Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

High school is something that is not always depicted accurately in literature. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak there is a significant focus on the social scene in a high school. Anderson accurately represents the issues within a student’s social life.

Speak depicts how students form groups based on common interests and self-segregate. In “Classroom Social Dynamics Management: Why the Invisible Hand of the Teacher Matters” it is explained that “when youth are aggregated together they synchronize behavior in ways that promote selective affiliation”(Dawes et al. 5). The groups vary based on hobbies, personalities, and even physical appearance. On the first day of school, Melinda describes this phenomenon: “We fall into clans: Jocks, Country

It is forced on her by her peers and becomes the only thing people know her by. It is similar to the way bullying is explained in Robert Thornberg’s article, “She’s Weird! - The Social Construction of Bullying in School.” She is “negatively labeled as different” and it is made that it “becomes the dominant feature of [her] social identity at school,” which is a tactic commonly found among school-aged bullies. (Thornberg 3). In addition to having called the police, she admits that she has “entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude.” (Anderson 4). After Heather leaves her, Melinda is the only person completely alone with no friends to sit with, because no one feels any connection to her, as her defining trait is that of a snitch. The other outcasts are allowed an identity that they can connect to other people with. “[They] have the social power to sit with other losers. I'm the only one sitting alone” (Anderson

They “contribute to social dynamics with grouping strategies, seating assignments, disciplinary practices, and other methods that impact students’ social opportunities” (Dawes et al. 9). Many of Melinda’s teachers impact her negatively, such as Mr. Neck. After she gets hit by potatoes and runs out of the cafeteria, Mr. Neck finds her and says "I knew you were trouble the first time I saw you.” (Anderson 9). From this point forward, Mr. Neck treats Melinda as a delinquent, contributing to her social isolation. He creates a more unwelcoming environment for her, as opposed to helping her assimilate into the school, as a teacher should. Conversely, Melinda has an excellent relationship with her art teacher, Mr. Freeman. He makes students feel welcomed and accepted, to the point where students often come to see him outside of when they need to. Melinda describes his influence on students, remarking that “the room is full of painters, sculptors, and sketchers... some kids stay there until the late late buses are ready to roll.” (Anderson 77). Mr. Freeman clearly fosters a positive environment for students. He is one of the few people who Melinda feels comfortable around, with her going so far as to open up to him about her trauma at the end of the school