Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka BA Notes

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

"Telephone Conversation" is a poem about a Black man who wants to rent an apartment in England. He finds a place and calls the landlady (the woman who owns the apartment) to ask about renting it.

At first, the conversation is normal. The man asks about the price and other details. Everything seems fine until he decides to be honest and tells the landlady that he is African. After he says this, there is a long, uncomfortable silence on the phone.

Then, the landlady asks him a strange and rude question: she wants to know how dark his skin is. She asks, “Are you light or very dark?” The man is shocked by her question because it shows she cares more about his skin color than who he is as a person.

The man tries to answer politely, but he also feels upset. He uses humor to deal with the situation. He describes his skin color in a funny way, calling it “West African sepia.” He even jokes that his palms and the soles of his feet are lighter, saying they are “peroxide blond,” which is not true, but he wants to show how silly her question is.

The poem shows how people can be treated differently and unfairly just because of their skin color. It also shows how racism can be hidden in everyday situations, like a phone call about renting a house. The man’s feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration are clear, but he tries to stay calm and polite.

Main Points:

The poem is about a Black man trying to rent a house.

The landlady asks about his skin color instead of his character.

The man feels hurt but uses humor to answer her.

The poem shows how racism can happen in simple, everyday conversations.

It teaches us that judging people by their skin color is wrong and unfair.