Sizwe Bansi Is Dead by Athol Banzi - Essay Example

? Sizwe Bansi Is Dead Sizwe Bansi Is Dead Sizwe Bansi Is Dead is a play written by Athol Banzi. The story s backs to the Apartheid time when most blacks suffered at the hands of whites. It is about a man named Sizwe who changed his identity in order to blend in the hostile political system. During the Apartheid, blacks were not allowed to work unless they had permits. They also had to carry their passbook everywhere in order to show their identities. Sizwe changed his identity to get a job in his dream town. The major theme of the play is identity since it affected all the main characters in the play. Question 1 Living by dying first was not a viable solution for black people during the Apartheid. Even though it helped some of them to get jobs, it was only a short-term solution. There were several negative consequences associated with the change of identities compared to positive ones. The only positive side of dying before living was that the victim’s family benefited. However, if the authority discovered that they were faking identities, it could cause more problems to them. In addition, the aim of faking identities was to make them enjoy the privileges with their families. However, the acquired identification passbook restricted them to work far from their homeland. For example, the acquired passbook required that Sizwe work at Port Elizabeth that was far from his home. This meant that faking identities prevented people from seeing their families lest they were discovered. Given that they were far and could not see their families, they could not protect them from physical abuse. For example, Sizwe was worried about living his family behind because he did not know what would happen to them, especially his wife. It was also risky for people to take other people’s identities since it could lead to problems. For example, if the new identity was from people who had bad criminal records, the people acquiring their identities would have to suffer for the crime they did not commit (Athol, 1998). Question 2 In the play, the word “death” in the title is metaphorical. It usually refers to the end of existence. In this play, it does not mean that Banzi is dead. The term represents changing of people’s identity. Since Banzi intended to change himself in order to safeguard his livelihood from the effects of apartheid, he had to kill his initial identity. In this text, the death of Banzi only meant the end of the character’s initial identity. Death has also been used metaphorically within the context of the country’s apartheid politics. Under apartheid, blacks were not allowed to work and access many economic resources. Death represents the apartheid politics. People were willing to change in order to end a political system that made many blacks suffer (Wallace, 2007). The theme and concept of identity are evident in the play. Identity is the major theme of this story as revealed in various ways. The change of identity affects all the main characters in the play and the entire story revolves around identity. For example, this theme is brought to the fore when Sizwe, who is the main character, takes another person’s identity to get his work permit. His dream was to get a job in Port Elizabeth so that he could support his family. Taking another person’s identity means that he had to compromise and abandon some privileges. Acquiring the new identity would mean that he could afford to support his family; however, he could never see them again. Styles also changed his identity several times. He first acquired the identity of a photographer. Previously he worked with the Ford Company where he was not satisfied. He later acquired the identity of his patron. The change of identity was not easy for Swazi since had to deal with various issues. He did not have the right documents to enable him stay in his dreamland. In addition, the stamp on his passbook indicated that he had to report to a bureau in his hometown. Buntu—another main character—is also caught up in an identity fraud. After seeing a dead body, he encouraged Sizwe to take the identity of the dead man. During that time, only the inner identity mattered. Other things such as name and culture had no weight. Question 3 & 4 The author has used various media in the play to reveal the reality of the Apartheid system. One of the media includes the letter written by Swazi to his wife. Through the letter, the audience knows that in the Apartheid system people were judged based on their colors and not their abilities. For instance, it seems that the system assumed that blacks were not productive enough. The letter also creates a picture of a society where equality is a sin. The letter helped Sizwe in preventing his identity from being discovered. It also helped in explaining to his wife about his disappearance that would raise many questions. The letter assured his people that he died. It also informs the readers how difficult it was for blacks to get employed. The other media used in the play was monologue. This media was also very effective in revealing the Apartheid horror. Styles’ monologue in the story makes the audience aware of his experiences while working for the Ford Motor Company. Through the story, the readers know that black people served as white men’s slaves and were “bloody monkeys” in their companies. He reveals that even the few blacks who had job permits could not acquire top positions in the companies. They were always under whites. This means that most blacks had no incomes and had nothing to leave for their families when they died. He thought that by opening the photography business, blacks could leave their pictures for their families so that they could remember them. This means that blacks owned nothing during the Apartheid time. Through the monologue, the audience is also able to know why Styles changed his identity. The character’s dialogues convey the horror of the Apartheid. For instance, the conversation between Sizwe and Styles helps the audience to know the experience of blacks. Sizwe narrated to Styles his challenges of carrying the passbook. According to him, his passbook prevented him from working in Port Elizabeth since blacks were only restricted to work in their homelands. The dialogue also shows how the whites’ hostility towards blacks forced them to change their identity. Blacks could not access many essential services such as medical care and education because of their color. The dialogue also depicts how the political system prevented blacks from showing their anger and disappointment. Apart from faking their identities, it forced them to face their satisfaction and smiles (Stones, 2011). Conclusively, the title Sizwe Banzi Is Dead acts metaphorically to mean the change of people’s identities during the Apartheid period. Sizwe had to acquire a new identity in order to escape various problems such as joblessness. Even though the change of identity helped Sizwe escape some problems, it was not a viable solution since it could land him into more problems. The play’s major theme is identity that has been articulated through the experiences of characters in the play. Through various media such as monologue, dialogues, and the letter written by Sizwe, the audience knows the torture experienced by the blacks during the Apartheid. References Athol, F. (1998). Sizwe Banzi Is Dead. New York, NY: Cengage. Stones, L. (2011). Sizwe Banzi isn’t dead—he’s alive and well as when he premiered nearly 40 years ago. Daily Maverick. Retrieved from http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-01-15-sizwe-banzi-isnt-dead-hes-as-alive- and-well-as-when-he-premiered-nearly-40-years-ago/#.UkQTnSdRLMw. Wallace, J. (2007). The Cambridge introduction to tragedy. New York, NY: Springer. Read More