Symbolism In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson

Mr. Emmons

ENG1D1.62

Trauma portrayed in Speak

April 4, 2023 “Don’t expect to make a difference unless you speak up for yourself” (Anderson 159). Melinda saying this displays her growth, as this fact strongly contrasts her more timid, shy behavior at the beginning of the book. Speak, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, has a character named Melinda Sordino slowly gain the strength to speak up after being raped during a party that previous summer. Because Melinda called the police after the rape, the party got stopped, and Melinda became an outcast from there on out. Melinda struggles with making new friends at school because she is a part of the group of outcasts within the school. Throughout the book, the reader is shown

The setting serves as a way to display Melinda’s emotional state, which effectively represents her feelings of loneliness and trauma after the incident at the party. In the first few pages of Speak, Melinda says, "The school looks the same as I remember it, but it feels different. Like I'm trapped in a nightmare version of Sterling High. Hallways that once smelled of Clorox and floor wax now reek of impotence and despair" (Anderson 4). This quote represents the way Melinda sees the world through her eyes. It also does a good job of establishing the depressing setting of the story, which recurs many times throughout the book (Anderson 4). The evidence is significant because it allows the reader to feel what Melinda is feeling, and answers why Melinda commonly feels down while at school. The quote, "The school looks the same as I remember it, but it feels different. Like I'm trapped in a nightmare version of Sterling High. Hallways that once smelled of Clorox and floor wax now reek of impotence and despair" (Anderson 4) represents the very sad setting, which further proves the point of Melinda's emotional state being represented by the setting. Furthermore, the quotation also proves the thesis statement, which reads, “Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak highlights the theme of healing and bravery through

Many times in the story, Melinda tends to have flashbacks related to the party, displaying how deep her trauma truly is. An example of Melinda having a flashback related to the party would be when Melinda starts to recall the events leading up to the incident, stating, “It wasn't my fault. I didn't want to go to the party. He made me. The mirror in his room was the first place I looked. I was still myself” (Anderson 48). This quote demonstrates how Melinda has a hard time coming to terms with what happened at the party (Anderson 48). The quotation, “It wasn't my fault. I didn't want to go to the party. He made me. The mirror in his room was the first place I looked. I was still myself” (Anderson 48) is significant because it highlights how the author uses different flashbacks to show how deep Melinda’s trauma really is. It also proves the point that throughout the story, Melinda tends to have flashbacks related to the party, displaying how deep her trauma truly is. By using flashbacks, the author is connecting the reader to Melinda, allowing the reader to feel how horrible Melinda’s trauma is on a personal level. This is significant to the thesis because the book highlights the theme of healing through Melinda's character development, and her flashbacks are a