Analysis of Themes in “The Telephone Call” by Fleur Adcock
Themes in “The Telephone Call” by Fleur Adcock reveal human nature using the concept of lottery. The role of emotions in our response to events around us cannot be overemphasized. This article identifies and describes the themes in the poem, The Telephone Call.
Literary Devices in “The Telephone Call” by Fleur Adcock
Themes in “The Telephone Call” by Fleur Adcock
1. Hope and Disappointment
In this poem, a mysterious caller tells the speaker they have won a lottery prize. Although the receiver states they had not bought a lottery ticket in years, the explanation provided by the caller on how they came to win the prize builds some hope in the receiver. The receiver happily shares their emotions and states they will fully believe their luck when they have gotten the prize cheque. Then the response that dashed their expectation was given – “We don’t deal in money. / Experiences are what we deal in.” The caller states they have given the speaker a memorable experience, thereby crumbling the fantasy the speaker had built in their mind as reality hit them.
This, therefore, is an illustration of how easily we can build or fall for unrealistic hopes and how low we may fall when the hopes are disappointed. It is clear that the speaker suspects that the offer was too good to be true and that they had not purchased any lottery tickets in years, but the speaker still fell for the hoax. This is shown in the speaker’s response in stanza 2, line 11 – “I can’t believe it!”, stanza 3, line 20 – “I think I’m going to sneeze – or cry.” And stanza 4, line 27 – “I haven’t bought a lottery ticket”. The speaker’s hope was built up towards expecting the reward, even when they clearly remember not entering any lottery. Despite their doubt, they were joyful and hopeful. Finally, the speaker says they would believe it when the cheque comes in. This rational response shows the speaker has checked their expectations and tried to prepare themselves if things go awry.
Furthermore, this theme is portrayed as a depiction of a human experience common to all men. When the caller first called and asked the speaker how they feel, the speaker responded – “I can’t believe it!” To this, the caller responds – “That’s what they all say.” This shows that the experience is not peculiar to the speaker and that everyone who experiences this has the same reaction. The line of the conversation shows the speaker suspects that they need to guard themselves and not hope too much. The disappointment is predictable – they had not bought any lottery ticket, and here they were being praised, cajoled, and congratulated for winning a grand prize.
Finally, the caller states the speaker must have entered a lottery once before. This shows that somewhere along the path of life, every human would have indulged in some wild or irrational hopes and felt the sting of disappointment. The company’s name, “Universal,” shows that the experience described in the poem is common to all men.
2. Illusion and Reality
The caller had built the illusion of winning a million pounds, but at the end states that the real currency is “Experience”. This mocks the value of “a great experience,” given that the illusion of riches promised at the start is warm, exciting, and more greatly cherished than “experience” as a prize. This poem ends with this anticlimax, dashing the hope of the telephone call receiver.
It is obvious that the writer may have chosen this way to present the reality of human existence, where the joy of illusions is sometimes preferred to the harsh lessons of reality and the painful memories they leave behind. Although the speaker did not get completely carried away by the news of winning the lottery, their description of the emotions they felt shows that the news did evoke deep emotions, exciting and unforgettable.
3. Deceit and manipulation
The conversation shows that the caller focused on the emotions of the receiver for most parts, reeling them in until the emotions reached a high point. Using this tactic, the caller built the idea of a life-changing event coming into their life, presented a friendly tone, and maintained a caring and encouraging atmosphere to express how they feel.
It can also be seen that the reassurance and emotional support, and focus provided by the caller was to blur the receiver’s mind from processing the news logically and with clarity. In the first stanza, the real amount that is the prize was never really stated. It only asks the receiver what they would do with a million pounds or more than a million (lines 5-6).
Again, this reflects life scenarios and how easily people are manipulated by systems that promise great rewards but, in the end, are disappointed. Such scenes in real life are seen in scam investment calls and Ponzi schemes. The rewards are exaggerated, the excitement is kept high, but all the hopes are dashed in the end.
Another action of the caller in the beginning, which points to the deceit, is the laughter when they spoke about being a millionaire. There was nothing amusing about the conversation. The laughter is unsettling, pointing to something sinister in the mind of the caller, something when juxtaposed with the reality they were painting to the receiver, becomes amusing.
4. Surrealism
The breaking of the news of winning the lottery to the receiver is surreal and exaggerated. The expression “Ultra-super Global Special” was used to describe the prize, making it something very special, extraordinary, or huge. This announcement is immediately followed by the amount of the prize money and the question of what the receiver will do with it.
Secondly, the module – “Retrospective Chances Module”, by which the company operates, is even more surreal.
For someone who had not purchased a lottery ticket for years, this news must sound like a dream, their fantasy of fortune coming true, or maybe just in their head. But since the receiver was awake on a call, this rather elicits deep emotions, although the reality seems irrational.
This idea mirrors the modern age with the technology boom and how easily people are led to believe in unattainable dreams through advertisements or to struggle for prizes they will never win, like in gambling and scam deals.
5. Chance, Luck, and Human Desire for Fortune
Fleur Adcock’s “The Telephone Call” is about lottery – a game of chance and luck which people play for entertainment and the desire for fortune. Although the chances of winning a lottery are slim, people continue to buy into it – some for the fun, some for the addiction to the hope of winning, and some for the pursuit of easy money. In the end, the futility of such pursuits is seen in the caller’s attitude after they tell the receiver that the real prize is “Experience”.
The illusion of earning so much with little or no effort heightens emotions, drives actions, and binds people in a cycle.
In the poem, the caller leads the speaker to believe they had won a grand prize, a huge amount. The excitement reflects the societal belief that money can provide ultimate happiness. However, the illusion breaks in the end.
Overall, this theme in the poem represents the random, hopeful, yet ultimately disappointing nature of life’s experiences and the emotions that follow dashed expectations.
6. Common Human Experience
When Fleur Adcock’s “The Telephone Call” is viewed as a metaphor, it becomes clear that the conversation is about human experiences that are common to all. The company that provides this experience is named “Universal Lotteries” – suggesting that they reach all parts of the universe and the experience they provide is for everyone.
Further to this, when the caller first announces that the receiver had won a prize and the receiver responds, “I can’t believe it!”, the caller states, “That’s what they all say”. This shows that this experience is not unique to the speaker but to everyone who has encountered the same fate. The caller then urges the receiver to explore their own unique feelings on the matter. On the one hand, the writer portrays that although some experience may be common to all, our individuality still plays a role in how we receive the stimulus and how we respond.
Lastly, on this theme, the caller asserts that they do not deal in money but in “Experience”. This suggests that one can market emotions, acts that elicit emotions, or simply leverage emotions to an end.
The experience spoken of must hold personal significance, possibly beyond monetary value, to the receiver as the caller urges them to think about it. However, the call ends abruptly without waiting for the speaker to respond. This contrasts with the initial flow and tone of the conversation, where the caller waits to hear the speaker’s thoughts and emotions and urges them on. This time, the caller leaves the receiver to their thoughts and emotions, and they contemplate the unconventional prize they had won and the real meaning of it all.
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Analysis of “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” – Themes and Literary Devices
Conclusion
“The Telephone Call” can be described as an allegory. The theme of human experience and the hollowness of false promises are central to the poem. Fleur Adcock uses the idea of winning a lottery to address people’s desire to acquire fortune without any effort and the disappointment that comes with it.
Read also:
Literary Devices in “The Telephone Call” by Fleur Adcock
The Telephone Call by Fleur Adcock – Full Analysis