A song in Hannah’s voice, by Alicia Jo Rabins/Girls in Trouble

I opened my mouth but no words came
I lay down to sleep but I did not dream
I looked up at the stars but the sky was dark like a mirror held up to my heart

A B C, D E F
Take away this alphabet it’s heavy on my tongue

You can want a thing so bad it seems
That you lose yourself and everybody else
So I got down on my knees on the marble floor And I cried until my throat was sore

A B C D, E F G
Tell me what you want from me I’ll do it all I swear

I was not drunk, I was awake
I could not open so I had to break to let the light come in

A B C D, E F G
Take this alphabet from me it’s heavy on my tongue

1. What is your initial response to this song? How is it similar or different from your imagination of Hannah’s character and experience?
2. What parts of this song can you find in the original story? Which parts did the songwriter add as part of the midrashic process?