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Stream of Consciousness
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of "Speech Sounds" is barebones and clipped. Butler uses short sentences and avoids figurative language almost entirely, allowing Rye to remain in control of a fractured world by keeping a close record of it.
Sentence structures repeat as Rye considers what might happen and what might have happened, characteristic of the genres of science and speculative fiction in which Butler is writing:
If he had smiled at them or acknowledged them in any way, she would almost certainly have changed her mind. If she had let herself think of the possible deadly consequences of getting into a stranger's car, she would have changed her mind.
While paragraphs are usually quite short, sometimes Rye's reflections extend them, revealing the difficulty of remaining fully present even for someone so eagle-eyed.
Rye's interiority is especially important in this story as (most) people do not have access to spoken language, eliminating the possibility of dialogue between characters. Everything comes from Rye's subjective point of view, though she tries to remain objective.
He pulled her closer to him and for a moment she let herself enjoy the closeness. He smelled good--male and good. She pulled away reluctantly.
The clipped style makes this potentially romantic moment rather awkward; Rye's observation that Obsidian smells "male and good" is not exactly sexy. However, the reader must remember that this is a society that has lost its language and the poetic, artistic power language wields.
This intense interiority makes the introduction of dialogue at the end of the story all the more impactful. After the children speak to each other, Rye introduces herself to them as "Valerie Rye." Revealing her first name at the last moment, Butler creates an intimate, personal scene that nicely contrasts with the careful, guarded style of the rest of the story.
Related Themes:
