"Telephone Conversation" qualifies as a piece of literature because it demonstrates both a universal message and an excellence of form. The universal message is that people who have a darker skin tone had more obstacles/hardships in their lives than those who are lighter. It has an excellence of form because of the way it was written, such as manner in which certain things were omitted. It also is written in a way that I can only describe as "rushed". The text reads well, and doesn't waste any time conveying its message.
Skin tone, in the 1960's, was a major factor in many places. In "Telephone Conversation" a man is trying to convince a woman to show him an apartment so that he may rent it. She asks him what color he is, and when he tells her, she automatically turns off (like as if there is a thick wall between her and the phone, like that blank look you see in peoples eyes when they have made up their mind and you cant change it. Then she repeatedly asks him if he is light or dark. That is all that matters to her, and because he is dark, he doesn't get the apartment.
The form of this piece qualifies as excellent. Phrases such as "I said" or "She said" are omitted to give you the impression that this conversation is happening right now, in the present. In place of these are capital letters which indicate that the landlord is speaking and normal text format to indicate that the man is speaking. Also, capital letters are often used to indicate harshness. The woman is being harsh on the man, and the capital letters double as an indicator of her tone of voice.
While reading this piece, I felt as if I were right there, in that cramped little telephone booth with him. I was so close that I could feel his heart rate quicken as he becomes just a little distressed, feel the muscles in his jaw clench as he bi t his lip and told himself to say the right things, and not the wrong things. I think I was sensitive to all of this because of the "rushed" way in which this was written.
The greater of these would be the telephone. ... It has improved relationships and given people a more personal means of conversation. Through the years conversation has dwindled to a point that everyone is so far apart that they have little conversation time. Times have changed starting with the invention of the telephone. ... Life in general has prospered thanks to telephone use. ...
The TTY makes it easier for the hearing-impaired to use a telephone and also make emergency calls. ... The TTY lets a person who is deaf or hearing-impaired carry on a telephone conversation just like a hearing person would. To use a TTY, you set a telephone handset onto special acoustic cups built into the TTY. ... The TTY callers must take turns typing; the conversation can not be interrupted. How does one or the other person know when the conversation is finished? ...
The invention of the telephone has made our lives much easier. ... The inventor of the telephone was Alexander Graham Bell. ... In 1877 the telephone was invented. ... In 1956 the first transatlantic telephone cable was laid. ... It could carry 100,000 conversations at once. ...
Since the invention of the telephone and the Internet, people have turned to more practical ways of communication. ... People use the telephone over letter writing because it is more efficient. ... A telephone call can be made from anywhere at any time. ... Another form of communication has almost overcome even the telephone, as the most used way to communicate, is the Internet. ... "You can engage in near real-time conversations without ever having to meet the person you're flirting with. ...
The PBX allows telephone users to set up circuit-switched voice calls between other users in the same business or to set up calls across the Public Switched Telephone Network. ... The PBX is owned and operated by the business rather than the telephone company. ... A digital coder/decoder (codec) in the telephone set converts the analog voice conversation into a digital format. ... • Memory • Stations or telephone sets, also called lines. ... Telephone instruments A variety of digital telephones that offer broad displays, speakers, voice mail message, waiting lights and program...
The telephone was the star attraction of this exhibition, and was where the telephone got some exposure (Fitzgerald Studio paragraph 3). ... At first, the telephone received great criticism. ... Only talk as if in ordinary conversation-and listen attentively" (49). ... Telephones changed how scarce women were in the work force. ... In 1884, Bell's own telephone company set up the first long distance telephone line from Boston to New York (Grolier 165). ...
This is when they realized the telephone could be invented. ... In 1878 the first telephone was installed in the white house, Rutherford B. ... In1992 on the average business day there were about 10 million minutes of conversation. ... The telephone is made up of two pieces: the handset and the base. ... Some telephones contain a dial on the handset. ...
With subsequent demand for more telephones, a switchboard and telephone exchange were opened in1879. ... Interest in using a telephone grew. Not everyone had access to a telephone. ... At this time there were other telephone systems beside Bell Telephone. ... This was a form of a two way conversation. ...
