Question

What does Soyinka wish to illustrate by offering an anecdote in the poem Telephone

Answer 1

On the surface, it seems that Soyinka wishes to illustrate using satire how racism and discrimination based on colour exist in society, but when we look deeper, we find that the poem attacks human behavior, prejudices, and social evil.  

The poem has an intelligent and witty black person speaking to a racist white woman and thus shows how claims of racial superiority are misleading.