The betrayal and brutality in The Sui
The Suit takes us back to a heady period, in a Johannesburg township called Sophiatown, within, on the face of it, a perfect marriage. We are introduced to Philemon, the central character, who is happily married to Matilda.
The story begins by describing a normal and structured day. Due to a tip-off about Matilda’s unfaithfulness, as well as forgetting his pass book, Philemon rushes back home only to find another man in bed with wife.
In a rush to escape discreetly, the man who Matilda had been with climbs out the window and leaves his suit behind. Philemon, as Matilda’s punishment, deems the suit as their special guest and makes sure that it is taken care of diligently by threatening her with death if the suit were to ever go missing. Though very humiliating for Matilda, she follows her husband’s orders, though noticing the change that occurs with her husband.
As a distraction from her surroundings, Matilda joins a cultural club for women. She organises a party for the members and their husbands at which, despite her desperate pleas, Philemon insists, in front of the guests, the suit be taken out from hiding and served as usual.
In the end, Matilda is found dead on the floor, with the suit nowhere to be seen.
