“Two young men were involved in a disagreement of some kind, or, more likely, a misunderstanding.” 

Miscommunication lies at the heart of “Speech Sounds.” After a worldwide pandemic, characters suffer from speech impairment; these survivors rely on crude sign language and gestures to express meaning. The story’s violent, volatile setting shows that people still struggle to connect and communicate despite the obvious need to avoid misunderstandings.

“His use of the left hand interested Rye more than his obvious question. Left-handed people tended to be less impaired, more reasonable and comprehending, less driven by frustration, confusion, and anger.”

In this dystopia, some people are more affected by the illness than others. Rye has observed that these people tend to be left-handed, and she uses this knowledge to discern Obsidian’s level of impairment. She knows this because she is left-handed, demonstrated when she points to the bus. While left-handedness is a common characteristic of the “least impaired,” it is not a rule; during the fight on the bus, the short man punches the tall man exclusively with his left fist. As an exception to the rule, the short man reminds the reader that Rye’s knowledge is limited.

“There was no more LAPD, no more any large organization, governmental or private. There were neighborhood patrols and armed individuals. That was all.”

Due to the severity of the illness, society cannot maintain any form of government or organization since effective communication is necessary for these structures. Obsidian’s police uniform is unusual because there are no active police departments. He is one of the few forces of order that still exist—“armed individuals.