The King's Speech

Speech—in the abstract sense—is an important theme throughout the book. Communication between people, the performance inherent in delivering a speech, and the ability for loved ones to connect are all frequently addressed; all share speech in common. Characters share their thoughts, feelings, and emotions via speech and their ability to do so typically dictates their success.

The theme of speech is most obviously applied to King George VI. From childhood, he struggles with a historically bad stammer. His speech impediment is so pronounced that he struggles even to say “King” or “Queen.” Because of this, he struggles to integrate into social groups. He becomes self-conscious and unwilling to communicate freely. At school, he struggles to speak aloud in class and his academic performance suffers as a result, calling into question his future in any occupation. Because Bertie’s speech is inhibited, he suffers emotionally. Speech, to him, is a way of communicating with loved ones and being able to fully partake in society. Speech allows people to form bonds and relationships. Bertie’s restricted speech creates a “somber” and “diffident” (65) personality. He is cut off from the world, struggling to form relationships with people because he cannot communicate with them effectively (or, in doing so, he embarrasses himself).