29th Annual Student Research Conference
Symbiosis to Neurosis to Diagnosis: Recognizing How Conforming to a Destructive Society Results in Mental Illness in Tsitsi Dangarembga's 'Nervous Conditions'
Elizabeth A. Burnes
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Culture has profound psychological and behavioral effects on its members. Unfortunately, when a culture becomes as oppressive and unbalanced as 1960s Zimbabwe, especially in terms of race and gender, its effects can be devastating. Tsitsi Dangarembga's 'Nervous Conditions' follows a young woman striving for education in a highly patriarchal and colonized society. This presentation focuses on three of the main characters, their role in this institution, and how this connects to their behavioral tendencies. Then, based on this observational evidence, their subsequent neurosis and complexes will be diagnosed in psychological terminology.
Keywords: Gender, Race, Psychology, Nervous Conditions, Behavior, Culture, Neurosis, Zimbabwe
Topic(s):English
Psychology
Women's and Gender Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -5
Location: MG 1000
Time: 2:00