Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird

This article looks at Zimbabwean whiteness in the context of loss, dispossession, victimisation and the need to belong. It draws from literary narratives written by Zimbabwean whites, particularly Andrea Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird, and argues that in the aftermath of the fast-tracked land reform...

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Main Author: Misi, Shamiso
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Routledge 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1080/02564718.2016.1235384
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4492
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author Misi, Shamiso
author_facet Misi, Shamiso
author_sort Misi, Shamiso
collection DSpace
description This article looks at Zimbabwean whiteness in the context of loss, dispossession, victimisation and the need to belong. It draws from literary narratives written by Zimbabwean whites, particularly Andrea Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird, and argues that in the aftermath of the fast-tracked land reform programme of 2000, the avenues of speech became increasingly restricted for Zimbabwean whites. This gave rise to new sites of speaking and literary narratives. By means of fiction, memoirs and autobiographies whites make themselves heard and add their voices to the mainstream debate about whiteness, land ownership, citizenship and a need to belong, albeit to a marginalised group. Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird is significant in its engagement with the aforementioned issues. This article examines the text against the background of Du Bois’ notion of double consciousness, the sense of being caught between conflicting ideals, and the need to belong.
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spelling ir-11408-44922022-06-27T13:49:06Z Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird Misi, Shamiso Zimbabwean whiteness Victimisation This article looks at Zimbabwean whiteness in the context of loss, dispossession, victimisation and the need to belong. It draws from literary narratives written by Zimbabwean whites, particularly Andrea Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird, and argues that in the aftermath of the fast-tracked land reform programme of 2000, the avenues of speech became increasingly restricted for Zimbabwean whites. This gave rise to new sites of speaking and literary narratives. By means of fiction, memoirs and autobiographies whites make themselves heard and add their voices to the mainstream debate about whiteness, land ownership, citizenship and a need to belong, albeit to a marginalised group. Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird is significant in its engagement with the aforementioned issues. This article examines the text against the background of Du Bois’ notion of double consciousness, the sense of being caught between conflicting ideals, and the need to belong. 2021-11-10T10:45:55Z 2021-11-10T10:45:55Z 2016 Article 0256-4718 1753-5387 https://doi.org/10.1080/02564718.2016.1235384 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4492 en Journal of Literary Studies;Vol. 32; No. 3: p. 98-108 open Routledge
spellingShingle Zimbabwean whiteness
Victimisation
Misi, Shamiso
Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird
title Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird
title_full Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird
title_fullStr Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird
title_full_unstemmed Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird
title_short Being white in post-2000 Zimbabwe: a reading of Eames’ Cry of the Go-Away Bird
title_sort being white in post-2000 zimbabwe: a reading of eames’ cry of the go-away bird
topic Zimbabwean whiteness
Victimisation
url https://doi.org/10.1080/02564718.2016.1235384
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4492
work_keys_str_mv AT misishamiso beingwhiteinpost2000zimbabweareadingofeamescryofthegoawaybird