ipl-logo

Summary Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

983 Words4 Pages

After reading Laurie Halse Anderson Laurie Halse Anderson book named Speck we hear the story about Melinda’s journey through her first year of high school. Through the first year, she has confronted the fact that she was raped by Andy by having to summon the strength to fight back and speak up exposing him to the school. In the story, we watch Melinda's interactions with other characters and how the book seems to paint the character's as one-sided, but in the movie, it paints them in a realistic light. So I feel like the book failed in being realistic with how her peers, parental figures are portrayed and how Melinda is hard to sympathize with .

The first issue I found with the book is the way the author made all of Melinda’s peers seem …show more content…

Melinda turns down and ignores opportunities where she could fix her school reputation from one of the people not knowing her and thinking she is weird to one where she can show the real her. For example, she could have been a part of the basketball team and us the gift for shooting and this would allow her to get exposure socially with other kids and it could correct her reputation instead she turns it down and waste it.Another example is when Heather wholeheartedly comes to Melinda for support in making decorations for prom when everyone else is sick. Instead of doing the kind and considerate hing for her Melinda decides to leave her for dead and tells her she can't help her. The way it's told in the book would make you think Heather is a bad person but it's the opposite. If we think of it from Heather's perspective, she is going to her first real friend at a new school where she knows no one and all she wants to do is fit so why wouldn't she want to make new friends. Also, Melinda’s just judgment about the fact she tries to make friends with poplars and with her model, but its just in Heather’s nature she is very innocent and naive person that can make mistakes. Melinda seems to be jealous of Heather so when she finally tries to correct her mistake of leaving her as a friend Melinda deny her the forgiveness and redemption she should be allowed to receive. And it isn't even that Melinda doesn't give to anyone because she does she forgave Ivy when she did more wrong that Heather. This shows how the author has written Melinda as more of a flawed somewhat bad person from the way she treats the people she has around her and the opportunities she

Show More
Related
370 Words | 2 Pages

Melinda`s behavior reflcets the theme because she has come to the realization that keeping her feelings bottled up will not

Read More
244 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout the book, Melinda has problems with her family. For example, her family is mad because she is not achieving academic grade levels. Furthermore, she also has issues with her friends. She called the cops and her friends get mad.

Read More
395 Words | 2 Pages

The purpose of Heather’s character is to give you insight about what Melinda is going through, and how she feels about herself. However, later in the novel, we find out that Heather was not being a real friend. Heather does not care for Melinda’s feelings, she doesn’t ask why people are mad at her,

Read More
1659 Words | 7 Pages

Most of the information is presented in a recessive way rather than a factual statement. Meaning that instead of the author coming out and stating an event or factual evidence they present it in a way that forces the reader to look for it, this is done because some information may not be needed by anyone, someone, or everyone. Lots of information in this book was useful to me in many ways. Reading the story about Melinda has shown me that sometimes, people just need someone to talk to. That even though people may act fine and seem fine they may be very distanced from true happiness because of something that happened in there past, and if they do not have someone that will listen to them then they may allow it to define their future, but, if someone is willing to just listen to them, then they may be able to get past the traumatic event(s) that they are letting define them.

Read More
1973 Words | 8 Pages

Also it’s showing that everyone does not think of her the same way. Melinda is also not blend in with everyone because she is wearing different clothes. In the end of the book, Rachel starts talking to Melinda again after she finds out Andy Evans raped her. Another part in the beginning of the book Heather starts making friends with Melinda but when Heather starts using her, Melinda stands up to her. Heather is super nice to Melida and invites her to do things, but when she meets the Martha’s she slowly started to leave Melinda behind until she needed something.

Read More
757 Words | 4 Pages

Heather pointing this out is another opportunity for Melinda to explain herself and speak up about why she acts that way, and is another opportunity that she turns down. When Melinda stays silent and gives up this chance, she allows Heather to leave, despite not wanting her to leave. Another time Melinda avoids conflict is after Melinda falls asleep in the broom closet and goes to the basketball game, David invites Melinda to a party after school, when she refuses, thinking to herself, “Nope. I don’t do parties. No thanks.

Read More
388 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson repeats the idea of feeling companionless and shielding oneself from harm. Throughout the text, Melinda, the main character feels like everyone is against her and she tries to put a stop to being harmed again. Even at times when she should be happier, such as when she is with friends, she doesn’t speak much and is withdrawn from everyone. On her first day of high school, at the very beginning of the text, Melinda compares high school to the jungle by calling herself “ a wounded zebra in a National Geographic special.” (Halse Anderson 5)

Read More
1903 Words | 8 Pages

Mrs. Sordino’s inability to show compassion towards Melinda and how she may be feeling greatly diminishes their relationship. These interactions cause a chain reaction of broken relationships throughout the book. For Melinda, this causes distrust and unwillingness to open up. After this, every time Mrs. Sordino attempts to ask Melinda about her life, Melinda does not respond. This is most likely caused by these types of interactions throughout the book.

Read More
662 Words | 3 Pages

Walking down the halls getting dirty looks, after what seems like attending a fun party over the summer when everything goes downhill. Getting raped. Sure enough, this is exactly what happens to the main character, Melinda, in the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was an amazing choice that leaves an impression on the audience to never give up. Throughout this novel, a very important message is relayed to the audience, never give up.

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

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).

Read More
924 Words | 4 Pages

The new Melinda sees that she needs to say something and she works up the courage to help her once-friend. This really shows Melinda development as a person. She is overcoming her pain and

Read More
689 Words | 3 Pages

The most compelling evidence is on page 45 where it says, “I hide in the bathroom until I know Heather’s bus has left. The salt in my tears feels good when it stings my lips. I wash my face in the sink until there is nothing left of it, no eyes, no nose, no mouth. A slick Nothing.” This evidence shows how Melinda is feeling.

Read More
983 Words | 4 Pages

Although the students she calls “Future Fascists of America” are not revealed, they in reality are just the student government minding their own business. Melinda and her negativity feel the need to insult them, but she does not reveal why she does so. The reader can see these thoughts Melinda has in her head and start to feel extreme dislike towards her as a character. Her attitude and actions that the reader does get to see, do not make her a favorable character and readers start to hate her from the beginning. Once the orientation is over, Melinda is dreading being there even more, and remarks that on the way to her first class, “I can’t find it and get my first demerit for wandering the

Read More
848 Words | 4 Pages

Consequently, Melinda’s character is one which most teens relate to. Friendship is very important aspect of high school. In high school friendships start to change and so do people. People feel like they have to be cool and popular in high school and that's when everything starts to change for Melinda.

Read More
1197 Words | 5 Pages

Melinda, in a lot of ways, starts out like that it the book. She becomes a shell of herself from before the party happened and because no one else was there, she is lonely and doesn't have anybody to go to and to make matters even worse, she’s covered by the reputation that she has formed. In the book, Laurie Halse Anderson uses symbolism to convey exactly what Melinda can't say. In the beginning of the book, Melinda starts high school carrying her emotional wounds with her after something happens mysterious to her at a party during the summer.

Read More

More about Summary Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Topics

Open Document