This Mournable Body is a novel that propels the incidents of another novel by the same author titled Nervous Comdotion. This Mournable Body clearly reflect the neo colonial state of Zimbabwe and that of Africa at large.
It shows the loopholes and the preconditions of human behavioral pattern to one another, ranging from dehumanization, sexual assault, verbal assault, misogyny and unjust rule that cut across all ramification of human sectors .
The novel opens with a character called Tambudzai who has been passively down from all sort of societal pressure. Pressures that encompass being old to aptly fit in to societal settings , negative remarks at both school and workplace, now saddled with abuse of her immediate gender .
All these make her to be psychologically and emotionally down but all thanks to her aunty, Lucia, Tracey and educated cousin -Nyasha- who resuscitate her to sanity and consciousness. At the end of it all, she lives up to her expectation .
The novel being being told at the second perceptive of narration makes it more distinct and accurately precise in terms of its message . it makes individual to see and perceive the precariousness of women, female gender in specific with series of opposition thrown to them in the society.
The novel also shows internal conflict within this perceived gender, how they serve as blisters in each other body system. Just as it is evident in our society today, women do not believe in themselves, hence they prefer to give all the support to other gender (Male) whom they assume will make it through than their outstanding feminine couuterpart .
With this, measures of uncontrollable authority is bestowed on men and the end product of it is to traumatize those looking up to them physically, verbally, sexually etc.
It has even become habitual anthem of the women to say "that is what we are created for, in as much I am not injured and beaten" just as we have it in some pages of the text, pg 68 to be specific.
This is annoying and it shouldn't be, must they be beaten before the gender themselves recognize their position ? This is quite one of the issue the author reacts to with the novel .
Another practical human precondition noted is the act of low self esteem. This itself is a perilous enemy to human development and way forward in life. Incident from the novel frowns at this, most especially Tambu who always see herself of not worthy of something. Though circumstances might come up and things might be hard as nut, nevertheless, such will should not be allowed to shatter your ambition.
In one way or the other, the novel channels to the political sector, reflecting to them where square peg has been placed in a round dug hole through their unconcerned attitudes to societal issues and improper organization of human right .
The novel with its title lays emphasis that the less identified people in the society ranging from the female gender, helpless citizen and unprivileged ones should be mourned literarily, mourning in terms of given much attention and setting all the wrongs right .
© Emmanuel ADEGOKE, 2022
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