The document summarizes Wole Soyinka's poem "Telephonic Conversation" and analyzes its themes of racial discrimination. The poem depicts a conversation between a Black man from West Africa calling about an apartment rental and the white British landlady. Despite his qualifications, the landlady is only interested in his skin color, asking if he is "dark or very light." The poem satirizes racism and the assumption of prejudice based on appearance alone.

1. Racial discrimination in the poem
Telephonic Conversation
Name – Kailash Baraiya
Roll No – 09
Batch – 2016 – 2018
Enrolment No. –
Email Id – kailashbaraiya21@gmail.com
Paper No. – 14, The African Literature
Submitted to – Department of English, M.K.
Bhavnagar University

2. About the poet Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian
playwright, poet, author,
teacher and political activist
who received the Nobel Prize
for Literature in 1986.
Wole Soyinka was born on July
13, 1934, in Abeokuta, near
Ibadan in western Nigeria.
Denounce the slogan of
Negritude as a tool of
autocracy.

3. Telephonic Conversation

4. About the poem Telephonic
conversation
Wole Soyinka’s “Telephonic Conversation” is an eloquent
exchange of dialogue between a dark West African man
and his British landlady that inexorably verges on the
question of apartheid.
The poet makes use of the most articulate means to air
his views, through that of a telephone conversation, where
there is instant and natural give-and- take. It exhibits a
one-to- one correspondence between the two. The
interaction between a colored and a white individual at
once assumes universal overtones.

5. Soyinka’s personal Experience
It seems to tried of his life
conditioned by racist prejudices.
Judging by the raw emotion
that this poem subtly convey....
....Those of anger, rang, shame,
humanity and an acute sense of
disgust at the apathy and inhumanity
of humans who want judge a book
by its cover but would turn down a
man for the colour of his skin.

6. First Person Narrative’s point of view
The poem is about the way people - fail to
communicate clearly about the matter of race.
Poetic Satire against the widely spread racism in
the modern Western Society.

8. ……Continues
When the voice finally came, it was ‘lip-stick coated’, well made-up
and diplomatic to suit an affected atmosphere. The inevitable question
finally comes cross:” ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?”The poet views
it as button B or Button A. The question places two alternatives before
him: dark or light; The truth or lies. The first option would obviously
shut off all doors to him.
The term Button B also is the button in the public telephone box to
get the money back. Button A is the one to connect the call. The poet
first ponders on Button B to get out of his predicament. He then
realizes that escapism is not the solution, and decides to face the
situation. The words: “Stench /Of rancid breath of public hide-and-
speak” signify the claustrophobic nature of the questions rather than
the atmosphere.

9. Two Characters
The Narrator
 The speaker
 Witty
 Intelligent
 Use of high diction
and quick wit
The Land lady
 Shallowly stubborn racist
 Lack of intellect
 Verbal irony
 Instead of discussing about
price, location, amenities
and other information
significant to the
apartment, she is more
interested to discuss more
about speaker’s skin colour.

10. Nationality as a Persona
Seeking to rent a
home – in England
Identity as a black African
Landlady completely change
her attitude

11. Colour
It seems that his crime.....is
his skin colour.
His remorse is solution less.
The modern Western thinkers,
it seems almost comical that anyone
should be so submissive when he has no
wrongdoing.

12. Telephone booth
Telephone is symbol of
connecting people, it is tool
of communication. But here
in poem it shows distance
between two people and
nation also. Lady represents
first world country and black
man represent third world
country (nation). Here we
found Frantz Fanon’s concept
of “Black skin and white Mask”.

13. Contemporary Time
 In today’s world, racism might be a dying concern; but
that does not mean that discrimination against other
minorities has been completely eradicated.
Despite the progressing times people continue to
harbour prejudices and illogical suspicious about things
they do not understand.
May it be other ideal, religions or traditions and
customs.

14. Conclusion
In closing, he asks then empty telephone line,
“wouldn’t you rather/see for yourself?”
Speaker’s ignorance
Readers know that the speaker offers to show
his backside to the racist landlady.
It sounds as though he is asking whether the
landlady would like to meet him in personal to
judge his skin colour for herself.