The Language Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

159 Words1 Pages
The next lens, formal, focuses on critically evaluating the wording and structure used within the book. Speak is told from a teenager's perspective, so it was very important that the language matched that. Anderson did an excellent job of matching the language so that the story seemed realistic to the reader. Another element hidden in the language of Speak is the significance of the tree. When Melinda is given the art assignment to create a tree she struggles until she starts to work through her assault. This problem is most likely caused by the fact that when Melinda was assaulted it happened in the woods and therefore as she blocks out that memory she blocks out trees. Some of the themes in Speak are change and overcoming. Melinda goes through