Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak Analysis

In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, The book follows a ninth grade student named Melinda Sordino through her first year of high school. She has trouble in school because during the summer she calls the cops on a party that she is attending. Now all her friends won't talk to her and the whole hates her for what she has done. This affects Melinda in a negative was and forces herself to stay quiet and to herself for the whole year. Readers feel that Melinda should stay her quiet self through the situations she was handed during the novel but, Melinda should speak on the situations that are present to her because they would have turned out better for her than her not talking about them. Because of the situations that Melinda was put in, readers have the right to presume that being silent is the best solution. This method does work some of the times. When Melinda was

A situation where Melinda's silent tactic doesn't work in her favor is when she leaves the lunch room after being embarrassed by the basketball pole when he accidentally dumps mashed potatoes on her. She is then met in the hall by Mr. Neck and is given a demerit for not having a reasonable explanation for why she was there in the first place. She decides to say nothing when he asked her to where she is going buts she wonders "Would he listen to "I need to go home and Change," or "Did you see what that bozo did"? Not a chance. I keep my mouth shut."(9). She doesn't say a word to him and from Mr. Necks point her silent treatment can be taken as a sign of disrespect. Melinda feels this is the simplest route to not getting in trouble "It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it."(9). It's easier sometimes not to say anything but, in this case, it got her in trouble when she could have told him what happened in the lunch room. He might have excused her for her demerit this one time but, we will never