Mark Bezos TED Talk Voice

Humor:
     Bezos uses a sense of humor throughout his presentation to keep his audience's attention and to bring a bright, playful side into his story about firefighting. He talks about his silly competition with another volunteer firefighter that got to rescue the victim's dog, while he was told to find a pair of shoes for the barefoot lady. He uses humor to show that he misunderstood the situation, since he didn't realize the significance of getting the woman her shoes, and instead thought it would be more cooler for him to have been able to say he rescued an animal. Throughout his story he mentioned how unfortunate it was for him to only be able to get shoes, but it turned out later, that was the "act of kindness that [the victim] noted above all others." This irony effectively emphasized the importance of not underestimating the power of a simple act of kindness, and Bezos accomplished this through his own subtle humor.
     An example of this humor is when he gave the woman her shoes, he said, "Now, I know what              you're thinking. But I'm no hero," as he posed heroically. This shows how he, through sarcasm,          showed his thinking that this act he performed was insignificant.

Surprising Information and Observations:
     Bezos writes in such a way that surprises us, as he says things in ways and at times that we wouldn't expect. When it seems like he's just going through the motions as he talks about arriving at the scene of the fire, and immediately after he finds out that the other volunteer firefighter gets to save the dog, he shouts, "The dog!" This catches us off guard, and helps to convey the emotion Bezos felt at that moment of jealousy. The rest of the story is very straightforward, and his direct way of calling the other volunteer his "nemesis," and the way he said the woman appreciated his act, all subtly surprised us, and they worked very well in evoking emotion in the reader.

Exhibition of Perceptivity:
     Bezos was very analytical of the scene as he showed up. Before he was told anything, one of the first thing he pointed out was how bad of a day the victim was having. He said, "Here it was, the middle of the night, she was standing outside in the pouring rain, under an umbrella, in her pajamas, barefoot, while her house was in flames." This is something most people wouldn't care to point out or notice until a little later if in his stead. This ability to understand the victim and her problems more than any of his own or anyone else's teaches us that Bezos is a very understanding, caring person. He knows when people need help, and he sees the small details that will allow him to provide them with that help.