Idea of Space

[Back to: Term Project-contents]

-Idea of Space-
          The idea and definition of space is found in both the book Nervous Conditions and in the film Chocolat. In the book Nervous Conditions the reader’s attention is first drawn to this element of space when early in the novel, Dangarembga, the author describes the scene of a cramped, airless bus and passengers needing “relief” from it. This need for air, for space, for a non-congested area represents the meaning of Tambu’s story—her quest for escape and expansion (Okonkwo 55).
          To add to this idea of space and the need for it, there is also the idea of letting the atmosphere of a space become affected by certain circumstances. The kitchen at Babamukuru’s house is an example of how the atmosphere of the room, or space can be changed when left uncared for—un-repaired. The kitchen is a place where the women can be creative and hold authority with the preparation of food, yet the up keep of such a room is not of great concern to anyone, which in turn displays the lack of regard held for spaces associated with women. In reaction to noticing the kitchen’s missing window pane Maiguru says, “You’d think that people would find time to fix windows in their homes. Yet they don’t. Ts! It surprises me” (Dangarembga 67).
          This impairment of “woman space” occurs at another instance in the novel. It happens when the colonial administration decides to build its District Council Houses close to the women’s washing place on the Nyamarira River. This new development not only encroaches in on the landscape, but also interrupts the women’s washing place by causing people to use these areas as common trails to travel on, especially if they are going to Magrosa. According to Tambu, “The women liked their spot because it was sensibly architectured for doing laundry” (Dangarembga 3). Regardless of how useful, and how much the women enjoyed this spot they were still forced to move their laundry site to another location, an alternate bathing spot.
          Another encounter with the issue of space, or having enough room occurs in the novel when Tambu goes to the school Sacred Heart. In Tambu’s dormitory room there are six beds tightly arranged together in a space that is originally meant for four students. When the nun is questioned as to why this room is arranged in such a way she responds by saying, “Ah yes…We have more Africans here than usual this year and so we had to put them all in here” (Dangarembga 194). This colonial’s response shows how they view the colonized and how at the colonized’s expense the colonizers use their arrogance and power to confine, define, and exclude others (Okonkwo 50).
          Tambu is not the only character who has to deal with this idea of space some of the characters in the movie Chocolat do as well, such as, France, Aimee, and Protee. Shortly into the film France is shown climbing out of her bedroom window in the early morning hours to go see what’s happening in the servants’ quarters. On approaching two of the woman servants, one of which who is fixing the other woman’s hair, says to France, “You’re not in bed. You’ll see you’ll turn black and your father will scream”. France learns that this is an area where she’s not welcome to go it’s the servants' place. This idea of the servants, or the natives having their own areas is seen at a later time in the movie, with the character France once again. She is sitting atop a donkey and waiting for Protee to finish talking with the school teacher. France sits just at the edge of the school’s or mission’s grounds waiting for Protee this gives the audience a feeling of their space “the natives” and her space “the colonizer”. There are definitely boundaries drawn here between each group of peoples.
          Later, in the movie the audience sees Aimee ask Protee to break these boundaries when she asks him to come into her room. “Wait come in”, she says because she needs help with the tying of her dress. “Come closer. Help me, Protee would you?” Right after this line Protee just stares at her in disbelief because he knows that he’s being asked to cross this boundary of space and their attraction for one another doesn’t help the fact.
          The next day after the dinner with the English man and after Protee helped Aimee with the tying of her dress Aimee seems pensive. As she goes into her room she notices that Protee is there and she asks, “What are you doing here?” Protee replies with, “I made the bed, now I’m tidying up”. He continues to place her clothes into the dresser drawers. Aimee is annoyed with him and says, “I forbid you to fiddle with my belongings. I don’t want anyone nosing around my bedroom. Get out.” Protee was getting too close to her personal space, her bedroom, especially after what had occurred during the moment she asked him to actually touch her by tying up the back of her dress. She needed him to go back to his area, his space—she needed the boundaries back.
          In a later scene, Luc, a young lapsed priest who is in charge of the building of the runway, is seen disrupting the servants’ space. Luc is in their outside shower when Protee says to him, “This is the boy’s shower.” Luc replies with, “Protee you’re a pain.” Then as Aimee passes by into the house Luc laughs and says, “Aimee it’s the most beautiful bathroom in the world.” Luc is in the servants’ shower using their water, and mocking their bathroom facilities. A few moments later he is seen eating with the natives too, which seems to also bother them, since he’s in their area, their home. Luc is a character who doesn’t respect anyone’s boundaries and does as he pleases not caring how disruptive or rude he is.

Back to: Term Project-contents
Role of Food | Hybrid Identities | Idea of Space | Damage of Colonialism

*Top of Page*