Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka
Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka PROSE PARAPHRASE – TELEPHONE CONVERSATION The speaker telephones a landlady to enquire about renting a house. The rent seems reasonable and the location is acceptable. The landlady tells him that she does not live on the premises, so there should be no problem. Everything appears to be settled. Before going to see the house, the speaker honestly informs her that he is African because he does not want to waste his time or hers by making an unnecessary journey. After hearing this, the landlady suddenly becomes silent. This silence is awkward and full of tension. It shows her hidden prejudice, though she pretends to be polite. When she finally speaks, her voice sounds artificial and affected, as if she is a fashionable woman holding a cigarette. Then she shockingly asks, “How dark are you? Are you light or very dark?” The speaker is stunned and offended. He realizes that he has been trapped by her racism. The red telephone booth, the red postbox...