मराठी

In what ways does the speaker’s cultural background clash with the landlady’s expectations in the poem Telephone Conversation? Write your answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details. - English Literature

Advertisements
Advertisements

प्रश्न

In what ways does the speaker’s cultural background clash with the landlady’s expectations in the poem Telephone Conversation? Write your answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.

  1. The speaker’s conversation with the landlady
  2. The undertones of racial and colour bias in the conversation
थोडक्यात उत्तर
Advertisements

उत्तर

In Wole Soyinka's poem "Telephone Conversation," the speaker's cultural background clashes with the landlady’s expectations during their conversation. The speaker, who is African, inquires about renting an apartment, and initially, the interaction is polite. However, the landlady’s tone shifts upon learning about his racial background. She bluntly asks, “How dark?” revealing her racial bias. The speaker’s attempt to humorously deflect the question by describing various shades of darkness highlights the absurdity and offensiveness of her inquiry. This conversation exposes the landlady's prejudiced assumptions and the pervasive racial and color biases in society. The speaker’s cultural identity directly conflicts with the landlady’s discriminatory expectations, underscoring the social divide and highlighting the impact of racism. The poem effectively captures the discomfort and humiliation experienced by the speaker, emphasizing the broader theme of racial prejudice and the clash between different cultural backgrounds.

shaalaa.com
Reading
  या प्रश्नात किंवा उत्तरात काही त्रुटी आहे का?
2024-2025 (March) Specimen Paper

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

Answer these question in one or two sentences . (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answer.)

Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of Santosh are brought into light by this incident?


Parents alone are responsible for inculcating a good sense of dental hygiene
amongst children. Do you agree/disagree? Discuss with your partner


"My father lived at Blenheim then,
Yon little stream hard by;
They burnt his dwelling to the ground,
And he was forced to fly;
So with his wife and child he fled,
Nor had he where to rest his head.
"With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a childing mother then,
And new-born baby died;
But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory;

Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.

Kaspar describes the horrors of war but how can his attitude be described?


"They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here
Lay rotting in the sun;
But things like that, you know, must be 
After a famous victory.
"Great praise the Duke of Marlbro'won,
And our good Prince Eugene."
"Why,'twas a very wicked thing!"
Said little Wilhelmine.

"Nay...nay...my little girl,"quoth he,
"It was a famous victory.
"And everybody praised the Duke
Who this great fight did win."
"But what good came of it at last?"
Quoth little Peterkin.
"Why that I cannot tell,"said he,
"But 'twas a famous victory."

Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.

How does kasper justify the thousands of death in the war?


A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

Read the above lines and answer the question that follow.

What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him?


He flungs himself down in a corner to recoup from the fatigue of his visit to the shop. His wife said, “You are getting no sauce today, nor anything else. I can’t find anything to give you to eat. Fast till the evening, it’ll do you good. Take the goats and be gone now,” she cried and added, “Don’t come back before the sun is down.”

Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.

Where had Muni gone and why?


Joe did not see the Guardians of the Poor on that day, on the next, nor on the day following. In fact, he never saw them at all on Maggie’s account, for in less than a week Mrs. Joe Thompson would as soon leave thought of taking up her own abode in the almshouse as sending Maggie there.

What light and blessing did that sick and helpless child bring to the home of Joe Thompson, the poor wheelwright! It had been dark, and cold, and miserable there for a long time just because his wife had nothing to love and care for out of herself, and so became soar, irritable, ill-tempered, and self-afflicting in the desolation of her woman’s nature. Now the sweetness of that sick child, looking ever to her in love, patience, and gratitude, was as honey to her soul, and she carried her in her heart as well as in her arms, a precious burden. As for Joe Thompson, there was not a man in all the neighbourhood who drank daily of a more precious wine of life than he. An angel had come into his house, disguised as a sick, helpless, and miserable child, and filled all its dreary chambers with the sunshine of love.

Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.

What kind of person was Mrs Thompson before Maggie came into her life?


From the day, perhaps a hundred years ago when he sun had hatched him in a sandbank, and he had broken his shell, and got his head out and looked around, ready to snap at anything, before he was even fully hatched-from that day, when he had at once made for the water, ready to fend for himself immediately, he had lived by his brainless craft and ferocity. Escaping the birds of prey and the great carnivorous fishes that eat baby crocodiles, he has prospered, catching all the food he needed, and storing it till putrid in holes in the bank. Tepid water to live in and plenty of rotted food grew him to his great length. Now nothing could pierce the inch-?thick armoured hide. Not even rifle bullets,

which would bounce off. Only the eyes and the soft underarms offered a place. He lived well in the river, sunning himself sometimes with other crocodiles-muggers, as well as the long-? snouted fish-?eating gharials-on warm rocks and sandbanks where the sun dried the clay on them quite white, and where they could plop off into the water in a moment if alarmed. The big crocodile fed mostly on fish, but also on deer and monkeys come to drink, perhaps a duck or two.

Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.

What protected him now? How?


Analyze the character of Luz Long.


 What does Canynge do soon after and what does he find? What was his reaction? What does the discovery; prove?


What reception did Ile get wizen he reached the address that had been advertised? Whom did tit house belong to? 


Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: 

Trotter: Yes. You've been extraordinarily foolish, you know. You've run a very good chance of being killed by holding out on me. As a result, you've been in serious danger more than once. 
Mollie: I don't know what you mean. 
Trotter: (moving slowly above the sofa table to the Right of the sofa, still quite natural and friendly) Come now, Mrs. Ralston. We, policemen, aren't quite so dumb as you think. All along I've realized that you had first-hand knowledge of the Langridge Farm affair. You know Mrs. Boyle was the magistrate concerned. In fact, you knew all about it. Why didn't you speak up and say so?
Mollie:  (Very much affected) I don't understand. I wanted to forget-forget. (She sits at the Left end of the sofa.) 

(i) What was the 'Longridge Farm' affair? 

(ii) Trotter revealed to Mollie some facts that he had uncovered about her past. What were they? 

(iii) What did Mollie want to forget? How was she linked with the ‘Longridge Farm affair’? 

(iv) How did Trotter manage a pass himself off as a policeman? How had he reached Monkswell Manor? 

(v) What did Trotter reveal to Mollie about this true identity? How was Mollie saved at the end of the play?


By pressing the red button, Tilloo made the mechanical hand from the spacecraft cease to work.


Do you think we should help people in need? Why so?


Mridu had noticed in front of Meena’s house a pair of chappals. Whom did they belong to?


Why did author preferred boots made by Mr Gessler than that of big firms?


He used to work really hard to make each pair of shoe. But still everything he earned went on paying the rent of his shop and in buying leather. There wasn’t much money with him. He nearly killed himself working for hours at the shop without any food and rest.
Whom does ‘his’ refers to in the above lines?


Where did Mr Wonka carry on his experiments?


Mention the year when the cricket rules were written for the first time


How did Golu help the python?


Why did the narrator’s Grandfather visit Lucknow?


What was the problem of the two shoppers? What were they going to try?


Who hides behind the trees in “Hide and Seek.”


Who did Patrick’s homework? Why and how?


Why did the Dog decide to lose his freedom?


Replace the italicised portion of the sentence below with a suitable phrase from the box. Make necessary changes, wherever required.
I will examine the matter carefully before commenting on it.


Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box.

how, what, when, where, which

There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide ______ one to buy.


Complete the following sentence by providing a reason:

In the poem, The Darkling Thrush, the poet thinks the bird had some awareness which the poet did not because ______.


Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

The escape of Fleance in Act III Scene iii of the play, Macbeth, is significant because ______.


The poem Beethoven explores the role of pain and suffering in the process of artistic creativity and excellence. Justify this statement in 200-250 words.


Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×