The Fused Role of Voice in Children of Invention

In understanding the documentary movie Children of Invention, I believe that the movie includes two principles of voice from James Phelan article's "The Concept of Voice: Some Rhetorical Principles". I would like to combine the principle (1) "Voice is as much a social phenomenon as it is as individual one" (p.44) with other principles (2) "Voice is the fusion of style, tone, and values" (p.45). Furthermore, I see both principles in the same scene simultaneously. They are shown in the end of story when the family meets again and sees a bunch of advertisements of the pyramid scheme.

Phelan explains that "We recognize that voice not because we recognize the author to us the letter but because as social beings we have heard that voice speaks to us on other occasions" (p.45). That is, even though the letters do not have real voice as a vehicle, they are not "voiceless" by the fact that their voicelessness influences people much more than the voiced sound. For instance, when the family sees the bunch of advertisement, we can see a message through the letters of the advertisement that "the pyramid scheme is vice" because it represents the evil side of money marketing.

Furthermore, Phelan also explains that "There are markets of voice in diction and syntax, but the perception of voice also depends on inferences that we make about a speaker's attitude toward subject matter and audience. . . . and about the speaker's values" (p.45). This would mean that even though the statement which is presented by other people is same, the way to represent is totally different because the representation depends on the speaker's personality, the way to speak, and his then temper. When we encounter the advertisement before the mother's arrest, it would imply the risk and danger of the attempted multilevel marketing. However, after her arrest, the advertisement is implied differently as the symbol which brought ruin on the family.

Therefore, I believe the movie Children of Invention indicated us that voice can play several roles on people.