Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006)

This article explores intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in contemporary Zimbabwean literature as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s Uncertainty of Hope. It shall be argued that intra-urban mobilities are closely related to the depiction of the city as a heterogeneous space that is une...

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Main Author: Musanga, Terrence
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sage Publications 2016
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1394
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author Musanga, Terrence
author_facet Musanga, Terrence
author_sort Musanga, Terrence
collection DSpace
description This article explores intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in contemporary Zimbabwean literature as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s Uncertainty of Hope. It shall be argued that intra-urban mobilities are closely related to the depiction of the city as a heterogeneous space that is unevenly constituted. This unevenness is influenced by economic and political factors and translates into the realm of the social and symbolic as some spaces are projected as “safe” and “respectable” while others are conceptualized as of “ill repute” and “threat” to the security, morals, and safety of its inhabitants. However, the boundaries between “safe” and “threatening” spaces are constantly transgressed by Zimbabwean urban dwellers in their day to day struggles for survival in a harsh and unrelenting economic and political climate. This political and economic environment has resulted in most Zimbabweans being insecure as testified by heightened intra-urban mobilities. Furthermore, the insecurity and intra-urban mobility are exemplified by the creation of unstable identities premised on fear, anxiety, and restlessness that characterize the lives of most urban dwellers.
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spelling ir-11408-13942022-06-27T13:49:06Z Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006) Musanga, Terrence Intra-urban mobility, space, city, identity, Zimbabwean literature This article explores intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in contemporary Zimbabwean literature as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s Uncertainty of Hope. It shall be argued that intra-urban mobilities are closely related to the depiction of the city as a heterogeneous space that is unevenly constituted. This unevenness is influenced by economic and political factors and translates into the realm of the social and symbolic as some spaces are projected as “safe” and “respectable” while others are conceptualized as of “ill repute” and “threat” to the security, morals, and safety of its inhabitants. However, the boundaries between “safe” and “threatening” spaces are constantly transgressed by Zimbabwean urban dwellers in their day to day struggles for survival in a harsh and unrelenting economic and political climate. This political and economic environment has resulted in most Zimbabweans being insecure as testified by heightened intra-urban mobilities. Furthermore, the insecurity and intra-urban mobility are exemplified by the creation of unstable identities premised on fear, anxiety, and restlessness that characterize the lives of most urban dwellers. 2016-05-19T07:24:33Z 2016-05-19T07:24:33Z 2015 Article 0021-9347 jbs.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/11/14/0021934714558295.full.pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1394 en Journal of Black Studies;Vol. 46, No. 1; p.102–116 open Sage Publications
spellingShingle Intra-urban mobility, space, city, identity, Zimbabwean literature
Musanga, Terrence
Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006)
title Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006)
title_full Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006)
title_fullStr Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006)
title_full_unstemmed Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006)
title_short Intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in Zimbabwean fiction as reflected in Valerie Tagwira’s uncertainty of Hope (2006)
title_sort intra-urban mobilities and the depiction of the city in zimbabwean fiction as reflected in valerie tagwira’s uncertainty of hope (2006)
topic Intra-urban mobility, space, city, identity, Zimbabwean literature
url http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1394
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