa, she resents her parents for putting her through the traumatic experience of cultural change. She expresses to Tambu her desire to stay in Africa, saying, “We shouldn't have gone...The parents should have taken us home” (Dangarembga 18). Immediately, Nyashase realizes that his childhood years in England will have a negative effect on his well-being during his adolescence. Specifically, his broken relationship with his parents, particularly his father, is a direct impact of his time in England. Tambu, who adheres to an African way of life, believes that “Nyasha should be more respectful [towards her mother]” (Dangarembga 75). In a conversation between Nyasha and her mother, Nyasha openly disobeys her mother's order not to read postgraduate books, responding with "It's just a book and I'm just reading it" (Dangarembga 75). Although to us readers it may seem like this is a typical conversation between a mother and daughter, the type of defiance displayed by Nyasha is unknown in Rhodesian culture, which is why Tambu disapproves of it. But more often than not, readers can see that Nyasha and her father are at odds. While talking about her father, Nyasha remarks to Tambu, “I can't do anything about it. Really, I can't. He makes me angry. I cannot remain silent when he plays his role as God” (Dangarembga 193). Nyasha's behavior in the scene can be seen as contradictory to her previous behavior, as explained in the paragraph above. On the one hand, upon her return from Africa, she clings to her Western identity as a source of comfort. On the other hand, she now finds her father exasperating because he is a symbol of Western culture; by disobeying her father, she in turn rebels against his Westernization. Once again, his contradictory behaviors show the inevitability of hybridization. Sometimes she rebels against her Western culture, but she also clings to it sometimes. During an argument over Nyasha's late return to the mission, Babamukuru calls his daughter a whore and worries about how others will perceive her behavior. Finally, he shouts in anger: “Don’t talk to me like that, my child…. You must respect me. I am your father” (Dangarembga 115). In clear rebellion against her father's demands for respect, she responds, "Now why should I worry about what people think or say when my own father calls me a whore?" » (Dangarembga 115). Here again, his insubordinate behavior towards his parents reflects his revolt against Western culture, which his parents represent. However, ironically, to protest Westernization, she is actually using the Western concept of resisting one's elders – a concept widely frowned upon in African cultures. His intentional rejection of Western ideals in this scene contradicts his previous embrace of Western culture. However, his rejection of the submissive Shona tradition conflicts with his desire to return to Africanism. These conflicting views and ironic behaviors depict the difficulties and confusion she faces as a hybrid. Essentially, she is “stuck” between British culture and Western culture, and she cannot “break away”. In the article “Negotiating Social Change in the Nervous Conditions of Tsitsi Dangerembga,” authors DA Odoi, Lesibana Rafapa and EKKlu attribute the confusion Nyasha faces asas a hybrid child only during his stay abroad in England. The authors attempt to make sense of Nyasha's behavior as a direct reaction to her hybridization: "She is Shona but has lived in England for so long that it has been difficult for her to shed her anglicization and become African again." » (Odoi 155). With her inability to return to Africanism, as already explained, her behavior often conflicts with the behavior her father wishes her to demonstrate. In one case, her father hides her book and she demands that he return the book to her because she believes she is entitled to the freedom to make decisions – ironically, a Western idea. Odoi, Rafapa, Klu analyze this specific argument: "Nyasha protests while leaving the dining room, and this is naturally considered ugly or disrespectful because passivity is expected of a girl or woman by the party of the society embodied by the traditional Babamukuru. (Odoi 156). The authors continue to write that Nyasha chooses “not to conform to the traditional roles prescribed by the conservative segment of her black African society” (Odoi 156). I agree with this article's argument that Nyasha does indeed resist her father's rules and does indeed stand up to him. However, I also argue that Nyasha's purpose in defying her father is to reject the Western ideals that Babamukuru represents. Nyasha's disregard for the usual role of the African woman shows her inability to return to her Shona self due to the opposing Western beliefs that are now engraved in her. These conflicting views result from the inevitable nature of hybridization. A direct result of Nyasha's hybridization is her development of bulimia. Similar to her disobedience towards her father, her eating disorder is also a way of defying Western culture. Readers can easily trace his poor eating habits as they develop into bulimia. Throughout the text, there are many instances in which her father has to force her to finish her dinner due to her refusal to eat. In one specific example, when Nyasha objects to the idea of having dinner with the family, her father scolds her: “You will eat this food. Your mother and I don't work ourselves to death just so you can waste your time playing with boys and then come back and turn your nose up at what we're offering. Sit down and eat this food. I tell you. Eat it! (Dangarembga 192). After a few bites of her dinner, Nyasha expresses to her father that she has had enough, but he insists: “she must eat her food, all of it” (Dangarembga 193). In my opinion, Nyasha's refusal to eat her food is another way of defying her father and her Western culture. Just as vomit rids her body of food, she attempts to rid herself of her hybrid culture. However, it is ironic that she develops bulimia as a rejection of British culture because the illness itself is Western. The majority of Rhodesians barely have enough food to sustain themselves, but Nyasha, lucky enough to have plenty of food, wasted it by vomiting herself. Essentially, as a victim of colonialism, Nyasha develops "nervous conditions" due to the complicated life she leads as a hybrid child. Her use of a Western force – bulimia – to combat Westernization shows how torn she is between her two contradictory cultures and how difficult it is to “undo” hybridization. Author Lindsay Pentolfe Aegerter explores the roots of Nyasha's nervous disorders in her article "A Dialectic of Autonomy and Community: The Nervous States of Tsitsi Dangarembga.". 2: 151-158.

Essay / The Impact of Colonization on Mental Health in Nervous Conditions throughout the novel. Certainly, Nyasha's British customs are very visible even when she returns to Africa, as she spent the majority of her childhood in the United Kingdom. His first appearance in the novel clearly illustrates his British customs and Tambu's strong disapproval of them; Tambu describes her cousin's appearance, explaining that Nyasha "had obviously [been in England]." There was no other explanation for the little dress she wore…. I would not agree” (Dangarembga 37). Despite the fact that she chose to wear a dress that “barely covered her thighs” (Dangarembga 37), Nyasha in fact realizes that she “should not have worn it” (Dangarembga 37). Similarly, Nyasha, a hybrid, faces many other internal battles regarding her British and African customs. Through an analysis of Nyasha's behavior, I will argue that one cannot escape one's hybridity due to the permanent psychological alterations one experiences as a product of conflicting cultures. Ultimately, Nyasha, a hybrid, attempts to return to her Shona self, but ironically, in doing so, she employs Western tactics and suffers from nervous disorders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essay As a child, Nyasha was forced to accompany her parents to Britain while they pursued higher education. Scholar Lindsay Pentolfe Aegerter explains that “she returned to Rhodesia at the onset of puberty” and “became ‘European,’ better understood as middle class, urban, Western” (Aegerter 237). Due to her childhood years spent in the Western Hemisphere, upon her return to Africa, Nyasha no longer adheres to African customs; she regards Rhodesian customs as a foreign concept. The timing of Nyasha's move to Britain is crucial to understanding that she is a hybrid character. According to “The Development of Children Ages 6 to 14” by Jacquelynne S. Eccles, a child is often most impressionable during his or her prepubescent years. As she explains: “The years between 6 and 14—middle childhood and early adolescence—are a time of important developmental progress that establishes children's sense of identity” (Eccles 30). Precisely, the most impressionable years of Nyasha's life are the same years she spends in England. Even Nyasha herself realizes this. She confides in Tambu: “You know, it’s easy to forget things when you’re so young. We had forgotten what our house looked like. I mean really forgotten – what we look like, what we smell like, all the things to do and say and not to do and say” (Dangarembga 79). Correlating with Nyasha's awareness, author Eccles continues to explain, "During this period, wherever they spend time, children learn the fundamental skills considered important by their culture" (Eccles 33). Following this logic, Nyasha's development and use of Western customs, even when she returns to Africa, can be easily understood. Even when performing simple tasks, Nyasha clearly shows her absorption of Western culture. For example, she eats with a fork and knife – a British custom – rather than eating with her hands – an African custom. Ultimately, she grew up immersed in the cultureWestern and, therefore, it is the culture to which she unconsciously continues to conform. Throughout the novel, Nyasha's internal battle between her conflicting cultures causes her to behave irrationally. At the start of Nyasha's return to Africa, she resents her parents for putting her through the traumatic experience of cultural change. She expresses to Tambu her desire to stay in Africa, saying, “We shouldn't have gone...The parents should have taken us home” (Dangarembga 18). Immediately, Nyashase realizes that his childhood years in England will have a negative effect on his well-being during his adolescence. Specifically, his broken relationship with his parents, particularly his father, is a direct impact of his time in England. Tambu, who adheres to an African way of life, believes that “Nyasha should be more respectful [towards her mother]” (Dangarembga 75). In a conversation between Nyasha and her mother, Nyasha openly disobeys her mother's order not to read postgraduate books, responding with "It's just a book and I'm just reading it" (Dangarembga 75). Although to us readers it may seem like this is a typical conversation between a mother and daughter, the type of defiance displayed by Nyasha is unknown in Rhodesian culture, which is why Tambu disapproves of it. But more often than not, readers can see that Nyasha and her father are at odds. While talking about her father, Nyasha remarks to Tambu, “I can't do anything about it. Really, I can't. He makes me angry. I cannot remain silent when he plays his role as God” (Dangarembga 193). Nyasha's behavior in the scene can be seen as contradictory to her previous behavior, as explained in the paragraph above. On the one hand, upon her return from Africa, she clings to her Western identity as a source of comfort. On the other hand, she now finds her father exasperating because he is a symbol of Western culture; by disobeying her father, she in turn rebels against his Westernization. Once again, his contradictory behaviors show the inevitability of hybridization. Sometimes she rebels against her Western culture, but she also clings to it sometimes. During an argument over Nyasha's late return to the mission, Babamukuru calls his daughter a whore and worries about how others will perceive her behavior. Finally, he shouts in anger: “Don’t talk to me like that, my child…. You must respect me. I am your father” (Dangarembga 115). In clear rebellion against her father's demands for respect, she responds, "Now why should I worry about what people think or say when my own father calls me a whore?" » (Dangarembga 115). Here again, his insubordinate behavior towards his parents reflects his revolt against Western culture, which his parents represent. However, ironically, to protest Westernization, she is actually using the Western concept of resisting one's elders – a concept widely frowned upon in African cultures. His intentional rejection of Western ideals in this scene contradicts his previous embrace of Western culture. However, his rejection of the submissive Shona tradition conflicts with his desire to return to Africanism. These conflicting views and ironic behaviors depict the difficulties and confusion she faces as a hybrid. Essentially, she is “stuck” between British culture and Western culture, and she cannot “break away”. In the article “Negotiating Social Change in the Nervous Conditions of Tsitsi Dangerembga,” authors DA Odoi, Lesibana Rafapa and EKKlu attribute the confusion Nyasha faces asas a hybrid child only during his stay abroad in England. The authors attempt to make sense of Nyasha's behavior as a direct reaction to her hybridization: "She is Shona but has lived in England for so long that it has been difficult for her to shed her anglicization and become African again." » (Odoi 155). With her inability to return to Africanism, as already explained, her behavior often conflicts with the behavior her father wishes her to demonstrate. In one case, her father hides her book and she demands that he return the book to her because she believes she is entitled to the freedom to make decisions – ironically, a Western idea. Odoi, Rafapa, Klu analyze this specific argument: "Nyasha protests while leaving the dining room, and this is naturally considered ugly or disrespectful because passivity is expected of a girl or woman by the party of the society embodied by the traditional Babamukuru. (Odoi 156). The authors continue to write that Nyasha chooses “not to conform to the traditional roles prescribed by the conservative segment of her black African society” (Odoi 156). I agree with this article's argument that Nyasha does indeed resist her father's rules and does indeed stand up to him. However, I also argue that Nyasha's purpose in defying her father is to reject the Western ideals that Babamukuru represents. Nyasha's disregard for the usual role of the African woman shows her inability to return to her Shona self due to the opposing Western beliefs that are now engraved in her. These conflicting views result from the inevitable nature of hybridization. A direct result of Nyasha's hybridization is her development of bulimia. Similar to her disobedience towards her father, her eating disorder is also a way of defying Western culture. Readers can easily trace his poor eating habits as they develop into bulimia. Throughout the text, there are many instances in which her father has to force her to finish her dinner due to her refusal to eat. In one specific example, when Nyasha objects to the idea of having dinner with the family, her father scolds her: “You will eat this food. Your mother and I don't work ourselves to death just so you can waste your time playing with boys and then come back and turn your nose up at what we're offering. Sit down and eat this food. I tell you. Eat it! (Dangarembga 192). After a few bites of her dinner, Nyasha expresses to her father that she has had enough, but he insists: “she must eat her food, all of it” (Dangarembga 193). In my opinion, Nyasha's refusal to eat her food is another way of defying her father and her Western culture. Just as vomit rids her body of food, she attempts to rid herself of her hybrid culture. However, it is ironic that she develops bulimia as a rejection of British culture because the illness itself is Western. The majority of Rhodesians barely have enough food to sustain themselves, but Nyasha, lucky enough to have plenty of food, wasted it by vomiting herself. Essentially, as a victim of colonialism, Nyasha develops "nervous conditions" due to the complicated life she leads as a hybrid child. Her use of a Western force – bulimia – to combat Westernization shows how torn she is between her two contradictory cultures and how difficult it is to “undo” hybridization. Author Lindsay Pentolfe Aegerter explores the roots of Nyasha's nervous disorders in her article "A Dialectic of Autonomy and Community: The Nervous States of Tsitsi Dangarembga.". 2: 151-158.

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