How Tsitsi's experiences have influenced the book…….

I feel as though Tsitsi has written much of herself and her feelings into Nervous condition’s main character, Tambu. One of the biggest similarities is the way they both treat their education. Both Tsitsi and Tambu seem to hold their future and British Education in the highest esteem. For the most part Tambu and Tsitsi lives both follow somewhat of the same path. While Tsitsi was born in Rhodesia and went to Britain at an early age, Tambu left Rhodesia at an older age and attended school in Britain. At certain points in the novel Tsitsi writes with a very disapproving tone towards African education, I received the feeling that Tsitsi believed African education to be less advanced verses Britain education. There was also a clear similarity between Tsitsi and Nyasha (Tambu’s cousin), when Tsitsi returned to Rhodesia after attending school in Britain she forgot her native language along with many other aspects and traditions of her culture and it is said that she felt like an outsider to her own people, this same scenario is represented with Nyasha. She also forgot her language and felt like in outsider. I have read online that many readers and writers consider this novel to be semi-biographical, meaning that bits of Tsitsi’s life have been represented through different occurrences in the novel.