Billy's speech impediment is one of the recurring, but generally overloooked details of the book. Billy has trouble saying certain words from a young age, namely, words with an "s" on the end. For example, the word "penis," which he pronounces as "penith." Billy mentions the trouble he has in the beginning of the book, but does not continually talk about it. He even stars in a play, by Shakespeare, with no mention of a speech problem.
Billy first tells the reader of his trouble with words when he meets Miss Frost. He hardly mentions his trouble again until he has sex with Miss Frost. While she is trying to correct him on his pronunciation, their mutual love escalates to a sexual affair. "'I wouldn't change that penith for all the world, William,' Miss Frost said. 'I believe you should say that word any fucking way you want to.'" Billy seems to associate his younger years, including his speech impediment, with Miss frost, and his undying love for her.
The speech impediment symbolizes Billy's childlike vulnerability, something that he could only feel around Miss Frost. Because he was infatuated with her for years, he could not be near her, let alone have sex with her, without feeling vulnerable and exposed.
Although Billy's speech impediment may represent his vulnerability, I don't believe the impediment symbolizes the same thing once Billy defines who he is. Billy only has the impediment with specific words that cause him pain in his life, or cause him insecurity. The only word Billy cannot say throughout his entire is "penith". This must been that it is the last insecurity Billy has. Is he nervous about whether or not he is gay or not? Is he still remembering Miss Frost when he says this word?
ReplyDeleteOr does the fact that Miss Frost approves of the way he says "penith" that he then feels confident about the word, or the concept? Either way, Billy's speech impediment, I believe, is another insecurity that he tries to surpress. It eventually, like Elaine's bra, disappears after Billy becomes secure in his identity.