Speech Sounds Octavia Butler

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Personally, I had a hard time with the believability of the illness in Octavia Butler’s story “Speech Sounds.” The story was structured well and the quick progression of the illness and subsequent dismantling of society were realistic, but the side effects of the illness in “Speech Sounds” seemed unrealistic on a mass scale. However, I think the side effects have symbolic meaning, thus validating their specific inclusion in the story. Butler’s story showcases what would happen if people were unable to fully communicate with one another. These consequences manifest in the story in a couple of ways, for example, it is very easy for simple conflicts or miscommunications to quickly escalate to violence because of the inability to communicate. Additionally,
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