Literary Techniques In Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Mr. Freeman once said that “Art is about making mistakes and learning from them.” Melinda Sordino, the protagonist in the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, could certainly relate to that. During the beginning of the book, Melinda suffers from PTSD due to her being raped by Andy Evans that summer. She has no friends to talk to, and she will not talk to her parents. Over the course of the book, Melinda gains a few friends and slowly learns how to speak again. At the end of the book, Melinda has finally found the courage to tell someone what really happened that summer. Although it is true that Melinda has other turning points in her life such as the tree project, Melinda’s closet, and Andy Evans sexually assaulting Melinda, Andy Evans, Melinda’s

Melinda has been traumatized by him that she can not even stand being near him, and her ability to talk to others has gone away. In fact, towards the middle of the book, Andy comes up to Melinda while she is practicing drawing her trees. She says, “ IT: “Hello? Anyone home? Are you deaf? IT stares at my face. I crush my jaws together so hard my teeth crumble to dust. I am a frozen in the headlights of a tractor trailer” (161). Melinda is frozen whenever Andy is around her. Everytime she is near him, she runs away because she is scared of what will happen to her. The incident that summer left a big mark on Melinda since Andy had raped her. Melinda has not had the courage to tell someone how she is really feeling, so she has to keep everything inside of her. Also, towards the beginning of the book, Melinda is taping up posters when Andy comes up to her. She says, “IT found me again. I thought I could ignore IT… I can smell him over the noise of the metal shop and I drop my poster and the masking tape and I want to throw up and I can smell him and I run and he remembers and he knows” (86). Melinda is constantly reliving the moment whenever she sees Andy Evans. She feels like she can not run away from what is happening to her. Melinda is all by herself and she has no one to talk to about her problems. Just being by Andy too is making her worse. Additionally, towards the beginning of the book, Andy Evans

In fact, Melinda’s bad parents have made it hard for Melinda to express what she is feeling to them. Towards the beginning of the book, Melinda’s mom sees the cut on Melinda’s wrist. Melinda says, “Mom sees the wrist at breakfast. Mom: ‘I don’t have time for this, Melinda.’ Me: She says suicide is for cowards” (88). Melinda’s mom doesn’t even care about asking Melinda why she cut herself. Instead she tells Melinda to stop hurting herself. A good parent would have asked their child why they cut themselves, and would have tried to talk to them about the situation. Melinda’s mom is just ignoring the situation because she doesn’t have enough time to talk to Melinda. Melinda can not seem to talk to her parents because she knows that her parents will not believe her. Also towards the middle of the book, Melinda is sitting with her parents in the principal’s office. She says, “Mother: ‘She’s jerking us around to get attention.’ Me: [inside my head] Would you listen? Would you believe me? Fat chance” (114). Melinda has stopped telling her parents how she really feels because she knows that they will not believe her. Melinda’s mother is even accusing Melinda of being quiet just to get attention. Melinda is not a person to go as far as being quiet to get attention. Her mom should have known that. Melinda’s parents do not even seem to notice Melinda at all. Her mom is always busy with work everyday and