“Because I have a right to be heard. I have a voice! ” If King’s Speech is only a story about a successfully overcome stammer, it would be much less appealing. It’s about lack of self-confidence.

King was not born with stammer. He voluntarily adopted it during his childhood. Since then, he has reinforced that “fact” on himself, convinced that he has stammer. Ever time he tries to overcome it, he failed. It’s not because he couldn’t overcome it. It’s just there’s nothing to overcome.

I remember when I was a little girl, my mom sometimes linger behind to whisper about my walking movement. “Her left leg is always leaning inward.” I would become very conscious and alarmed of my walking movement, and then try to correct it. But it became even more obvious after that. I could walk normally for a while, without constantly thinking: is my left leg inward?

Until days later, I was walking with my dad and was too engaged in the conversation that I forgot about my walking “problems”. When we meet with mom, I suddenly remembered and stopped walking. My dad learned what was going on and said to me in a determined, comforting voice, “There’s nothing wrong with your walking. Now come on, tell me more about your dream last night…” He took my hand, and I started talking excitedly about the giant castle and spooky green lights.

Now when I look back after watching the King’s speech. King George probably didn’t have stammer at all. When Lionel put a headset on him so that he couldn’t hear himself, and recorded his speech, it was perfect. It is very hard to overcome an obstacle that does not exist.