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Character Analysis Of Melinda Sordino In Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

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In Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel “Speak”, the main character Melinda Sordino has been through a rough time during her summer and first year of high school. Every year, 350 million people suffer from depression of all ages worldwide. Melinda Sordino is one of the victims. In the novel, the main character Melinda, shows her thoughts to the reader to show what she’s really going through. Melinda is going through a lot, but despite that she does not speak.

Melinda is more scarred on the inside, but also on the outside. By her thoughts throughout the novel, you can realize that she is in a lot of pain and some of that pain can be accessed on her physically. For example you can see that on her mouth and lip area there are scabs and bleeding. “I hate you.” (Anderson,6)(remember to ask how to cite quote properly and erase this) Melinda bites her lip whenever she is scared, nervous or hurt. For instance, when Rachel had told Melinda that she hates her, Melinda had started biting her lip from getting hurt from someone who was once her best friend. Furthermore, whenever Melinda sees Andy Evans, she starts trembling and biting her …show more content…

Although the reader can understand what Melinda is feeling and going through, the other characters can not. Whenever anyone talks to her she just remains quiet or starts biting her lip. “Are you deaf?” (Anderson, 156). When Andy comes into the art room looking for Rachel/Rachelle and asks Melinda if she’s seen her, Melinda remains silent. Melinda may not speak with her mouth, but he does speak in her mind. As the novel goes on, the reader can see what Melinda is thinking. Melinda describes how she feels, such as when Andy goes by, she describes herself as a little rabbit comparing to Andy. You may not expect it, but Melinda is very humorous too. When the other students made fun of her in Spanish class, she said that she was in a fake world full of aliens conducting “tests” on

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