The tailored suit : a reimagining of Can Themba's The Suit

摘要

Thisudresearchudreportudexaminesudtheudperiodudofud1950sudSophiatownudanduditsudsocio-­‐culturaludlegacyudpertainingudtoudraceudandudgender.udThoughudtheudestablishmentudofudaudcosmopolitanudblackudidentityudwasudsignificantudinuditsudunderminingudofudNationalistudPartyudsegregationistudideology,udtheudstruggleudforudequalityudwasudpredicatedudonudaudracialudstruggleudthatudsubsumedudaudgenderedudagenda.udTheudworkudofudCanudThembaudandudDrumudmagazine,udwhichudhaveudbecomeudmythologizedudinudtheudcontemporaryudSouthudAfricanudimaginary,udareudinterrogatedudwithudparticularudemphasisudonudoneudofudThemba’sudiconicudpieces,udTheudSuit.udThroughudengagementudwithudThemba’sudtext,udthisudresearchudreportudforegroundsudtheudprocessesudthroughudwhichudblackudwomenudhaveudbeenudsubjectedudtoudmultiple,udcompoundedudsubjugation.udInudresponseudtoudtheudrepresentationsudofudblackudfemininityudinudTheudSuit,udtheudfilmudcomponentudofudthisudreport,udTheudTailoredudSuit,udprivilegesudtheudblackudwoman,udMatilda’s,udarticulations.udItudthusudfunctionsudtoudforegroundudtheudagencyudofudmarginalisedudsubjects.udInudarticulatingudfromudtheudperiphery,udtheudsubjugateduddestabiliseudtheudhierarchicaludsocialudstructuresudthatudwouldudsubordinateudandudobjectifyudthem.udByudengagingudtheudrepresentationsudinudTheudSuit,udpartudofudanudiconicudhistoricudmomentudprefiguringudtheudcontemporaryudsocio-­‐culturaludmilieu,udtheudreimaginingudinudTheudTailoredudSuitudoffersudaudfragmentedudframeudofudreference,udpositingudanudalternativeudtoudaudhomogenisingudmasculineuddiscourseudonudhistory.