A price to break free

Tsitsi Dangarembga’s ‘Nervous Conditions’ explores the intersection of colonialism, patriarchy, and the quest for personal freedom.

Reading ‘Nervous Conditions’ reminded me of Maya Angelou saying, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” Tsitsi Dangarembga’s novel is about a similar truth. It resonates with the lives of the female characters—Tambu, Nyasha, Maiguru, Lucia, and Tambu’s mother. Their struggles reflect the universal experiences of women bounded by societal and familial expectations.