This study explores Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions (1988), The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2018) through Ngugi’s decolonial concepts of dismemberment and re-membering, attempting to answer the question, ‘How does Dangarembga critique 'coloniality’ in her novels?’
I relate ‘coloniality’ to dismemberment and ‘decoloniality’ to re-membering. Dismemberment, with reference to Dangarembga’s novels, is projected through estranged relationships, broken family ties, self-hate, identity crises and nervous conditions, to name but a few. These are a result of colonial injustices that exist under the various guises of ‘coloniality’. Re-membering, therefore, becomes a form of synthesis in which humanity is restored to all human beings. The desire to break away from poverty places Western education and modernity at the centre of the dismemberments experienced in the novels. Through the deployment of selected literary theories and analysing the narrative techniques and literary devices, the study reveals how the author skilfully uses language and characters to portray the injustices endured by the oppressed. The mode or style of writing used by Dangarembga to confront these injustices poses the question, ‘Is Dangarembga a polyphonic writer?’ Moreover, the author’s creation of a dialogical field in which three incompatible discourses of the traditional, colonial, and decolonial engage initiates a pluriversal approach towards various forms of ‘coloniality’. A further analysis of the various forms of dismemberments narrated in the novels defines the particularities of the injustices hidden in the hegemonic global practice of ‘coloniality’. Following this, my argument outlines how ‘decoloniality’ as a thought is projected as a work in progress. The decolonial approach taken by the study hints at the beginning of a healing process and the possibility of ‘decoloniality’.
Hierdie studie ondersoek Dangarembga se Nervous Conditions (1988), The Book of Not (2006) en This Mournable Body (2018) deur Ngugi se dekoloniale konsepte oor verdeling en her-deelvorming in ’n poging om die volgende vraag te beantwoord: “Hoe kritiseer Dangarembga ‘kolonialiteit’ in haar novelles?”
Ek bring ‘’kolonialiteit” in verband met verdeling en “dekolonialiteit” met her-deelvorming. Verdeling, met verwysing na Dangaremga se novelles, word geprojekteer deur vervreemde verhoudings, gebroke gesinsbande, selfhaat, identiteitekrisisse en senu-toestande, om net ’n paar te noem. Hierdie is ’n gevolg van koloniale onregte wat onder die verskillende dekmatels van “kolonialiteit” bestaan. Her-deelvorming word dus ’n vorm van sintese waarin menslikheid in alle mense herstel word. Die begeerte om weg te breek van verarmde plekke, Westerse onderwys en moderniteit vorm die middelpunt van die verdelings wat in die novelles ervaar word. Deur die ontplooiing van sekere literêre teorieë en analisering van die verhalende tegnieke en literêre instrumente, ontbloot die studie hoe die outeur taal en karakters kundig gebruik om die onregte wat die onderdruktes verduur het, uit te beeld. Dangarembga se skryfmodus of -styl om hierdie onregte te konfronteer, laat die vraag ontstaan, “Is Dangarembga ’n polifoniese skrywer?” Bowendien skep die outeur ’n dialogiese veld waarin drie uiteenlopende diskoerse van die tradisionele, koloniale en dekoloniale betrokke raak en ’n pluriversale benadering tot verskillende vorms van ‘’kolonialiteite’’ inisieer. ’n Verdere analise van die verskillende vorms van verdelings, waarvan in die novelle vertel word, definieer die detail van die onregte wat in die hegemoniese wêreldwye praktyk van “kolonialitet” versteek is. Daaropvolgens skets my argumente hoe “dekolonialiteit’’, as ’n gedagte, geprojekteer word as ’n werk wat nog in wording is. Die dekoloniale benadering van die studie dui op die begin van ’n genesingsproses en die moontlikheid van “dekolonialiteit”.
Lolu cwaningo lucubungula Izimo Zokuthuthumela zikaDangarembga (1988), Incwadi kaHhayi (2006) kanye nethi Lo Mzimba Ozilwayo (2018) ngokusebenzisa imiqondo kaNgugi yokuhlakaza nokukhumbula kabusha ezama ukuphendula umbuzo othi, 'Ingabe uDangarembga uhlaziya kanjani ' isimo sokuba ikoloni' kumanoveli akhe?'
Ngihlobanisa ‘isimo sokuba ikoloni’ ekuhlakazeni kanye ‘nokuphonsa inselela esimeni sokuba yikoloni’ ekukhumbuleni kabusha. Ukuhlakaza, kubhekiselwa kumanoveli kaDangarembga, kuvezwa ngobudlelwano obungajwayelekile, lapho amalungu omndeni enezinkinga ezinkulu ezingokozwelo omunye komunye, ukuzizonda, izinkinga zobunikazi kanye nezimo zokuthuthumela, ukubala okumbalwa. Lokhu kuwumphumela wokungabi nabulungiswa kwamakholoni okukhona ngaphansi kwezinhlobonhlobo 'zesimo sokuba yikoloni'. Ngakho-ke, ukukhumbula kabusha kuba uhlobo lokuhlanganisa lapho ubuntu bubuyiselwa kubo bonke abantu. Isifiso sokugqashula ezindaweni ezimpofu, imfundo yaseNtshonalanga kanye nesimanje yikona okuphakathi kokuhlakazwa okutholakala emanovelini.
Ngokusebenzisa umkhakha wokufunda ophathelene nemigomo esekelwe ekuhlaziyweni nokuqonda imisebenzi yemibhalo akhethiwe kanye nokuhlaziya amasu okulandisa kanye nethuluzi elisetshenziswa ababhali ukukhomba izindikimba, imibono, nencazelo enkulu endabeni noma esiqeshini sombhalo, ucwaningo luveza ukuthi umbhali ulusebenzisa kanjani ngobuchule ulimi nabalingiswa ukuveza ukungabi nabulungiswa okwabekezelelwa abacindezelwe. Inkambiso noma isitayela sokubhala esasetshenziswa nguDangarembga ukubhekana nalokhu kungabi nabulungisa kuphakamisa umbuzo: 'Ingabe uDangarembga ungumbhali olandisayo, ehlanganisa ukuhlukahluka kwamaphuzu kanye namazwi ngesikhathi esisodwa?' Ngaphezu kwalokho, umbhali udala inkundla yezingxoxo lapho izinkulumo ezintathu ezingahambelani zokuzibandakanya kwendabuko, ubukoloni kanye nokuphonsa inselela esimeni sokuba yikoloni ziqala umbono lapho umhlaba njengoba ucatshangelwe ngokombono wobuningi maqondana nezinhlobo ezahlukahlukene 'zasesimeni sokuba yikoloni'.
Ukuhlaziywa okwengeziwe kwezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zokuhlakaza ezilandiswa kumanoveli kuchaza imininingwane yokungabi nabulungisa efihlwe emkhubeni wokubusa kwamandla womhlaba wonke 'esimeni sokuba yikoloni'. Ngemva kwalokhu, impikiswano yami iveza ukuthi ‘ukuphonsa inselela esimeni sokuba yikoloni’, njengomcabango, kuvezwa njengomsebenzi oqhubekayo. Indlela yokuphonsa inselela esimeni sokuba yikoloni ethathwe wucwaningo ikhomba ekuqaleni kwenqubo yokuphulukisa kanye nokwenzeka 'kokuphonsa inselela esimeni sokuba yikoloni.
