ipl-logo

Family In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

752 Words4 Pages

Family. A lot of people cringe at the word because of the embarrassment that can come with it. Family means a support system that will follow through for you when you need it. A group of people, related or otherwise, who knows exactly what to do to push your buttons or make you feel better. In the book, Speak, Melinda grows up in a, seemingly normal, yet dysfunctional setting. Sure she has parents that are around, however that does not make a family similar to how kindness and caring is what makes a great one. Melinda was raped at a summer party. Entering high school is hard enough without a debilitating secret. What happened to her was not her parents’ fault, yet everything that happened afterwards could have been helped, or even prevented, if her parents had just noticed.
Showering is nearly daily ritual that people choose to partake in for sanitary as well as social reasons. Melinda has …show more content…

Physical as well as psychological scars are apparent on many survivors. Sexual assault victims of all kinds experience various psychological symptoms but a few of the most common ones are:Depression, Flashback of what took place, Sleeping and Eating disorders, Guilt, Distrust, and multiple personality disorders. Experiencing these things - especially two or more - can be a hard thing to deal with. It would be nearly impossible to hide these things from somebody who knew you even in the slightest. Melinda was able to do this, right under the noses of her parents for months. Her attack wasn’t the only thing that had left her scarred. As mentioned before, depression is an extremely common side effect in sexual assault victims.Melinda shows her experience with this as well as the harsh coldness from her mother. PG 88 “ Mom sees my wrist at breakfast. Mom: I don’t have time for this Melinda. Me:. She says suicide is for cowards.” This should have been a slap in the face to a mother who is supposed to care about her

Show More
Related

  • Summary And Symbolism In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

    441 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever felt like you were trapped in a secret that you couldn’t find the power to share it with anyone? Author, Laurie Halse Anderson wrote her young-adult novel Speak, to show the what its like to face something like that. What’s her secret you might ask? Melinda a ninth grade student about to enter high school was a victim to a sexual assult by one of her peers that past summer at a party. Many teens face this and even though it seems impossible to conquer, Anderson, using humor, and complex symbolism which brings to light on how a real life issue evolved into a new way.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

    998 Words  | 4 Pages

    Melinda also exhibits self-loathing tendencies by avoiding mirrors and by engaging in negative self-talk. This aspect of the novel will allow for the reader to relate to how Melinda is dealing with the situation, but also to self-identify how they are dealing with their situation differently. The decline in Melinda’s functioning is quite extensive; she stops engaging in conversation and her hygiene, school work and attendance plummet. Here, the reader is shown how extensive the effects trauma can have in someone’s life and allows them to learn about it in a private setting without the pressure of speaking about what has happened to them

    Read More

  • Grandma Esther Research Paper

    699 Words  | 3 Pages

    love mom.” Esther picked her head up and looked around the bus in her head she can’t believe it taking her grandchild without the his mom’s permission is nuts! but then she thinks, I’m doing the right thing, she won’t go to the police all this violence and nonsense will finally cease.

    Read More

  • Journal Response To Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

    893 Words  | 4 Pages

    Because of this, she has a difficult time speaking out about the event that happened to her. The struggle that Melinda goes through and what she feels is similar to that of countless women who have been in the news lately. Recently, more women have come out and talked about their experiences with sexual

    Read More

  • Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

    997 Words  | 4 Pages

    She constantly suffered nightmares, plagued from the truth and what happened that night. She never outwardly says anything about it. While Melinda’s denial is a common response to trauma it is

    Read More

  • Speak Book Report

    921 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mom sees the wrist at breakfast. Mom: “I don’t have time for this, Melinda. ”(Anderson 88). Her parent hardly pay attention to her so she tries to deal with the constant memory of the incident on her own.

    Read More

  • Overcoming Adversity In The Crossover By Kwame Alexander

    545 Words  | 3 Pages

    Analysis: Mom: She’s the type of mom that’s chill but if anybody does anything wrong she’s on top of your head. She wants the best from you.

    Read More

  • Women In The Bean Trees By Barbara Kingsolver

    756 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sexual assault is very common and very difficult to overcome for most, in another article the girls that claimed to be raped talked about their process of overcoming the claimed assault they all have different experiences and different ways of coping with it again showing how different the reactions can

    Read More

  • Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson Analysis

    734 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is about a girl named Melinda, who shows signs of depression throughout the story. She has no friends and is hated by people she doesn’t even know. This is because she called the cops at a party, where she was raped. Anderson includes literary elements to show how Melinda is depressed. Throughout the novel, she uses many different literary elements to show Melinda’s conflict.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Family In The Odyssey

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Foundation of Family” Family is the fundamental building block of all societies. It is all inclusive across generations and cultures. Based on the epic poem The Odyssey and current families today, we see that family is where we learn to love ourselves and each other, to bear one another’s burdens, to find meaning in our life and to give purpose to other’s lives, and to feel the value of being part of something greater than ourselves. Family is where we experience our biggest triumphs, deepest vulnerabilities, and where we have the greatest potential to do good.

    Read More

  • Family In Alice Huu's To Live By Fugui

    1461 Words  | 6 Pages

    According to Merriam-Webster, family can be defined as “the basic unit in society consisting of two parents rearing children”(Family). But in reality, family often transcends that definition. Families are people who have strong emotional connections with each other. To Live is a story about a man who experiences many misfortunes. Fugui’s family is a big part of his life and once they are all gone he has no choice but to live on without them.

    Read More

  • Family Definition Essay

    1100 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Family” is a hard word to create a concrete definition for. If one were to ask three random people on the street, it is likely they will receive three completely different answers to defining a family. The textbook definition of family according to the etymology dictionary is: “Origin in early 15c. “servants of a household” from Latin familia “family servants, domestics collectively, the servants in a household.” The traditional dictionary describes family in a more narrow fashion stating, “a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not.”

    Read More

  • Definition Of Family Essay

    854 Words  | 4 Pages

    Family is characterized with common aspects such as parents, grandparents, and siblings but there are so many other ways to distinct family. The word family is commonly defined as a group of individuals that have the same ancestors, and gather for holidays and other special events. This particular definition is true in so many ways, but everyone goes through life with situations that are brought up that bring together or break apart families. When I think about the word family and my experiences I have gone through and I would consider family to have crazy moments, lots of laughter, and unconditional love. Family to me is getting everyone together and having a good time and acting crazy with your loved ones, making memories.

    Read More

  • Personal Essay: What Family Means To Me?

    891 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Dictionary.com, family means a group of persons who form a household under one head, including parents, children, and servants. According to Google family means, all the descendants of a common ancestor. As one can see, there are many different meanings to family. To me family means support, dysfunctional, love, and friendships. Family is the most important influence on a child’s life.

    Read More

  • Speech About Family

    924 Words  | 4 Pages

    Family Family is one of the greatest gift and blessing from the Lord. Without family you can not feel love, care , satisfaction and happiness. They are the most treasured blessing that no one can take away from us. It is also like a fragile thing you consider as the most precious gem in your whole life. Family is a basic unit in the society traditionally consisting of parents and children.

    Read More

More about Family In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

Open Document