Analysis Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Life will be overflowing with challenges but that's to be expected, As everyone experiences some sort of problem or discomfort that might irritate them. That's to be expected but what matters is how people can handle those situations and not repeat their mistakes causing them a more drastic time. Some find their way out of a situation that you never want to be in by making the right decisions and others turn to have a harder challenge. The novel “speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson displays this as a young teen girl, her name Melinda sordino going into her first year of high school and facing many problems and challenges as she is unable to communicate with others about all the horrific things that have happened to her in school and outside of

Melinda, a freshman girl attending MerryWeather High School in Syracuse, New York starts her new year off by consistently getting made fun of and being left out as she is part of no groups, no sports clubs, and even activities. She also has no friends at school except one, her name Heather, from ohio. Heather had just moved to New York from Ohio and is new. Melinda had recently found this old abandoned janitor's closet as she hides there to stay away from people and she also skips her classes as well. Her grades weren’t helping her either, She was consistently getting made fun of being talked about and abandoned by everyone because they didn't know the truth due to Melinda not speaking up for herself. The author also symbolizes mirrors in the book because Melinda took the mirror down from her room due to herself not being able to recognize herself anymore, she was a whole new person she never knew. Melinda also took a maya angelou poster and covered her mirror in her safe place. Maya Angelou was an author who was a selective mute and there is a connection between her and Melinda as they both did not speak, Melinda for the first 3 quarters of school was very quiet and to herself. Melinda heavily avoided Andy Evans the guy who

Melinda in this new marking quarter doesn't hide as much as she used to by skipping her classes and she has a new friend, Ivy from her art class, a class that she liked and felt like it was a safe place. During the duration of the fourth-making period spring naked a significant change in Melinda as she had better grades, and now a friend to talk to as well. In PE Melinda played a tennis match with her old friend Nichole who is a very athletic person. Melinda lost as expected but she made the game close as she did very well and she tried in that match. This marked a big change in Melinda because Melinda previously had not tried in anything competitive and Melinda also thought she wasn't good enough for anything but here she tried and did well and she was able to recognize that she is good at something. Melinda was worried about her old friend Rachel who was dating Andy Evans so she got the courage to tell Rachel she was raped at the party by Andy Evans but Rachel said she was only jealous and trying to hurt their relationship. This also marks a big change in Melinda because she spoke up for herself unlike earlier in the book when she would not. There is a part in the book where there was a marker stain on Melinda’s shirt and she had to go to the bathroom to wash it off and Ivy helped her do so. During this