Summary
A man knocks at the door of Styles's studio. Styles lets him in and asks if he has the money for a deposit. The man says he does. He then asks the man for his name. The man seems hesitant to respond but eventually says his name Robert Zwelinzima. He then gives his address and says that he is staying with his friend, Buntu.
Styles asks how many cards the man wants and is disappointed when he says only one. Styles has him pose sitting down. He tells the man that he has a beautiful suit and asks who the photograph is for. The man tells him it is for his wife, Nowetu. Styles says that he should look more relaxed in a picture for his wife. The man appears to get a little more comfortable.
He has the man pose with a map of the world behind him, to make him appear important and serious. The man seems satisfied with the single picture but Styles tells him that pictures are often stolen in the mail. He encourages him to take more to avoid a problem of this sort. He then puts another backdrop behind the man. This time it is a futuristic city. He then looks for props to give him. Styles takes several pictures.
A spotlight appears on the man. He begins to read a letter out loud. It is for his wife, Nowetu. He explains that someone named Sizwe Bansi is, technically, dead. He goes on to say that he was under a great deal of pressure, facing deportation after coming to Port Elizabeth to look for work. He informs her that Zola introduced him to his friend, Buntu. The play then flashes back to the man talking with Buntu, explaining his difficulties. It is revealed that the man's name is Sizwe Bansi.
Sizwe tells Buntu that he was hiding out at Zola's house after losing his job. Unfortunately, he was quickly discovered when Zola's house was raided by government officials. He was then forced to report to an office, where he received a stamp in his passbook requiring him to leave the province. He says he does not want to leave Port Elizabeth, but Buntu says he has few options. They discuss possible jobs Sizwe could take on.
Buntu describes the many ways in which Sizwe could end up being imprisoned by the colonial government. Sizwe expresses an interest in becoming a street vendor. Buntu reminds him he would need a permit to do that. Buntu suggests that he go work in the mines, but Sizwe says he does not want to die. This surprises Buntu.
Buntu asks Sizwe about his family. Sizwe says he has four children, two boys and two girls. He says he wants to hold on to his life with them and does not want to move away. Buntu says that he is also married and has one child. Buntu describes a funeral he went to a few weeks earlier.
Analysis
Photography is a major theme in this section of the play. During his monologue, Styles emphasizes photography's ability to capture a person's essential qualities. However, when the reader actually sees him doing his job, he comically uses props and backdrops to create a false impression of his customer. At the same time, unbeknownst to him, Sizwe is also using his photograph to conceal his real identity and impersonate someone else. These moments reveal photography's capacity to deceive, as Styles is actually missing Sizwe's intentions altogether. For all of his talk about the power of photographs, he has failed to perceive his customer accurately.
Names are also a central part of these pages. Sizwe is introduced in the stage directions as "man." He gives the name Robert, but in a subsequent flashback, we see him calling himself Sizwe. In a letter to his wife, he informs her that "Sizwe Bansi" is technically dead. Sizwe is not introduced with a name because at the moment the photograph is being taken, he is neither his true self nor the person he is impersonating: he is rather a man without a true name. This decision reflects how Fugard portrays Sizwe's loss of his name as an identity crisis and not just a bureaucratic adjustment. Sizwe may be physically alive, but, as the reader comes to see, his old self is dead.
Inequality is another important theme in this part of the play. Sizwe is treated cruelly by local officials. He loses his job and then is pursued by government agents. Then he is brought into a processing office and given a stamp on his passbook. He learns that the stamp means he has to depart from Port Elizabeth in a short span of time, leaving behind his family and life there. As he mulls over his options, Buntu reminds him of all of the political pitfalls that he faces, most of which would leave him dead or in prison. Both Buntu's comments and his description of his plight accurately depict the systemic inequality perpetuated by apartheid. Both men recognize that the legal structure of South Africa will always leave them to suffer.
Work is also a key theme here. As Sizwe considers what he can do to escape deportation, he goes over possible jobs with Buntu. He hopes to possibly be a food vendor, but Buntu reminds him of all of the logistical hurdles that would prevent that. Buntu offers grimmer suggestions, telling him he could do dangerous work in a mine to get out of the country for a little while. Sizwe is disturbed by this idea. This conversation offers a window into the limited options that Sizwe has as a Black South African. As Styles said earlier while talking about the car factory, most jobs are designed to be punishing and brutal, extracting as much labor from workers with as little pay as possible.
This part of the play marks a structural shift. The reader moves from Styles's monologue about his life into his interaction with Sizwe. From there, it leaps back in time to Sizwe's conversation with Buntu, showing how and why he came to arrive at Styles's studio. This approach to the events of the play gives Fugard the opportunity to put Styles's ideas in conversation with someone's real life. This becomes particularly meaningful as Styles was able to escape the oppressive environment of the factory, while Sizwe was not so fortunate.
