speech

Eli Pardue
3/3/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Is Wright justified in refusing to say the speech?

I think that Richard is indeed justified in refusing to give the speech written for him, but I also think that he was foolish for not reciting it. The principle wrote the speech for Richard not just because he wanted Richard to look intelligent as the class valedictorian, but also because he wanted his school to look professional in the eyes of the superintendent. However, it does not make sense to me why he asked Richard to write a speech of his own if he did not plan on letting his recite it. I think that the only reason the principle would ask him to write his own is to prevent him from feeling like a tool for the principle from the get go. This way, he was able to retain some dignity before throwing it to the dogs. I think Richard was right in essentially telling the principle “screw you” because it is his right to speak his own words at his graduation because he is celebrating his own academic accomplishments, not the accomplishments of the principle. It was also foolish to refuse the speech written for him because it put his future in jeopardy. He had the sensible option of working as a schoolteacher on wages that he could use to support a family. Instead he threw that opportunity away because of pride.