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Speak To Me Analysis

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"Speak" To Me A teen named Melinda Sordino comes to high school feeling depressed and lonely. Her school friends hate her because she called the police during a summer party. However, no one knew that the reason she called was because she had been raped by Andy Evans. She refuses to speak to anyone about the events that took place. This novel connects to many teens who do not have the confidence to speak up for themselves, like Melinda. Furthermore, this novel talks about real world problems such as women empowerment, depression, and communication. Firstly, a real-world example that connects to this novel is women empowerment. Melinda does a report for bonus marks on the Suffragettes in Mr. Neck's class. Unfortunately, she must do the report …show more content…

It is evident that Melinda was depressed as she was biting her lip and cutting her wrist with the end of a paperclip. Due to her depression, she was not fully understood by many people, such as her parents and Heather. For example, when Melinda cut her wrist, her mom said, "I don’t have time for this Melinda" (88). Since her mom does not bother to take the time to comprehend her situation, it is clear that she does care about how Melinda feels. Moreover, Melinda’s behavioural issues stem from her depression and lack of desire to actively engage in her life. To emphasize, Heather see this abnormal behaviour when she says, "You don’t like anything. You are the most depressed person I've ever met, and excuse me for saying this, but you are no fun to be around and I think you need professional help" (105). Both Heather and Melinda’s mom complain about her depression and they do not try to help her overcome it. In reality, many teens and adults have depression. Unfortunately, a lot of them do not have someone who they can talk to, who will listen, understand, and try help. Moreover, it is those who talk about how they feel that are able to overcome their depression; those who do not, typically do horrible things to themselves like attempting to commit suicide. Similarly, as Melinda had no one to turn to, she attempted suicide by slitting her wrist with a

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Melinda’s grades begin to drop and she starts to self harm by biting her lips until they bleed. When Heather notices that Melinda is depressed, she breaks her friendship with her instead of getting Melinda help. Her parents and guidance counselors notice her sudden decline, but think it’s just a ploy for attention. Months later, Melinda finally admits to herself that she was raped by Andy Evans. She starts going to class and reuniting with her friends.

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Throughout the book, Melinda has problems with her family. For example a problem with her family is that her parents don't listen or talk to her. Also her dad just comes home drunk not talking to her. Also Melinda has a lot of problems with her friends like. The problems with here friends is they don’t like each other anymore and the readers don’t know why.

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“That Don’t Sound Like You” is written by Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley and Lee Brice, who is also the performer. This song was written and recorded in 2014 and released in 2015. Throughout grade school, Lee Brice was very close friends with a female classmate. After graduating they parted ways. Brice and his friend ended up meeting again one day and everything was different.

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In the worst stage of her depression, Melinda was feeling

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Speak is a terrifyingly realistic depiction of a rape victim’s struggle to find her voice and find herself once more after a vile “encounter” with the school’s golden boy. The story gives more information about the rape as it progresses, and eventually the reader learns the crime occurred at an end-of-the-summer party where Andy Evans, desired by most of the students in Merryweather High School, took advantage of an intoxicated and vulnerable Melinda. This lead to the protagonist contacting the police and shutting the party down, as well as causing Melinda to become alienated by her peers in result. Because of this awful ordeal, Melinda is seen as a snitch by her peers during the entirety of her freshman year. Melinda Sordino’s story shows

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1 in 6 womenwoman will be or have been raped in the US, . With most victims being 18-30 years old. The book Speak (by Laurie Halse Anderson) is about a girl named Melinda that had something traumatic happen to her at a summer party. Due to her trauma she has a hard time making friends going into high school and with this Melinda is conflicted about her individuality and questions if she can trust any one with being herself . After spring break Melinda begins to care about herself again and tries to better herself and get over her trauma.

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You are the most depressed person I’ve ever met, and excuse me for saying this, but you are no fun to be around and I think you need professional help’” (Anderson 105). Heather directly points out Melinda’s avoidance of conflict. Melinda doesn’t bother with social activities or any of Heather’s interests, preferring to be alone.

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For example, on page one-hundred and twenty-four of the novel, Melinda states, “I have to stay away from the closet, go to all my classes. I will make myself normal. Forget the rest of it.” This shows that Melinda has not been good in school and been interacting with

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Melinda cutting herself is a sign of her finding a way to cope with her mental health issues. Dealing with the constant nonsense at school, at home, and in the past leaves Melinda with little breathing space. This is not the only instance of Melinda injuring herself, on many occasions she has coped with the mental suffrage through self harm. She bites her lips until she tastes the blood. “I bite my lip.

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These conversations also cause Melinda to struggle with her self-image. When someone commits an act of self-harm as Melinda did, most of the time they want help. This was all that Melinda wanted from her mother, yet all she got from her mother was an unmoving, emotionally unavailable, brick wall. To add to this, Mrs. Sordino essentially

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At the end of the story she finally found her voice and was able to stand up for herself. In the beginning, Melinda didn't talk to anyone, barely even to her parents. She says, “I have tried so hard to forget every second of that stupid party and here I am in the middle of a hostile crowd that hates me for what I had to do. I can't tell them what really happened” (Anderson, 28).

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The main character, Melinda, has been raped and does not talk much anymore. She is having trouble making friends because of her depression. She rarely answers questions or speaks up for herself. “It's easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it...

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Speak is a novel by Laurie Halse Anderson which tells the story about a girl who was raped but does not tell anyone about it. She goes through this trauma alone. She was raped at a party while she was alone with a handsome senior named Andy in the woods. She has been quiet ever since it happened. The novel makes you feel what she is experiencing in present time.

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When Melinda used a paper clip to “Draw little window cracks of blood”, the reader gains a very vivid sense of the pain she must have been going through internally to inflict such physical pain onto herself. After being asked to hang out at David’s house and declining, Melinda reveals her thoughts about the situation to the

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This novel describes her emotional journey through school and how her relationships with others as her family, friends, teachers, and even herself have changed or influenced her actions. The theme of Speak is one choice or action can affect others. Andy Evans sexually assaulting Melinda causes her to become severely depressed, Mr. Freeman’s supportive art class helps Melinda heal and find herself, and Melinda’s “friends” influenced her to speak up. Firstly, the cause of Melinda becoming severely depressed was Andy Evans sexually assaulting her. Throughout the film and book, “Speak” we could notice Melinda’s depression, emotional and physical change, and altered lifestyle since the rape.

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