52 pages • 1 hour read
Nervous Conditions
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Nervous Conditions (1988) is a semi-autobiographical literary fiction novel written by Tsitsi Dangarembga, an international author, playwright, filmmaker, and director. The novel is the first in a three-part trilogy and is followed by The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2017). Tambudzai, a young girl living with her family on a homestead in Rhodesia, narrates the novel and serves as the primary protagonist. Four other female protagonists—a deuteragonist, Nyasha, and three supporting protagonists, Ma’Shingayi, Maiguru, and Lucia—are also central to the storyline. Through these characters, the novel explores themes that include the impacts of British colonizers in Rhodesia, the pressures stemming from patriarchal gender roles, and the additional complications of coming of age while undergoing cultural transitions.
This guide refers to the 2004 Ayebia Clarke Publishing edition.
Content Warning: The source material contains references to death by suicide, depictions of sexism, domestic violence, child abuse, and eating disorders.
Plot Summary
Tambudzai lives on a homestead in colonial Rhodesia with her parents, Ma’Shingayi and Jeremiah, and her siblings, Nhamo, Netsai, and Rambanai. Her family is largely supported by her uncle, Unlock all 52 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
