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Telephone Conversation

The document discusses the landlady's racial biases revealed through her questions about the poet's skin color, highlighting her adherence to colorism and societal stereotypes. The poet uses playful imagery to challenge these prejudices and promote cultural awareness, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding. Ultimately, the poem conveys a strong message against racism, advocating for genuine communication and inclusivity to combat discrimination.

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vaishnavi Singh
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19 views1 page

Telephone Conversation

The document discusses the landlady's racial biases revealed through her questions about the poet's skin color, highlighting her adherence to colorism and societal stereotypes. The poet uses playful imagery to challenge these prejudices and promote cultural awareness, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding. Ultimately, the poem conveys a strong message against racism, advocating for genuine communication and inclusivity to combat discrimination.

Uploaded by

vaishnavi Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

Q1. Discuss the significance of the landlady’s questions about the poet’s skin colour.
How do they reveal her biases and prejudices and ignorance based on the response
given by the poet?
Ans. By emphasizing the importance of skin colour and seeking to categorise him based on it,
the landlady demonstrates her racial bias and preconceived notions. Her questions reflect a
mindset that reduces individuals to their physical appearances and subscribes to racial
stereotypes.
Her focus on the darkness or lightness of the poet’s skin suggests her adherence to colorism,
a form of discrimination based on skin tone. Her assumption that darkness implies inferiority
and undesirability reveals her internalised biases influenced by societal norms and beauty
standards and reinforcing racial prejudices that marginalize individuals and perpetuates
discrimination.
The poet’s playful comparison of his skin tone to ‘West African sepia’ and ‘milk chocolate’
serve as powerful tools to challenge stereotypes and racial categorization. By mentioning
‘West African sepia’, he uses a rich and evocative term that embraces his African beauty and
diverse heritage. Similarly, ‘ milk chocolate’ brings light -heartedness and subverts the notion
that lighter skin is the standard of beauty or superiority.
The poet showcases the diversity between racial groups and challenges the limited
understandings that perpetuate stereotypes. The lady’s ignorance of ‘West African sepia’
reflects her lack of knowledge and awareness of diverse cultures. It highlights the importance
of promoting cultural literacy and fostering an environment of learning and acceptance,
inculcating the need of cultural sensitivity and empathy. It needs to develop an active effort to
learn about different cultures and understanding world’s diverse communities.
Q2. Reflect on the moral lesson as conveyed by the poem/ Message conveyed by the
poet.
Ans. The poem conveys an alarming message about the damages caused due to racism and
prejudices. By the use of wit, irony and imagery, the poet conveys a strong message about
discrimination in society and the need for understanding and empathy.
The poem highlights the arbitrary nature of racial categorization, exposing how judgmental
attitude based on appearance can lead to dehumanization. The poem emphasizes the
importance of genuine communication and personal connection in challenging prejudices.
The poet’s plea for the landlady to meet him in person reflects the need to move beyond
superficial judgements.
The vivid use of wit and humor as used by the poet encourages critical reflection and leads
the readers to introspect about their own biases and societal norms.
The poem appeals to have an inclusive and understanding society which is free from the
constraints of racial stereotypes and discrimination and foster empathy and acceptance and
highlights the importance of equality and respect in combating the evils of racism.

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