In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson the main character, Melinda, often turns to nature to provide an inspiring story for her feelings of hopelessness to fall back on. Though it is not always blatantly stated, while Melinda comes to terms with the fact that she has been raped nature provides parallels to Melinda's life, symbolizing changing sentiments as they occur. This symbolism manifests in Melinda's interests, the seasons, and her art project. Melinda often mentions plant seeds throughout the story. Melinda's first mention of them is in Biology class when the class dissects apples. However, Melinda begins to stray from the instructions when the smell permeating the room reminds her of a sweet memory from childhood; apple picking …show more content…
For someone who is depressed, like Melinda, venturing out to do anything productive like yard work shows immense progress. Not only is she taking interests in major long-term projects, she is displaying a newfound sense of self-care. By caring about the appearance of her house Melinda is taking pride in her home and herself. Melinda shows additional progress by convincing herself to speak to her dad when he comes out of the house and sees Melinda's project. At first, she merely shakes her head in response to his questions, as well as his offer to go to the hardware store to get supplies for Melinda's newfound project. However, before Melinda allows her father to leave she convinces herself to make another breakthrough by speaking to him for the first time in a long time: "I rake the leaves out of my throat. "Can you buy some seeds? Flower seeds?"" (168) This is a small step towards repairing her relationship with her dad, hinting that she is ready to open up a line of communication with her parents again This also proves that the change the readers are seeing in Melinda is not a fluke, but something she intends on following through with. Flowers must be cared for throughout the season, and Melinda is promising herself that she will commit. In this case, Melinda is symbolizing her promise to begin caring for herself by also promising to care for the