Wednesday, February 24, 2010
New Zimbabwe
I found that despite the creation of the "New Zimbabwe" much had still remained the same. For example, the company that Tambu works at is still under the control of white people. Black people like Tambu were often still at the bottom. This can be shown at Tambu's workplace: people like Tracey are the bosses while black people like Raphael are the tea boys. Tambu is still in a way "groveling" as Nyasha said in Nervous Conditions. Discrimination against blacks was still common; Tambu mentions how at the place where she is now living, whites always sit away from the rest in the cafeteria. The way Dengarembga ends the book shows the hopelessness of Tambu's situation. Her situation has not changed from the time of Sacred Heart; no matter how hard she works, she can't get the recognition she yearns for. She is not acknowledged for her O levels at Sacred Heart and in the New Zimbabwe, she is not recognized for the contributions she makes to her company with her creative ideas. I think Dangarembga's telling of Tambu's future is the idea that once colonization happens, it's there to stay. No matter how hard you try, you can't escape its effects. This time, Tambu is left without a home and without a family and without a job.
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I agree the "New Zimbabwe" is not very new. Tambu still is in a colonized state of mind. True, black people are at the bottom but how can you move to the top when all your life you have been denied the top. This happens in real life rather by race or gender or etc, there is always someone that does not deserve their position and you wonder how they got it when observing the intellect or iq at times. I understand that Nyasha says she is groveling but I think in whatever situation Tambu still wants to work to reach whatever goals she sets or at least attempt them through working hard.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the New Zimbabwe is almost exactly like the old one, but the last line of the book, which states that Tambu is wondering about her role as a new Zimbabwean, could mean that at least Tambu is beginning to question the validity of this new system. Hopefully this is a step into a new kind of thinking we haven't seen from her before- a chance to evaluate the idea of "New Zimbabwe" without just taking the white people's word as gospel.
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