She no longer weeps

by Tsitsi Dangarembga

The author's second published work - a play.

Genres: African Literature

59 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1987

About the author

Spent part of her childhood in England. She began her education there, but concluded her A-levels in a missionary school back home, in the town of Mutare. She later studied medicine at Cambridge University, but became homesick and returned home as Zimbabwe's black-majority rule began in 1980.

She took up psychology at the University of Zimbabwe, of whose drama group she was a member. She also held down a two-year job as a copywriter at a marketing agency. This early writing experience gave her an avenue for expression: she wrote numerous plays, such as The Lost of the Soil, and then joined the theatre group Zambuko, and participated in the production of two plays, Katshaa and Mavambo.

In 1985, Dangarembga published a short story in Sweden called The Letter. In 1987, she also published the play She Does Not Weep in Harare. At the age of twenty-five, she had her first taste of success with her novel Nervous Conditions. The first in English ever written by a black Zimbabwean woman, it won the African section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1989. Asked about her subsequent prose drought, she explained, "There have been two major reasons for my not having worked on prose since Nervous Conditions: firstly, the novel was published only after I had turned to film as a medium; secondly, Virginia Woolf's shrewd observation that a woman needs £500 and a room of her own in order to write is entirely valid. Incidentally, I am moving and hope that, for the first time since Nervous Conditions, I shall have a room of my own. I'll try to ignore the bit about £500."

Dangarembga continued her education later in Berlin at the Deutsche Film und Fernseh Akademie, where she studied film direction and produced several film productions, including a documentary for German television. She also made the film Everyone's Child, shown worldwide including at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange how when a book is published in Africa (generally) it is rare indeed for it to be celebrated; for scholars, critics reviews etc to focus on the work trenchantly. But one would expect any work by Tsitsi Dangaremgba to be a rave, even if it is early work, and first issued in Africa. After all, Dangarembga is one of the all time female greats of African literature. But She no longer weeps hardly garners any attention compared to the great novels of the author. Shame, perhaps. Africa has a number of quite distinguished female playwrights and it is reassuring that Dangarembga (from Zimbabwe) is one of them. Zulu Sofola of Nigeria paved the way for female dramatists in her country, and in recent times her compatriot, Osonye Tess Onwueme has performed miracles in the theatre. Ama Ata Aidoo of Ghana also remains a titan as far as drama is concerned. And Gcina Mhlope is an icon in South African theatre. In She No Longer Weeps, Dangaremgba from early in her literary career, already writes about her pet themes, rather railing against patriarchy, and disenchanted with the general lot of life of autochthonous women. Yes, in Africa in particular despite advances in our milieu and times most women still have to play second (or even third) fiddle to men, depending on them for survival, delving into prostitution, having to trade their bodies for promotion, job advancement et al. And it is worse in the panoply of rural areas. Here in this play the focus is on the plight of a particular young lady and how she is impregnated. But alas, instead of accepting her plight in supine fashion she proceeds to get revenge against the man responsible for her condition. What one would expect from the author of course, who believes in the worth, dignity and resilience of (African) women. An interesting work which some might regard as "apprentice" work, but then again, the author is a legend...

[Job · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darangarembwa vividly portrays African women who instead of enjoying their womanhood are enduring. The masterpiece grotesquely lampoons all the detrimental forces surrounding the emancipation of women. It also exposes women's resilience, steadfastness and stoicism in a patriarchal society.

[Hiramunir]

i like the review of this book so i want to read it.

[Sharon Kwinjo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The play is one of the quintessential forms of Zimbabwean writing and it is lovely to see a distinguished author like Tsitsi Dangarembga engaging and remaining loyal to the style and art of the Zimbabwean play. This specific play is a very short read that leads you through the sad story of a young woman born ahead of her time, who refuses to settle into the patriarchal society, and how her spirit is ultimately broken.

[Charlie Minglez · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting quick read based on a play between a couple (Martha) and (Freddy).
Their relationship is faced with challenges and includes domestic violence to a point where they couldn't be together anymore.
The story highlights how such events can shape and create a total different characters from the ones that initially existed in the beginning of the romantic relationship when they met.

[Rejoice Chitsiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice

[Justin Smith]

its awesome

[Mercy Kanyasa]

Tsitsi is amazing

[Lyndan]

Like

[Steven]

Stvee

[Bernice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great play!

[Nkomo Moses]

May I have a pdf of this book

[Maita]

it's wonderful

[Noel Manyise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am shocked because we can't download the book to read offline

[Getrude Gwenzi]

Great read