Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."
"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"
Q1. This poem is full of colours not just that of skin, what you think these colours signify?
The "colour" probably signifies discrimination of Black and White in the modern country. The landlady keep asking persona for his skin colour after persona told her that he's an African, probably shows that the landlady is a racist. Also the colour Red in the poem also shows the anger of persona which 'Red booth, Red pillar box and Red double-tiered Omnibus squelching tar'.
Q2. What does their dialogue reveal about these two characters?
Firstly, it reveal that the landlady was a racist as she keep asking the skin colour of the persona after persona told her that he's an African. The landlady probably scared to let 'Black' rent her house as she's discriminating the Blacks. However, the persona probably has known that many people still discriminating the Blacks although in modern world. The persona has said that "I hate a wasted journey -- I am African" shows that the persona probably knew that people will reject him because of his skin colour.
Q3. The poet dramatises a battle, who wins finally and why?
The 'battle' starts when the persona said that "I hate a wasted journey -- I am African", shows that the persona probably has prepared for a battle by knowing that people always discriminating Africans. The landlady began to 'Fight back' by questioning the persona "Are you Light or Very Dark?" The persona seems to have knew that the landlady is a racist by the time, however, the speaker speak like an educated people although he's very angry that the landlady was discriminating him. The speaker pretends politeness the entire time. The landlady seems to have won the battle by concluding that "That's Dark, Isn't It?" But the persona quickly tells her that "the rest of him" and ask the landlady "wouldn't you rather see for yourself". The landlady has won the battle by concluding the persona is black but the true winner is actually the persona as he has stay polite although he was discriminated by the landlady.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
