Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
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.
- The speaker’s conversation with the landlady
- The undertones of racial and colour bias in the conversation
Advertisements
Solution
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.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Answer of these question in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Tick the right answer.
When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
Match the meanings with the words/expressions in italic, and write the appropriate
meaning next to the sentence.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him.
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain,
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that fade and flush again;
He plants the glory of the plain;
He plants the forest's heritage;
The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see___
These things he plants who plants a tree.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow:
How is it the harvest of a coming age?
"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.
Explain with reference to context.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed-and gazed-but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
Explain with reference to context.
Unleashing the goats from the drumstick tree, Muni started out, driving them ahead and uttering weird cries from time to time in order to urge them on. Me passed through the village with his head bowed in thought. He did not want to look at anyone or be accosted. A couple of cronies lounging in the temple corridor hailed him, but he ignored their call. They had known him in the days of affluence when he lorded over a flock of fleecy sheep, not the miserable grawky goats that he had today.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What did Muni do to urge the goats to move on?
Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other forestalled him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl’s countenance with veiled glances from his keen, shrewd eyes.
“You’ll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you’re acquainted with the marshall here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen he’ll do it, and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for counterfeiting.”
“Oh!” said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color. “So that is what you are doing out here? A marshal!”
“My dear Miss Fairchild,” said Easton, calmly, “I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening in the West, and—well, a marshalship isn’t quite as high a position as that of ambassador, but—”
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Easton states that, “Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington”. What does Mr. Easton mean by the idiom, “taking wings unto itself,” and what does this tell us about both Mr. Easton and Miss Fairchild’s former lives in Washington?
But even as he approached the boy, Mr. Oliver sensed that something was wrong. The boy appeared to be crying. His head hung down, he held his face in his hands, and his body shook convulsively. It was a strange, soundless weeping, and Mr. Oliver felt distinctly uneasy.
Well, what’s the matter, he asked, his anger giving way to concern. What are you crying for? The boy would not answer or look up. His body continued to be wracked with silent sobbing.
Oh, come on, boy. You shouldn’t be out here at this hour. Tell me the trouble. Look up.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What did the boy appear to be doing?
But even as he approached the boy, Mr. Oliver sensed that something was wrong. The boy appeared to be crying. His head hung down, he held his face in his hands, and his body shook convulsively. It was a strange, soundless weeping, and Mr. Oliver felt distinctly uneasy.
Well, what’s the matter, he asked, his anger giving way to concern. What are you crying for? The boy would not answer or look up. His body continued to be wracked with silent sobbing.
Oh, come on, boy. You shouldn’t be out here at this hour. Tell me the trouble. Look up.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Why did Mr Oliver feel uneasy? What was strange?
They stood in the doorway of the underground for a moment until it was raining hard. Then they closed the door and heard the gigantic sound of the rain falling in tons and avalanches, everywhere and forever.
“Will it be seven more years?” “Yes. Seven.” Then one of them gave a little cry. “Margot!” “What?” “She’s still in the closet where we locked her.” “Margot.”
They stood as if someone had driven them, like so many stakes, into the floor. They looked at each other and then looked away. They glanced out at the world that was raining now and raining and raining steadily. They could not meet each other’s glances. Their faces were solemn and pale. They looked at their hands and feet, their faces down. “Margot.” One of the girls said, “Well.. .?” No one moved. “Go on,” whispered the girl. They walked slowly down the hall in the sound of the cold rain. They turned through the doorway to the room in the sound of the storm and thunder, lightning on their faces, blue and terrible. They walked over to the closet door slowly and stood by it. Behind the closed door was only silence. They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let Margot out.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What impression does one get of the life of people away from the Sun ?
Explain-'Tell me not in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream!' What should not be considered the goal of life?
Answer the following question.
Who advised Golu to go to the Limpopo river?
Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts of the sentences given below.
Someone suggested that there should be a council of wise men______________________.
How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
How did the fishmongers lure the customers to buy Hilsa?
One should not be greedy. Why do you think so?
Mr Wonka collected whose toe-nail?
Why did the farmer think of having a pet?
Why are dreams important? Mention two reasons.
Choose the synonym of the word ‘whirling.’
Read the lines in which the following phrases occur. Then discuss with your partner the meaning of each phrase in its context.
amazing mound
What was Patrick’s chief interest?
Multiple Choice Question:
What effect does blowing of winds and falling of raindrops create?
Write True or False against the following statement.
Nasir lives in a city.
What is being compared to a gray overcoat?
Antonio says that trying to reason with Shylock was like ______.
- standing on the beach and ordering the waves to wash away the sands.
- reasoning with a ewe which was crying out in distress at the loss of her lamb.
- trying to soften a rock.
- commanding the pine trees on the mountain side to remain quiet and motionless when battered by strong winds.
When Lorenzo says, 'Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way/of starved people.' he means that Portia and Nerissa have ______.
Select the option that shows the correct relationship between statements (1) and (2) from Borrowing's poem, 'The Patriot'.
Statement (1): The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries.
Statement (2): There's nobody on the house-tops now.
The Medicine Bag traces the narrator’s attitude to his Sioux Grandfather, from mild embarrassment to appreciation. Summarise the reasons for this embarrassment and the change. Write your answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.
- Reasons for embarrassment
- Specific reasons for the change in attitude
