Incorporating Nervous Conditions: Yes or No

Should Nervous Conditions be incorporated in the ninth grade syllabus? Although the majority of the grade dislikes it because it is a tough book to comprehend, I personally think it is valuable to the class to read. The book definitely supports the question that our class has focused on all year. It answers how community and culture shape who we are and how our society is influenced by the surroundings and conditions of other societies. Tambu and Babamukuru’s family are prime examples of how culture and community affect the way people think and behave.

Besides the main reason why it should be in the syllabus, I have a few other reasons why it should be read. It educates us on a totally different culture/society than we are accustomed to here. I know many Americans have not been exposed to an entirely different culture before. It is helpful as we grow and mature to remember that not everyone will act/think/look the same because of their heritage and background. We might not understand why certain people will do certain things, but we should all be considerate to what they do since we all come from different ethnic groups consisting of different traditions and customs.

I admit, even though the book is difficult to read, it is advantageous for us. It trains us to become better readers. The book made me reread over and over again certain passages that I could not understand, which were a great deal of passages. I never had to do that often with other books. And I know that as we progress in school, the material that we read will just be more challenging. We might as well use this opportunity to realize that everything will be harder and use that reason to push us into a diligent, hard-working mind frame. 

So yes, I believe Nervous Conditions should be included in the ninth grade syllabus. It is a very good book that demonstrates how much impact and pressure culture and community places on not just one person, but an entire society. Another book that I have read that ties into how community and culture changes us is called Secondhand World by Katherine Min. The book is about Isa: an American-born Korean with two abusive and non-tolerant parents to anything American. Her parents are so completely rigid about the protection of their culture. Isa starts to realize all of their faults, and in turn despises her parents. She becomes extremely corrupted by her American peers and also develops a cultural identity crisis. In the end, she acknowledges her own faults and understands why her parents were so strict on her. She realizes that she should have followed their advice, because now she has to face so many unfortunate difficulties from almost being burned to death by her father’s depression.

Reading Details:

Tsitsi Dangaremba, Nervous Conditions

3/11: Started on Letters from Nyasha – 30 min. (at home)

3/12: Completed Letters from Nyasha – 30 min. (at home)

3/14: Started writing Film Study – 120 min. (at home)

3/14: Read: Matthew Polly, American Shaolin – 30 min.

Total: 210 min.