Identify what you want to write about and explain why you want to write about it.
I want to explore Tsiti Dangarembga’s book Nervous Conditions as it relates to how it explains the built-in power structures in imperialism as well as traditional patriarchal society. Postcolonial and gender theory are both very useful lenses which writers can use to think about major literary works. This emphasis on critical theory as a way of explaining the meaning of Nervous Conditions is interesting and a very important part of what this paper will be about
Core work you will write about: Nervous Conditions (Dangarembga)
Supplemental works you will write about: Critical Theory Today A User Friendly Guide (Tyson)
Introduction to Nervous Conditions(Appiah)
Thesis Statement (This is the guide and anchor of your paper.):
Dangarembga’s book Nervous Conditions is a great example of how writers from the postcolonial world used the power of the novel and literature to investigate the power structures which imperialism and traditional gender roles left on particular lands. Dangarembga uses these techniques in her book and they are very effective.
Supporting Statement 1 : Colonialism, the rule each British colonial rule and the work for independence played in Zimbabwe’s history and how it played a major role in people’s lives.
There are many examples throughout the book which explain how colonialism and the imperial relationship are important to the book. There are too many too list here but it easy to find and to analyze them when writing the final paper.
Supporting Statement 2 : Gender roles also play a very important role in understanding the time and place in which the novel is located and Dangarembga attempts to make it play a significant role in her story are obvious and something which is very much worth investigating
Similarly, gender plays such an important role throughout the book that is very hard to list three specific examples of when it shows up but there are enough of them and they are all so prominent which makes the most interesting ones a very good case for deep reading and analysis
How are you going to hook your audience in your introduction(you want to establish ethos and engage your audience in the introduction).
The best way to approach an introduction is to tell the audience what kind of paper they are going to read and to list in as many ways possible how what they are reading is significant to them. A well written introduction, gives background, informs the reader and the asks a few questions to make them think what about the topic you are about to write about.
How are you going to release your audience in your conclusion?
An effective conclusion often relates to how well the writer is able to provide closure for the reader while still leaving them with more questions which would keep them interested in the topic. It is interesting to make the paper “come full circle” and to answer the questions which you asked in the introduction in a satisfactory enough way where the reader feels like they have actually learned something from
Dear Professor [add name here],
This project is interesting because of how powerful a work Nervous Conditions is and how well it illustrates the place in African and Zimbabwean history it is trying to portray. Decolonization and independence are very important themes in world history and that is something which is still fascinating for many people to this day. I for one care deeply about that historical moment and what it means and I think that it is something which other people will also find very interesting as a point of investigation for a literary work. This project should be very feasible and something which will be very interesting valuable and which will greatly expand our knowledge
The important theme to keep in mind when talking about Zimbabwe is how it became a country to begin with. Rhodesia was a imminently different kind of state, a white ruled, racist and imperialist entity. Zimbabwe only came to be as a result of the war between blacks and whites in the country during the Rhodesian Bush War. This is very important historical background and something which helps to understand the context of Nervous Conditions.
I would like to write a short background piece on the history of Rhodesia in the colonial period and then transition to focusing more on the Bush War itself. This could be a very good way to introduce the rest of the elements I would be analyzing. Such as the visual text analysis, the song, the text and the piece of popular culture that I will be analyzing.
The Visual text analysis will be a photograph which I still haven’t chose that relates to the Bush War and the liberation struggle which black Zimbabweans/Rhodesians took part in order to explain what they looked like, what their values were and how that relates to the Bush War and the desire of these people to have a government for themselves instead of one ruled by a white minority.
One of the most lasting symbols of the old Rhodesian rule was its connection to Europe and European culture. The National Anthem of Rhodesia, sung to the tune of Ode to Joy, became a symbol if the white supremacist racist government and society which it represented. This is interesting because it works to make a connection between values, history and art which is at the heart of so many arguments regarding postcolonialism.
I think it would be very interesting to analyze a pamphlet printed by the Zimbabwe African National Union in 1980 entitled The Year of People’s Power. The ZANU was one of the leading forces for liberation and to attempt to break down their thoughts and ideology regarding politics, economy and society could do very much to explain the path which they intended to take Zimbabwe down and what ultimately happened.
The popular culture text is by far the hardest one to think about as it relates to decolonization, communist struggle and guerilla warfare. I can’t think of any kind of work which deals with these topics directly in either Western or non-Western media but there must be something which I could talk about in this respect.
Ultimately, I think exploring the colonial, social and political history of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe can only be beneficial to better understanding the book and its context. This should be a great project and something which I am very excited to complete.
Sincerely,
