Essay about Laurie Halse Andersons Speak - 1277 Words

Speak Essay Melinda was an outcast and loner in high school who was overwhelmed, fearful, and confused with her life and her environment at school. She was always silent in class and afraid to speak in front of people. Many students today might feel the need to fit in with other people so they wouldn’t have to be looked down upon. As we take a look at Melinda’s life we’ll be able to see how she handles her daily conflicts. In the book, Speak, Melinda Sordino, an incoming freshman at Merryweather High, starts her year off with a terrible start. She’s stuck with a mean history teacher, by who she calls Mr. Neck and a whole bunch of other weird teachers like her English teacher of who she calls, Hairwomen, because of her crazy, uncombed†¦show more content†¦Hairwomen is hammering it to death† (Anderson 101). This shows that Melinda doesn’t really enjoy how they’re reading the book because of how the class is reading one sentence at a time and analyzing every small thing in the book. Melinda was thinking why Nathaniel couldn’t just say what he meant straightforward but figured how it would be boring if he just repeated everything he said in the book. That’s why he used symbolism in the story to make it more interesting. In another example, Melinda says â€Å"I can see us, living in the woods, her wearing that A, me with an S maybe, S for silent, for stupid, for scared. S for silly. For shame† (Anderson 101). This shows that Melinda is emotionally unstable and thinks of herself in many bad ways such as her being dumb and afraid. It also shows that Melinda is kind of mad at herself for the person she is. For that, she makes herself feel ashamed. Another allusion that was used by the author was Picasso. During art class, Mr. Freeman says â€Å" ‘Picasso.’ He whispers like a priest. ‘Picasso. Who saw the truth. Who painted the truth, molded it, ripped from the earth with two angry hands’ † (Anderson 118). This allusion shows that Picasso was an amazing artist and can be capable of inspiring people like Melinda, who has her imagination paralyzed, to come up with a good art piece. Melinda agreed to go through the bookShow MoreRelatedImportance Of Dysfunctional Family In Laurie Halse Andersons Book Speak845 Words   |  4 PagesA dysfunctional family is defined as a family in which conflict, misconduct, and often the disregard of a child takes place. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s book Speak, the main character, Melinda, struggles with her own dysfunctional family issues and the influence it has on her decision to speak out about her rape. Melinda is uncertain of the reaction her parents may have if she did tell them, as well as how they may become involved in her personal life. Because of this, she rejects the idea of speakingRead MoreAnalysis Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson1848 Words   |  8 PagesThe book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, i s about a teenage girl who stops talking after she gets raped. The title of the book is ironically based on the fact that Melinda, the protagonist, chooses not to speak again after the incident. During the end of the summer party, Melinda calls the cops on her friends causing her to avoid interactions with society. Her peers and friends begin to hate her, yet nobody once asks her why she did what she did. The reasoning for her action is that she was beingRead MoreLaurie Halse Anderson s Writing Reflects The Time2483 Words   |  10 PagesWhen students are bullied, they are encouraged to speak up about it to a teacher or some other adult; however, many do not, because they may think their cases are not important enough to be told, because no one will believe their stories, or because they are embarrassed by what happened. As these cases turn from simple bullying to a more severe event, this inability to speak up only increases. Laurie Halse Anderson shows this effect with being r aped, as well as the emotional damage that goes withRead More`` Speak, By The Maya Angelou1137 Words   |  5 PagesAngelou. This statement also aligns to a 1999 contemporary classic novel, Speak, where a young freshman, Melinda Sordino, faces isolation and depression to an event that occurred over the summer, one that only she knows about. In the novel, Melinda hangs up a poster of Maya Angelou in her make-shift janitor’s closet hangout. Laurie Halse Anderson uses Maya Angelou as a figure for Melinda to learn and change by in the novel Speak. Melinda could learn from Angelou that she can stand up and rise up fromRead MoreIs Censorship Really A Negative Thing? Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson2281 Words   |  10 Pages Each year, someone is guilty of challenging a book while others are guilty of banning novels from the classroom. The question remains, is censorship necessarily a negative thing? Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel that has caused havoc and controversy wi thin the education system. While some critics argue Speak should be â€Å"hidden† from students, many believe otherwise. At a glance, this novel contains scenes involving issues of drugs, parents that are disengaged in their child s life, sexualityRead MoreThe Five Basic Needs In Speak, By Laurie Halse Anderson1103 Words   |  5 PagesTrista Mahika Alexis Paola William Glasser came up with the five basic needs for humans in order to be happy. In Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda, the main character, has and lacks some of these needs. She has two of the four basic needs that we are going be talking about, as she lacks the other two. She has Power and she is a Survivor, meanwhile she is lacking Freedom, and she feels as if she doesn’t have anyone to love, along with not having anyone that Loves her and she doesn’t belongRead MoreTheme Of Conflict In Speak803 Words   |  4 Pagesovercoming obstacles. This theme is expressed through the conflict, symbolism, and foreshadowing throughout the texts. Laurie Halse Anderson’s use of literary elements in Speak, as well as the devices in the ancillary text, The Art of Resilience, and the poem â€Å"If†, help the common theme of overcoming obstacles through a time of growth and change evolve throughout the story. The conflicts in Speak and The Art of Resilience prove the theme is overcoming struggles. The challenge in both texts is characters gettingRead MoreEssay On Overcoming Obstacles In Speak877 Words   |  4 Pageshelp it go away. In Speak, mute Melinda was unable to overcome her struggle since she attempted to â€Å"dodge† the truth. However, when Melinda finally spoke out about what happened to her, she immediately felt better about the struggle she was dealing with. The main theme of the novel and ancillary texts is overcoming obstacles. This theme is expressed through the conflict, symbolism, and foreshadowing throughout the texts. Laurie Halse Anderson’s use of literary elements in Speak, as well as the devicesRead MoreA Young Adult ( Ya ) Novel, By Laurie Halse Anderson1667 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel, it is very important for an author to capture the voice of a teenager. This is because a very important characteristic of YA literature is that the author can assum e the voice of a teenager, or the voice of the audience of their literature. Laurie Halse Anderson does a good job of this throughout the novel, giving a reasonable summary of what life in high school could be for a freshman. While a freshman in high school may have trouble adjusting to life from eighth grade to ninth grade, AndersonRead MoreSymbolization in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson1322 Words   |  6 PagesAranpreet Singh Ms. Ceci ENG 1D1-07 Speak In Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, trees symbolize Melinda’s growth throughout her life to stay sane and pass the horrific time of her life. Depression is her first phase, when she starts to paint the trees that were hit by lightning. It is also shown by her not talking to many people. She starts to realize that she cannot be perfect when she imagines a beautiful oak tree but really cannot carve it properly. Her third phase comes when the trees outside