Listening: Superhero Mode

Super powers. Super heroes. Super crazy. Who, as a child, didn't want to become a superheroe? I mean seriously. Who wouldn't want to be the strongest or the biggest or the fastest creature on earth? How about the power of invisibility or having the power to read minds? Many of us wanted that as kids, but who actually achieved it? In Act II of this podcast, Zora is a very peculiar and dedicated woman who was the closest to becoming a superhero. As Kelly McEvers described her, she is definitely not the typical woman you see on a daily basis. Ever since she was little girl, she was committed to becoming a superhero. Zora created a list in which she explicitly states the steps needed in order for her to achieve her goal. Incredibly enough, she completed almost all of the things that she wrote in her list. Her story is quite interesting and it really captivated me since the beginning. When I was done listening to it, I thought about my dreams as a little girl and realized that I'm not aiming to achieve them maybe because my tastes and preferences have changed. But then I wonder did Zora's preferences and tastes change throughout her growing process? I think it's very brave of her to follow a dream that was cultivated at a very young age. 

I think that what captivated me while listening to this story was the tone and diction of the podcast. When McEvers narrates about Zora's story, she uses a very monotonous tone. However, right when the Zora starts talking, the mood changes; the story begins to have a more sincere, honest and earnest tone. That's what makes it so interesting: she begins to tell her experience in a very careless manner, and even uses humor (which I love). Her diction is very clear and very relaxed which also makes it more interesting to me. The syntax is also very relaxed and her register is informal which also makes it more captivating to the audience because it's more relatable. 

On the other hand, Act IV seemed quite boring to me. It wasn't as enjoyable as Act II simply because of the way that both podcasts are structured. In Act IV the tone used is more serious and informative. It is also structured as an interview and it has a more advanced diction. I simply wasn't as hooked as in the first podcast I heard. The interviewer talks with Jason Bleibtreu and they talk about two twins that are from a rebel army in Burma, who supposedly possess superpowers. I don't know if it has to do with the tone or the diction, but I didn't consider Act IV as credible as Act II. Maybe because in Act II she is narrating the events that happened to her. While in Act IV, the man is talking about a third party, the twins, who seem to possess these powers. In other words, it doesn't affect him directly so it's not something that happened to him. 

There is obviously a huge juxtaposition between the two podcasts. The topic is the same for both stories, however the way that the stories are told are very different and that caused a different effect on me. Things like tone, syntax and diction affect the rhetorical effects of any type of story, and in this case the effect was more positive after I heard Act II. I declare Wonder Woman the winner of this battle!