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The first time I saw the dinner plate what immediately stood out was the suffering depicted on the two faces. They both appear upset, though the one on the left is sorrowful and the one on the right seems more angry. I didn't know what to make of the face in the center and I'm still not sure what it represents. The general sentiment though that the picture conveys is the pain of these African American women. However I would not have immediately guessed that this was Sojourner Truth. Personally I see quite a contrast between the portrait and my thoughts about her character from reading her speeches. Her speeches (the first more so than the second) are full of fire and wit. I'm aware that we can't be sure of the language in either version but history tells us that she was a great orator, which requires a certain charisma. So basically I think that dinner plate doesn't do her full justice. Yes, she did suffer a terrible fate in working as a slave but she managed to rise out of her misery and fight for a cause. I imagine her to be immensely strong, both physically and mentally. One could argue that the mask in the middle of the plate represents inner strength, but I don't see the passion in the picture that I read in her speech.
-Nora