Aural Face?

The readings this week seems to converge to a theme that faces represents not only the "coherent whole" but serves also as an interface through which power is negotiated. Calvino's piece in particular spoke to a dialogic relation between the way he sees IL Duce and his understand of the rise and fall of Mussolini's power.

I found The Kings Speech providing an interesting parallel in the auditory realm-- well, King George VI did, but it's more fun to watch an oscar-winning movie. The film also captures people's facial expressions upon hearing a stuttering Prince Albert-- a mixture of shame and embarrassment-- that portrays aptly how Albert's voice has made him, and by extension the England that he represented, lose face. Also the scene where King George V tells Albert that he could have been a much better king than his brother David, but simply can't be taken anywhere with his stutter.