Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Power of Words

http://www.ted.com/talks/anna_deavere_smith_s_american_character.html

You are in for a treat! 

Before we begin to look at rhetoric, the language of persuasion, let's look at the power of words simply - from the voice of everyday people.  Anne Deveare Smith takes on three Americans and their words and gives us a glimpse at some funny, poignant, and disturbing elements of life and our human nature.

Take the time to listen to all three vignettes. Speak to one in your post, sharing with your classmates what stood out to you, what you learned about human nature, and what you learned about the power of simple words themselves.

73 comments:

Anonymous said...

amy branson 3
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Anonymous said...

Jeremy Hontiveros 3

Her performance about the Korean Store Owner stood out to me a lot. I learned that humans do whatever they can to get what they need, even at the expense of others. Simple words can express how people feel about certain things, how they look at situations. Simple words are powerful because they can express everything your feeling and pass it on to another person.

Anonymous said...

Claudia Akhi-Gbade 3
The Vignette that stood out to me was the Korean lady who talked about justice for Koreans. What stood out to me is how angry the lady felt.I learned that the power of simple words can affect how you feel about the story and how you determine how the story teller feels.

Anonymous said...

Jeremiah Desinord 3
As I watched the video, I saw a lot of raw emotion during those two acts. What really drew my attention was the Korean store owner that was a victim of the Los Angeles Riots. Her words were heavy with emotion and she explained things with such detail. Her words helped me feel what she was feeling. I was hooked with the word choice that she used that allowed me to understand how deeply this impacted her. I was deeply interested and focused with what she had to say.

Anonymous said...

Davida Samba 3

The woman who allowed her child to be beaten,killed and left on the side of the road was very shocking to me. I learned that once a human starts doing something and their mind and body gets used to it regardless of whether it is good or bad they won't stop because it becomes their normal. For example to woman just kept covering for the man beating her and her kids so much so that when one of her kids died she kept covering for him. I think the power of words comes from how someone says the words because if you were to say something to someone in a playful way they might laugh along with you but if you were to say it with anger they could become equally as mad or irritated as you.

Unknown said...

Aminata Souare 3

What exactly made you so scared to save your daughter and leave the man who was abusing her? I know that you might have been scared and you might have just been s shocked that you couldn't even move but you talked about the whole situation like you were so upset and almost like you were the victim. You let that happen to the child that you birthed and raised and then sat there and listened to her get beat to death. You should have been willing to risk your life for your child but now you sit in jail in regret. Knowing that you could have did something and didn't. Even after she was killed, you still tried to hide the body and cover for the same man who killed your child. Why?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Jose Capistran 3
simple words can lead up to something more than that. simple words can lead to a story or actions. words can make change on someone or something. like that one person she was when she was speaking on her opinion on the trial that got 2 police officers arrested. she was sharing her perspective and side to the story.

Unknown said...

Brenna Dwyer 3
I learned that vocabulary and tone gives you insight into a persons life or how they lived their life. It allows someone to decide their opinions on a person and is a deciding factor on the sort of emotion you feel for this person.

Anonymous said...

Devon Patrick 3
In the third vignette Anne Deveare Smith was very emotional the whole time, and she also had a very well accent. Also, in the third vignette she was saying anything and everything to get what she needed or wanted.

Unknown said...

Cesar Nieto 3

The story about the Korean shopkeeper stood out to me because the shopkeeper conveyed a need to be treated equally without the use of any complex words.

Anonymous said...

Katherine Hernandez 3

What stood out to me the most was when the Korean lady started talking about justice and how most of the innocent people that were involved in the riot did not get the justice they deserved.

Anonymous said...

Sydney Hutko 3
The woman with the riots stood out because Anna constantly paused and even cried to show how the woman felt. How she wasn't being treated fairly and she was upset.I learned that when someone starts to pause they pause more and more to really think about what they are going to say next.Words being said with emotion make the listener or reader share emotions that are similar to the speaker.

Anonymous said...

Rayven Morgan 3 What stood out to me is the emotions she showed while talking. I learned that human nature has a lot to do with your body language. Yes, rhetoric has to do with your words persuading but also how you say it, your emotion while saying it. Words are extremely powerful, words have energy and power depending on your wording things can be taken many ways just by the words you use or even how you say it.

Unknown said...

Viet Ngo 3

It was intense, shocking, yet so real. Every person brings out a demon that has been burning inside of them for the longest. The one I would like to focus on is the one based on the woman who's daughter was murdered and how she was able to keep it a secret. It tells me something about human nature. It tells me about how people can used to the fact of something wrong that it blinds them from the truth. The way that we can be used to the fact that something is terrible; that the moment we come to our own realization is when it's too late. With the simple words just making it feel so real and how it can just bring so much horror into such a tragic story. These words help out the sense of human nature and the tragedy behind it!

Anonymous said...

Betanya Woldgiorgis pd. 3

I learned that the power of words can specify a preson. Anna deavere changed her voice entirely to become another person. She mimicked the inmate she interviewed so well, that it was like she was the inmate herself. It's almost disturbing how she can imitate another persons actions and emotions so well, that we understand how the person being interviewed felt, and expressed. Human nature gives us the right to try to understand others, but also doesn't allow us to go inside their mind.

Anonymous said...

Nina Nguyen 3
When Anne Deveare Smith represented the Korean woman, she spoke with a very powerful tone that made me intrigued and want to listen to her story. From the vignette, I learned that human nature is complicated and that humans do not give justice to every race. I realized that any word, no matter if it is simple or not, can have great, if you put meaning, emotion, and life into it. Anne Deveare Smith did an amazing job in telling the woman's story in her words.

Anonymous said...

Emmely Alvarez (pd3)

The one that stood up the most was the second vignette it was about this prison mother and her abusive boyfriend that beat her daughter to death . One thing i learned about the human nature is that not all humans have a heart , most people don't know how to react because of how numb they are.

Anonymous said...

Valeria Villeda 3
What stood out to me he most for both performances is both showed lot of emotion and you were really able to interpret what the actual persn felt during those siutions. The power of simpler words can have a stronger effect than more complex words because for simple words, more people understand it and if they understand what you are saying,they'll look for deeper meaning, however with more complex words people tend to try and understand the words you are saying themselves rather than look at the bigger picture.

Anonymous said...

Heylie Sanchez 3
The last lady stood out to me the most because of the emotion in her voice. You can tell she was very upset about the situation. She expressed in many ways how Korean's were treated differently and even though African Americans were also treated differently too, she feels as if they had someone leading and supporting them unlike Korean's. I learned that the way someone uses their words is very important because it tells you what they want out of the situation. This lady sounds like she wants a change.

Anonymous said...

Zoeii Strong 3

I thought that the video was really audience catching and intriguing. The one about the woman in prison stuck to me most. In that speech, the woman is talking about a traumatic experience that her boyfriend or husband caused to her daughter. In the speech, I feel like she blames herself for the murder, and in a way, she doesn't say at any point that she tried to prevent it. It seems as though she was so mentally beaten down by her partner that she abided to whatever he did, too scared to do anything. She makes it clear that her mate has pent up anger because her two older kids aren't hers, so she had a kid with him to please him. She gave hints of empathy, asking her partner to let her daughter sleep, but she essentially lets him take control over her life, possibly too scared to do anything or feeling like she can't do anything. We don't see her true emotion about it until the end where she sees her daughter on the road and she says something along the lines of "I let that happen to my daughter."

Unknown said...

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Anonymous said...

Olivia Durán Period 6

The mother and her child stood out to me. It was so graphic and the mother just sat there. It was a horrendous way to die. The woman didn't intervene. Is fear more powerful than a mother's supposed love? Hearing the conversational way that the mother detailed the whole scenario was scary. It was so calm. In the end it seems, based not only on this, but on both, that people are more inclined to watch out for themselves even if it means doing wrong to someone else. One can only hope that is not true human nature, but it seems so.

Anonymous said...

Joseph Huddle
Pd 6

The vignette that stood out to me was the one about the Koran woman. This was because she told a side of racial issues that I had never heard before. You hear time and time again that there should be equal rights, and that everyone should be brought up to the best possible standards. This woman spoke of something that I had never heard before. It was clear that she wanted to have equal rights for everyone and that everyone should be brought up to the best possible standards, but what stood out was that she wanted to bring everyone to each other's standards first. She was jealous of the success of the rioters, and she wanted to be brought to celebrate with them before she is brought to the highest possible standards.

Unknown said...

Alex Gomes pd 6

Compared to all of the other vignettes, the one about the Korean lady stood out to me the most. In that vignette, you could tell that the Koreans suffered through a lot as she explains her strife in America as they also worked to gain their goals while receiving competition from the African-American community in the 1992 LA Riots. In human nature, I learned that a group will often celebrate their accomplishments by showing their superiority through dominance of other groups of people. Within simple words, I learned that people can be influenced by simple words as they can relate to the topic easily.

Anonymous said...

Adam Levy 6

What really stood out to me was how clearly she expressed the speaker's personal feelings, not only through voice dynamic, but also through facial expressions and hand gestures. I learned that it is human nature to protect yourself firstly and often have second thoughts or regrets about past actions or words. Also, I learned that simple words, if they are supported with emphasis and feeling, can have a large emotional impact on people.

Anonymous said...

Dia Rimal pd. 6

In the first one, the lady did a distinctive voice to make the character seem like she was the one speaking to the audience. I learned that fear of someone or something drives people to ignore problems. Because the first lady ignored how herself and her family were suffering. The simple words had a lot of emotion in them. When she said how the daughter was dead, the emphasis of the word dead made it seem like she felt guilty.

Unknown said...

Oscar A. Gonzalez
What stood out to me is that there was a time where I didn't know if the woman was talking for real or not, until you realize it was acting. The face expression you make can give us an idea of how you are feeling. The different ways you say a word can give it a different meaning.

Anonymous said...

Madison Jones pd.6

What stood out to me the most was the first performance we watched. The fact that the mother heard the screaming and the hitting and didn't say anything just showed how numb she was. What was even more strange to me was that she found justification in helping her husband hide the fact that he killed her. I learned that people can be around someone or something for so long that it can change the way they think and the way they act. I learned that the words you use can have a bigger impact on an audience then you think. At first I thought she was a murderer who just didn't wanted to kill her child. After listening to the whole story I learned that she probably felt like she didn't have a choice. So instead she helped her husband kill her daughter so that it wouldn't be her.

Unknown said...

David Fian pd.6

The one that stood out to me was the second with the prison mother and her abusive boyfriend. That one stood out to me because it made me realize just saying something can make a difference then just sitting back and watching and looking like a bystander. Not everyone has the same human nature some nature is to be kind and others is to harm or be mean to others. Words have a lot of meaning it can hurt another or it can cheer another or it can save someone you never know what your words can affect someone else.

Anonymous said...

Jabari Miles pd6

What stood out to me was that the lady realize these conversations from these people of her tape recorder, she did not mess up at all she went all the way through word for word. The thing I learned about human nature is that, it is human nature to really express yourself when given the chance. And what I learned about the power of simple words,is that words can go a long way without action.

Unknown said...

Natalie DeMarchi pd.6

The beginning when she was talking about her kid getting killed that stood out to me the most because of how brutal she made it sound, but on how calm her pitch was when describing it. I also feel like her partner had some mental health problems or he was abusive which in society that is common. I feel like she was scared of him and that if she tried to defend her kid she would die as well because the way she was describing what was happening it seemed like she really didn't have any other option.

Anonymous said...

Aurora del Vecchio (Pd. 6)

The one that stood out to me the most was the first one about the mother. She seemed a little nonchalant about the whole situation and that stood out against the rush of emotion that was the second one. I learned that sometimes human nature is to not do what you think is right- I could see the woman wasn't comfortable dropping the dead body of her daughter on the side of a highway- it's doing what you have always done. The lady said she had always hid the abuse, it was just what she normally did. I also learned that human nature can be protecting yourself over others. Even though the woman's daughter was being beaten and dying, the woman knew that if she interfered, she would probably be beaten too and was looking out for herself. Her words were not emotional at all, mostly stating the facts which stood out.

Anonymous said...

Treyon Hicks Pd:6th
The lady was telling the story with a passion and wasn't afraid to tell the story and she was recanting the story using voices and way the where sounding in the story also In the speech I feel like she blames herself for the murder, and in a way, she doesn't say at any point that she tried to prevent it. And showing how she was getting beat by the husband.

Anonymous said...

Aaliyah Santiago pd 6


the first one really got in my head. it made her sound like she didn't care what she he was doing to her own kid. she said she really wanted to help but she didn't even move to help her own kid.what stood out to me was that she let all that happened she didn't tell no one about it and also how she went along with the mall thing that was really not okay. can tell that she was scared to tell because the same thing happening to her child can happen to her. i learned that no Mather what say something before it get worst.

Anonymous said...


Jordyn Hargrove
What stood out to me the most is how well the woman could change her personality and voice to match perfectly with who she was describing. For example the Korean lady who told her point of the brutality that she being faced against back in her time. And how black people started getting somewhere with their justice but they forgot all about the Asian and Hispanic lives.which didn't please them but put them in more despair. I learned that in human nature no body gets justice besides the white privileged.Human nature is cruel when once society starts to succeed nobody is happy the world is cruel and abusive .

Anonymous said...

Helen Martinez
In the second story the thing that stood out to me the most, was that how the the lady didn't speak perfectly but how: the emotion was through her tone got everyone attention on what she wanted to say.

Anonymous said...

Atsem Kum Pd.6
What stood out to me was when she talked about the Korean store owner and how were not equal. What also stood out to me was when she talked about the abusive father and what happened the next morning. What I learned about words is that sometimes words hurt and can have a big effect on you.

Anonymous said...

Name: Joe Rubens III
Period 6


What stood out to me about this was that it was funny with Anne doing different accents but at the same time it showed sadness and regret because Anne describe the life of a different culture of people and that some people don't feel equal in society in the past and to a lesser indent the present.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Cristian Reyes 6

What stood out to me the most about the video was how good the woman can act each person and how she can make her voice sound and how she inter prates her emotions it feels like she was really there in each event.what I learned about human nature is that a lot of people don't know how to react in emotional situations.The power of simple words is that anyone can understand it because it's not difficult words.

Anonymous said...

Payton Mages period 6.

What stood out to me in the video was good at catching the audiences attention, due to the speakers enthusiasm throughout the video. You can tell she was upset that she didn't do anything at the time of the incident of her daughters killing. And for the Korean one she shows emotion as if the Koreans were left out. Throughout she showed hints of empathy but never had the courage to step up and stop the situation.

Anonymous said...

Cristy Oviedo Pd:6

The one that stood out to me was the second one, where the Korean lady the emotion in her voice she had. She was hurt about the situation, and how her race gets treated differently from other race's. One thing I learned was that, don't treat others bad just because they come from different places than others.

Unknown said...

Jordan Butler Period: 6

In the the second vignette, the Korean women was saying how African Americans were happy over the 2/4 cops getting justice for the attack on the man. What stood out to me was how much she wanted justice for herself and other Koreans and not being able to get that.I learned that no only humans but other nature was to be treated with dignity and respect. The power of her words set the mood of the speech that she was defeated and knew that her justice wasn't coming

Anonymous said...

Rayyaan Sanchez 6

what stood out to m the most is the first story about the women in prison. in the first one the women is talking about how a lady from Maryland let her husband or boyfriend abuse her own child. The abuse got too far to the point it caused the young child to die. listening to this lady describe how she tried to cover up how abusive her lover was and that she had a calm manner about it. the power in this women's voice shows that she didn't seem to care hat much about what had happened.

Anonymous said...

(i never used blogger, I don't know why I have that blogger name)

Christian Dubreuil
Pd 6

The mother not being able to be there for the child proves that she was afraid to confront her husband, but because of that fear, they killed their child, Instead, they lied to the police about her death. I learned that in human nature when to the bigger person is fearful, it puts that smaller one it's defending at risk.

Unknown said...

marilyn rivera pd 07

The story that stood out to me more was the lady that was in prison because that lady was with that man for a long time and couldnt leave him and so he would let him beat her kids that weren't his. and when the lady ws telling th e story she did everything the lady in the jail did. showing details and everything

Anonymous said...

Sam Swarna
Pd 7

From the first performance, I learned that when many people are faced with things that are hard to face they give up. The mother knew her daughter was being killed but she did nothing to do about it. This is because when it comes to many, not all human nature we give up easily without putting all our effort into it. The power of her words made me uncomfortable in some way and probably the whole class. Simply because of the story and the lack of feeling toward her daughter.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Kevin Staley pd. 7

The Korean store owner stood out to me the most because it gave me a different perspective of the Los Angeles riots. But what really stood out was the emotion displayed during the Scene. it shows how people like her were treated unfairly during that time. she was hurt about the situation and wanted a change.

Anonymous said...

Angel Rozario,
the korean woman stood out to me most because she was talking about the side society doesnt see, she was talking as a victim herself she had emotion in her speech.. i felt the pain she was feeling. She talked about the side of racism no one understands clearly, how there are biased races other than white people. How disgusting people can be just tp get what they want with out even realizing what harm it can do to others, she compared it to igniting fire that rage inside others is like igniting fire. yet she still believes america is the best after all she been through she still stays loyal to america.. even tho her race isnt appreciated in america she still believes america is her home.

Anonymous said...

Throughout the Ted talk, the one that stood out to me the most was the Korean lady. I picked that one because even if you couldn't understand her you felt her pain about the riots through her tone. To be able to convey feelings through tone is pretty amazing, and that's why I picked that vignette.

Anonymous said...

Destani warner period 7:

The vignette that stood out to me the most was the one with the Korean store owner. She had so much emotion in her voice you could just hear the pain she feels about Korean's not receiving the same justice as African Americans.

Anonymous said...

Monica Diaz PD 7


Listening to the story about the woman that let her daughter be beat up stood out the most to me. By listening and watching how the woman in jail was portrayed, you can really see how numb she actually was about the situation. The speaker did a great job of catching the audiences' attention because she was acting out every detail and emotion of how the person actually talked about the situation. It shows that emotions and words used are very powerful when portraying someone else.

Unknown said...

The Korean lady stood out to me the most with the passion and emotion that was used in her voice. The Korean lady said how she felt about the US country as a whole and how Koreans don't receive justice like they should. Just by hearing her emotions and the way she manipulated the speech really makes you feel the power and emotions the Korean lady is feeling, giving you a perspective of how she feels. The experience she faced became so surreal to her it made her feel emotionally confused and indecisive, just shows you how are brain deals with things like that.

Unknown said...

Sie Coulibaly Period 7

The vignette that stood out to me was the story about the lady letting her own child to be beaten to the point of death. I understand she was dealing with a toxic relationship, she was probably afraid to escape and the fear caused her not to intervene with her own child being beaten. I learned humans are afraid to stand up to people especially in this situation with the man being in total control. The power of simple words leads to a greater picture.

Anonymous said...

Ryan McNevin 7

The thing that stood out to me the most during the video was the vignette she did about the mother letting her child get beaten by, what I am inferring is her new husband. Listening to this story made me very concerned because if the mother knew that her child was getting beaten, wouldn't you do something to stop it from happening? To sit back and listen to your child getting murdered and lie to the police to protect the person who murdered her is something that will haunt me. I learned that people can be so cowardice when exposed to a scary situation. I also learned that people can be so careless towards the ones we love.

Unknown said...

Olivia Jones, Period 7

The character who stood out to me was the Korean-American store owner. Her simple words showed listeners how passionate she was very about sharing her story and her perception during the LA riots. Also, she expressed lots of emotion in her voice. One thing I learned about human nature is that sometimes, some groups of people are overlooked when something major happens. Their opinions and how they are effected by the major event are not taken into consideration.

Anonymous said...

Gio Trabelsi
Pd7

The one that got my attention the most was the Korean lady because of the way she was able to change her accent and emotions while she was speaking. I learned that just the most simplest words can make a huge difference on an impact you make.

Unknown said...

Sofia Norberte Pd 6

What stood out to me is that seeing how tone can make simple words can be just as powerful as stronger language. In the vignettes, there was not many uses of complex wording or language, but through the speaker's tone, you could still feel what emotions she was trying to convey. For example, you could feel the frustration in her voice when she was telling the story of the Korean store owner and her desire for justice. I think it's just human nature to be wanted to be treated equally.

Unknown said...

Noah Mason 7 period

The Korean lady stood out to me the most with the passion and emotion that was used in her voice. The Korean lady said how she felt about the US country as a whole and how Koreans don't receive justice like they should. Just by hearing her emotions and the way she manipulated the speech really makes you feel the power and emotions the Korean lady is feeling, giving you a perspective of how she feels. The experience she faced became so surreal to her it made her feel emotionally confused and indecisive, just shows you how are brain deals with things like that.

Anonymous said...

Brandon Reyes Period: 7

The story of the Korean worker was very emotional, intense, and real.I learned from this story that race's are not treated equally at all. Even if one race got justice there was still one that got effected poorly. We should be getting treated equally but that is clearly not happening according to the Korean store owner. And the speaker just adds to how emotional this store owner was. Also simple words can have a huge impact on people, if you use them with emphasis and emotion you can really hit the audience with just using these simple words. Our human nature is that we want to get treated equally or better than others.

Unknown said...

David Lamboni; PD7.
The mother not being able to come forward and stop her husband from beating her child to death shows that there was some sort of abusive relationship between the mother and the husband. Instead of doing the right thing she chooses to side with her husband and do the wrong thing, and this shows that the mother gave her husband all the power to control. I learned that in human nature when you let you let your lover have all power, you will be so afraid to speak up because you can end up being treated poorly.

Anonymous said...

e
pd.7

What stood out to me the most was when the Korean lady started talking about justice and how most of the innocent people that were involved in the riot didn't do anything.

Anonymous said...

Jazmyn Padmore Pd.7

Both stories were very emotional and they stood out to me because of how Anna portrayed the women and all their mannerisms. Judging on the first story, human nature doesn't apply to the man because if he was okay with leaving his step-child on the side of the road after he beat her and essentially killed her, then he has no regard for human life or its nature. These two stories taught me more about the power of words and how they can affect us as people. Diction can make or break the difference between an emotional and descriptive story and one that barely gives any insight into the story at all.

Anonymous said...

jahvae bonner
pd 7

the mother want to save her baby and prevent what The father had did her child in fear she did not confront him in the end the husband kill the child instead she report she help him hide the body
i learn that there is no equality in the world and people or last...

Anonymous said...

What stood out to me was how angry the one of the Korean woman was because you never hear that type of side to a story or big event like the riots. It was interesting and sad to hear how she feels like there has been no justice for her and other Koreans and how everyone seems to overlook their feelings about the whole situation and people pay attention to other races, but not hers. I've learned that when it comes to human nature, society always finds a way to leave out some group of people and that while some people get a voice, many others do not and are overlooked. I've learned that even simple words and sentences can have a much deeper impact when read aloud with emotion and in a way that you can understand how the person was feeling when they said or wrote those words.

Anonymous said...

Sasha Afamefune PD:7

what stood out to me was the Korean store owner and her feelings to the L.A riots and how how Korean people don't have rights and what and how she thought America was going to be a nice place where everyone has money and equal rights.

Anonymous said...

Elvis Kulhahay PD: 7

The one that stood out to me the most was the Korean women shopkeeper because in the situation that she was and how she got treated differently and the emotion in her voice said so much about her personality. When she only wanted to get treated equally and for other people too.

Unknown said...

The performance of the Korean lady stood out to me most because it shows how people do things at any cost to get what they want and by doing this they ruin the lives of others forgetting that everyone wants justice and not just them. Simple words are powerful because it doesn't just tell you what the feelings are it makes you feel them so you can understand better what is she really feeling.
Ana
Pd: 7

Unknown said...

Mayeli Guerra
Pd:3
the performance that stood out to me is the one that the woman let the men to kill her daughter and her didn't do anything. I learn from human nature that some people do not protect the most important thing. I learn that power of a simple words can express the feel of someone and other person can feel the same when they heard some talking and how they express.

Anonymous said...

Sebastian Melendez P:6


What stood out to me the most was about the Korean lady's perspective on justice. Humans make mistakes and in this case, being blinded by justice led to Koreans becoming victims. Anne Devere Smith used simple words to tell her story; Simple words with the power of reason, emotion, and credibility, all made it possible to portray her story accurately.

Anonymous said...

marcus gaston

What stood out to me the most was about the Korean lady's perspective on justice. she talk about how people do things at any cost to get what they want and by doing this they ruin the lives of others forgetting that everyone wants justice. she had a very passionate and emotional voice and it was like i felt what she felt through her voice.