Speak Symbolism Analysis

The purpose of symbolism in literature is to represent the turmoil and struggles of the characters which cannot directly conveyed. Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak relies on these as a subtle method of characterization and a way of expressing the themes of the novel. These symbols in the story are plentiful and make parallels to Melinda’s feelings, fears, and character development, such as mirrors, the settings of the closet and art room, and trees.

The presence of mirrors in the story represent Melinda’s self-confidence (or lack thereof) and the level of acceptance she has reached with herself. Early in the story she decides to hide the mirrors in her bedroom and closet at school as a way of hiding from herself. Her hatred of these

Trees are first introduced when Melinda draws it to be her art project for the year. This task is met with some frustration from Melinda over the year. “Hopeless. I crumple it into a ball and take out another sheet. How hard can it be to put a tree on a piece of paper?” (32). Melinda’s inability to properly draw trees parallel her real life struggles.Just as she has trouble coming to terms with her emotions, she has difficulty putting emotion into her art and breathing life into her drawings. It is only at the end of the novel, when she is prepared to speak, that she finally breaks through the barrier that holds her back and prevents her from bringing her art to life. Not long after Melinda is assigned the art project, she starts to become more mindful of the trees in her everyday life. Her personal growth can be compared to that of a tree: slow, laborious, but not without leaving something standing beautiful and strong in the end. It takes the pruning of the tree in her yard and the words of her father for Melinda to understand that it is possible for her to move forward. “He’s not chopping it down. He’s saving it. Those branches were long dead from disease. All plants are like that. By cutting off the damage, you make it possible for the tree to grow again.” (187). In Melinda’s case, the “diseased” part of her is the knowledge of the rape that she does not share with anybody, and it is not until she speaks out that she begins to shrug off the “diseased” parts of herself. Also, it is when she visits the tree near the site of her rape that she finally admits to herself that she is a survivor and that she will continue to keep growing. The tree, being a living, breathing, and growing organism is the perfect representation of a complex human mind, especially a mind that has to work hard to overcome its