Depression In Speak By Lourie Halse Anderson

Speak Essay
Depression can drown somebody, not allowing them a way to escape. It can be blinding, not allowing you to find a way out. In the book Speak, by Lourie Halse Anderson, Melinda shows many signs of depression after undergoing trauma and does not realize it until she is in too deep. I believe Melinda is depressed due to her loss of interest in activities, feeling as if her life doesn’t matter, and isolating herself from other people.
I believe Melinda is depressed because she no longer wants to participate in activities or events that she would have earlier in her life. A quote from the book showing this states, “I used to be like Heather…She is happy, driven, aerobically fit”(Aderson 24). This shows that Melinda used to be mentally and physically healthy, in addition to desiring to partake in activities to better herself. Later in the book, Melinda says, “she couldn’t pay me enough to play on her basketball team.”(Aderson 75). This shows a change in her previous self because before she experienced the traumatic event, she most likely would have joined the basketball team. Now, she doesn’t want to, and even if she did her grades are so low that they would not allow her.

Throughout the book, Melinda has many self-deprecating thoughts that have led to her deteriorating mental health. A specific quote displayed by the book says, “I’m sure I was a huge disappointment. I’m not pretty or smart or athletic”(Anderson 70). This excerpt from the book claims that Melinda has zero positive qualities and is overall not a good person. She assumes that everybody in the world thinks she is some huge disappointment that is undeserving of anything. This is a sign of depression because Melinda feels as though there is no hope in the world left for