Tales of the Nation Feminist Nationalism Or Patriotic History? Defining National History and Identity in Zimbabwe

Tales of the Nation Feminist Nationalism Or Patriotic History? Defining National History and Identity in Zimbabwe

RESEARCH REPORT NO. 132 Tales of the Nation Feminist Nationalism or Patriotic History? Defining National History and Identity in Zimbabwe LENE BULL–CHRISTIANSEN Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Uppsala 2004 Indexing terms Zimbabwe Feminism Nationalism Identity Literature Yvonne Vera History Matabeleland Language checking: Elaine Almén ISSN 1104-8425 ISBN 91-7106-539-3 © The Author and Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, 2004 Printed in Sweden by Elanders Infologistics Väst AB, Göteborg 2004 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. FIELD OF INTEREST .................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 2.1. Problem definition..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2. Method.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.1. Theories............................................................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.1.1. The postcolonial and postmodern theoretical fields ..................................... 10 2.2.1.2. Literary text analysis and discourse analysis........................................................... 12 2.2.2. My enunciative position................................................................................................................................. 14 2.2.3. Structure ....................................................................................................................................................................... 16 3. YVONNE VERA........................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 3.1. A feminist writer....................................................................................................................................................................... 19 3.2. A writer of history................................................................................................................................................................... 21 3.3. A Zimbabwean writer.......................................................................................................................................................... 23 3.3.1. Cultural nationalism ......................................................................................................................................... 23 3.3.2. Traditionalist nationalism............................................................................................................................. 24 3.3.3. Cultural disillusionment................................................................................................................................. 25 3.3.4. Re-writing the liberation war .................................................................................................................... 26 3.4. Summing up ................................................................................................................................................................................ 30 4. DISCOURSES OF NATIONAL HISTORY.................................................................................................................................. 31 4.1. Analytical framework ........................................................................................................................................................... 31 4.1.1. Literature...................................................................................................................................................................... 32 4.1.2. Discourse ..................................................................................................................................................................... 32 4.1.3. Othering........................................................................................................................................................................ 33 4.1.4. Nationalism................................................................................................................................................................ 34 4.1.5. Stereotype.................................................................................................................................................................... 36 4.2. A discourse of spiritual history................................................................................................................................... 37 4.2.1. Spatial spirituality ................................................................................................................................................. 38 4.2.2. Spiritual temporality .......................................................................................................................................... 39 4.2.3. The religious encounter ................................................................................................................................. 41 4.3. Rhodesian settler discourses ......................................................................................................................................... 44 4.4. Zimbabwean nationalist discourses ....................................................................................................................... 48 4.4.1. Early nationalism.................................................................................................................................................. 49 4.4.2. Party nationalism .................................................................................................................................................. 50 4.4.2.1. Two parties – different politics?....................................................................................... 54 4.4.3. Official ZANU nationalist history ...................................................................................................... 55 4.4.3.1. The ethnic other................................................................................................................................ 56 4.4.4. United history.......................................................................................................................................................... 57 4.4.5. The third Chimurenga..................................................................................................................................... 58 4.5. Summing up.................................................................................................................................................................................. 60 5. NATIONALISM AND AFRICANISM............................................................................................................................................ 61 5.1. Analytical framework ........................................................................................................................................................... 62 5.1.1. Postcolonial African nation-states....................................................................................................... 62 5.1.2. Collective identity ................................................................................................................................................ 64 5.1.3. The nation and the people .......................................................................................................................... 65 5.2. Patriotic history.......................................................................................................................................................................... 68 5.2.1. Indigenous temporality .................................................................................................................................. 72 5.2.2. The third Chimurenga discourse .......................................................................................................... 75 5.3. Discussion....................................................................................................................................................................................... 80 5.3.1. Strategic essentialism ........................................................................................................................................ 81 6. MATABELELAND AND NATIONAL UNITY .......................................................................................................................... 83 6.1. Analytical framework ........................................................................................................................................................... 84 6.1.1. The polyphonic novel...................................................................................................................................... 84 6.1.2. The hero.......................................................................................................................................................................

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