Summary Of Melinda Sordino's Speak

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

Instead, they just believed she called the police because she desired to ruin their fun and alienates her. Melinda must endure the aftermath of the party, cope with her little to no emotional outlet, and deal with becoming an outcast. Melinda states she is an outcast numerous times in the novel. An outcast is an individual who is rejected by their peers and stands out in a crowd. Melinda is deserted by her peers because of a phone call that, unbeknownst to them, was only made because of a rape crime that had occurred minutes before it was made. To begin, Melinda is forced to sit alone on the bus because no one will take the seat next to her. “As we leave the last stop, I am the only person sitting alone.” (3) Melinda resides in a lonely seat on the bus because no one wants to sit with the individual who ruined the party of the year, as they conclude that it means she is a killjoy. They do not, however, question why she had to make that call. This shows she is an outlier because while others have friends to talk to on the bus, she is ignored and alone. Likewise, Melinda enters the freshman information meeting in the auditorium solely, with people splitting into groups and leaving her alone. “I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the

As much as she may have hoped it did, the party did not just vanish and become forgotten or a distant memory. Melinda had to spend high school with that night written with sharpie on her forehead. It was pretty much what all people would talk to her about and all she was known for. From students laughing at her to an almost repeat of the rape, the aftermath of the party continues as a nightmare for Melinda. Beginning, Melinda is seen as the girl who ended the party way after the event transpired. “The girl poked me harder. ‘Aren’t you the one who called the cops at Kyle Rodger’s party at the end of the summer?’” (27) Melinda is harassed about the party. The people heckling Melinda think it is alright to pester and bully her about that night, showing questionable judgement about the choices of her peers. It seems in this case that they do not take into consideration Melinda’s feelings and are not questioning if their choices are good or bad. In addition, Andy Evans, the insufferable boy that sexually assaulted Melinda, mockingly messes with her. “He twirls my ponytail in his fingers… [I] run for the bathroom. I have my lunch into the toilet,” (91) Andy taunts Melinda by acting as if nothing is wrong because he knows she will not do anything about it. This shows a tainted perspective on moral values for Andy because he does not understand, or quite frankly may not want to understand,