Browsing by Author "Mlambo, Nelson"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    Emasculated byt the crisis: Representations of the struggling fathers in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature.
    (NUST, Department of Communication, 2010) Nyambi, Oliver; Mlambo, Nelson
    The political turmoil and socio-economic comatose of the past decade in Zimbabwe has had a toll on the social transformation of the Zimbabwean society. The astronomical inflation, the incessant shortages of basic consumer goods, jobs etc. has changed the face of the evolution of culture masculinities, exposed the vulnerability of the male father figure and consigned him to the fringes of the everyday struggle to provide for his family. The gap between the traditional male breadwinner and the hopelessly inept father figure produced by the extraordinary constraints of the last decade in Zimbabwe has over the years created a fertile ground for creative imagination as writers grapple with the nature of the "Zimbabwean problem", the multifarious forces shaping the humanitarian crisis and the human responses to the dystopian situation. This paper looks at the destabilising impact of the problematicpolitical and economic situation on the male father figure's capacity to effectively deliver on his traditional and cultural responsibility to sustain a family. We contend that the contemporary Zimbabwean narrative particularly in the short story genre reflects and refracts on the complexities of negotiating a crisis situation and represents the "emasculated" state of the male father figure rendered helpless by forces beyond his influence.
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    A literary exploration of trauma and resilience in Tagwira's 'The Uncertainty of Hope'.
    (NUST, Department of Communication, 2014) Cloete, Ina; Mlambo, Nelson
    The aim of this paper is to critically analyse Tagwira’s The uncertainty of hope, a novel set in turbulent Zimbabwe using the critical lenses of trauma and resilience theory. The two theories are applied as a way of accounting for the challenges, realities and hopes faced by 21st century African states and citizens. Through the application of these two theories the paper argues that literary theory has to address itself to the issues and concerns raised in fiction and that it is through balancing the traumatic realities of life and how the ordinary people resiliently face these challenges that African literature can truly mirror. The research found that the novel, The uncertainty of hope, clearly captures the different forms of trauma faced by the characters in crisis-hit Zimbabwe. Moreover, the research also demonstrated the characters’ resilience and their agency in mitigating the traumatic experiences they face.
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    Metaphors of changing identities, resilience and cultural transformation for survival in times of crisis.
    (NUST, Department of Communication, 2013) Mlambo, Nelson
    This paper is an exploration of the literary representations of survival and coping strategies during times of socio-economic upheavals. Charles Mungoshi’s short story entitled "The Hare” is critically analysed and the two major characters in the story are used to show the different ways people respond to crises in their lives. Such a dichotomous analysis results in the conclusion that agency is ubiquitous and survival is quite possible. Through short stories such as this one, it is made evident that African literature can assist readers to face their daily challenges and rise above adversity.
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    Metaphors of migration and survival: Negotiating crisis times through seeking alternative spaces.
    (NUST, 2013) Mlambo, Nelson
    This paper is about the fictional representation of the tenacity, innovativeness and agency displayed by people who seek to better their living conditions and survive socio-economic and political cesspools. The aim is to demonstrate how political boundaries are surmounted and the various means used to migrate as a way to be in the diaspora and better one’s condition. A worst case scenario of Zimbabwe under a crisis is used to demonstrate the resilience and resourcefulness of ordinary people as they struggle to migrate and embrace global citizenry.
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    Rethinking survival: Metaphors of hope and peaceful conflict resolution methods during crisis times.
    (NUST, Department of Communication, 2013) Mlambo, Nelson
    This paper examines the role of imaginative literature in offering insights into various peace-oriented conflict resolution methods. Through a critical analysis of three short stories set in a dystopian Zimbabwean context of extreme difficulties, the paper argues that hope is ubiquitous and fictions of our time offer subtle and strategic pointers to probable solutions. Through the presentation of the lived experiences of ordinary citizens, the short stories analysed ultimately point to a realisable vision of the future which has pointers which are suggestive of life beyond survival.
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    Review of the book Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor.
    (NUST, Department of Communication, 2014) Mlambo, Nelson
    This article reviews the book entitled 'Dust' by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, published in 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf.
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    Review of the book Undisciplined heart by Jane Katjjavivi.
    (NUST, School of Humanities, 2010) Mlambo, Nelson; Pasi, Juliet
    This article reviews Jane Katjavivi's autobiography, Undisciplined Heart, published in 2010.
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    Situating morality in the housing debate in Harare: Case of Matapi Hostels.
    (2010) Chirisa, Innocent; Mlambo, Nelson
    The urban housing question in Zimbabwe has been debated for a long time yet without paying adequate attention to the plight of the life experienced by hostel dwellers in the former ‘bachelor’ hostels. These, in Mbare, Harare, now accommodate thousands of families. Such ambivalence to discourse has denied the inhabitants stake in a number of social well-being aspects, morality included. Morality emanates largely from both religious and cultural footings. It must be noted that almost three decades of such gendered-but-loose living has exposed these poor urban dwellers to serious challenges, not only moral but health, access to credit, and related socio-economic plights. The habitation has been nothing but a heinous experience. Yet, the hostellers have become so sucked up in the abnormality that to them it has become the norm. Most of the children have never experienced life except this kind. The question is: Why has it happened in this world where there is great sermonization about adequate housing, sustainable development, human rights and upright living? Matapi - like most old hostels in Mbare - harbours several hundreds of thousands of households living in complete disjunction of the postulations of the gospel preachers, human rights advocates and cultural custodians of the time. The rampancy of moral decadence and consequential demise of the people-hood of the dwellers is a total headache to any serious social scientist. The paper is a short treatise to describe, explain and critique the living conditions in the hostels. It is largely qualitative with very little inclination to quantitative data.
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    Urban lives and the complexities of change: Cultural transformation for survival in contemporary Zimbabwean fiction.
    (NUST, Department of Communication, 2011) Mlambo, Nelson
    This paper explores the literary representation of the complex, heterogeneous and constantly shifting socio-cultural dynamics of Zimbabwean city-making and human survival today. It's raison d'etre is premised on the desire to explicate through nuanced paradigms, a study of African culture using three short stories by Shimmer Chonodya's "Last laugh", Erasmus Chinyani's "A land of starving millionaires" and Julius Chingono's "Minister without Portfolio". Attention is focussed on perspectives on urbanity and how creative cultural expressions (fiction) offer critical discourse on human survival during periods of tempestuous changes. The result is an emphasis on African city-making through fluid and rapidly changing cultural structures and the ability of the urbanites to adjust, negotiate and innovate. Critical is a literary analysis of their espousal and reformulation of the political, moral and socio-economic terrain thereby fostering a distinct culture of "city dwellership". As a result this multiplex perspective of the city rests on a non-essentialist conception of urbanity and the short stories demonstrate the artistic expressions of how the people have not only found effective ways of pursuing their livelihoods but also how to interpret and reformulate these pronouncements in harsh and tyrannical contexts.