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Laurie Halse Anderson Speak Tree Analysis

683 Words3 Pages

In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson the use of symbols are very clear. Anderson uses trees as Melinda's art project and to symbolize her. The symbol of trees represent Melinda's artwork, her innocent childhood, and her growth. To begin with, the very common use of the symbol of trees in Speak represents Melinda's artwork. She was assigned in the beginning of the book in art class by Mr. Freeman a tree. Melinda has been having lots of struggles trying to get to draw a good tree and is having a block of ideas. Melinda says “I try to draw a branch coming out of my tree for the 315th time. It looks so flat, a cheap, cruddy drawing. I have no idea how to make it come alive”(Halse Anderson 55). Melinda has been struggling trying to draw her tree, and she has tried many times. She has also …show more content…

He then proceeds to try to do everything again but she silenced him and stands up for herself and screams no. Melinda talks about her tree she is making saying “My tree is definitely breathing; little shallow breaths like it shot up through the ground this morning …. Roots knob out of the ground and the crown reaches for the sun, tall and healthy. The new growth is the best part”(Halse Anderson 196). Her creating a new living tree that she finally likes is similar to her growth as a person. It took a long time, the whole year to get a tree just how she wanted. She even though it took a long time she stood up for herself and did what she wanted with the situation in the janitor's closet with Andy Evans and spoke which is her growth since she hasn't talked. The symbol of the trees represents Melinda's growth as a person. In conclusion, in the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson the use of the symbol trees is very common and important. The trees represent her art project that Mr.Freeman assigned her and her struggles for her freshman year. The symbol of the trees represent Melinda's artwork, her innocent childhood, and her growth as a

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