Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka : The Theme of Racial Discrimination and Prejudice

  Theme of Racial Discrimination and Prejudice in “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka:

    The poem  “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka explores the theme of diadromous based on colour and race and Prejudice, which unfortunately still persist in many societies today.

   The poet has placed before his audience a telephonic conversation between a white landlady and an African man, with the latter looking for a place to rent. The poem is a bitter comment on racism and racist prejudices.

   In the poem Wole Soyinka talks about two strangers speaking over the telephone. It reveals the attitudes of some people have about others, particularly judging someone, without knowing him or her personally but by just recognising the colour of someone’s skin.

    In the poem, the poet wanted to rent an apartment from the white landlady. However, after the statement that he is African the conversation turned to discuss the poet’s skin colour swiftly and it lasted till the end of the conversation. 

   Repetition is used to emphasise on the issue of racial discrimination. “Dark” is used to show how much the landlady cared about the speaker’s skin colour, because  “Dark”  usually connects with the dark skin colour of African origin. The landlady is obviously discriminating the other race. It could also be shown from the question she repeatedly asking  “Are you light or very dark” after he told he was an African her tone is suddenly changed.

   The beginning of the poem is on a positive note. The man is searching for a house and the landlady has named a reasonable price, and the area where it is located doesn’t bother the man. The man could enjoy his privacy as the landlady doesn’t live under the same premises. The African man is ready to accept the offer, but may be there has been a similar incident in his past, for he stops and  “confess” that he is black saying – 

  “I hate a wasted journey – I am African” 

   The African man confess to the landlady that he is black. This was the first use of irony in the  poem. He feels sorry about something that he was born with and had no control over. He says that he hates a  “wasted journey” which indicates that he has been rejected before due to racial discrimination.

   In response to this confession the landlady at first becomes silent. The poet at first interprets her silence as her being well – mannered. However she then bluntly asks whether the speaker is dark or light, a question so absurd that the speaker briefly wonders if he has misheard. The landlady is playing into the ignorant idea that black people with lighter skin are superior to those with darker skin.

    Her only concern is how dark the speaker is, instead of asking other relevant questions, such as his profession, habits, and so on. She reduces it to a single attribute which is his skin colour. Racism, the poem therefore makes it clear, is inherently reductive and dehumanising.

    A sense of anger rises inside the man and it is portrayed by repeating the word red.

  “Shamed /

    by ill – mannered silence, surrender /

   pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification./

   Considerate she was varying emphasis”

      He describes the lady in nothing but positive terms  – Her goodness is seemingly confirmed later on when the speaker says that she was “considerate” in rephrasing her question of his skin colour. This kind description of the landlady were filled with verbal irony. After this the poet uses nothing but irony and sarcasm in his speech as he describes himself.

    The speaker has to describe himself as “West African Sepia” a joke that goes right over the slow – witted landlady’s head. Again she asks hinted a question about the colour of his skin.  

    “THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT ?”

   Mockingly – yet truthfully –  the speaker admits that –

  “facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see / 

   the rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet / 

   are peroxide blonde”

   He admits that he is not altogether black but his face is brunette, his palms and  foot soles are  “peroxide blonde”. 

    He then adds that his bottom is “raven black” due to the friction caused by sitting down.

    He knows that the landlady will never be convinced with his black complexion and he senses that she might slam down the receiver anytime.

   At such a crucial juncture, he struggles one last time to make her reconsider, pleading her to at least see for herself.

  “Madam, I pleaded, wouldn’t you / 

  rather 

  See for yourself ?”

  The poem reflects the conflict between the black man and the white landlady. The poem points at the absurdity of racism.

   The practice of judging someone on the basis of his skin colour and race instead of his characteristic features, present a contaminated image of modern society.