Symbolism In Laurie Halse Anderson's 'Speak'

Art is way of expression. People can use actions and art or express themselves in ways other than speaking. In the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, symbolism holds a big significance. The trees mentioned throughout the book symbolize Melinda’s changing “seasons” (her “growing” as a person). People, like trees, go through phases, they freeze in the winter, becoming nothing but lonely limbs without leaves covered with white slush. Melinda, in a lot of ways, starts out like that it the book. She becomes a shell of herself from before the party happened and because no one else was there, she is lonely and doesn't have anybody to go to and to make matters even worse, she’s covered by the reputation that she has formed. In the book, Laurie Halse Anderson uses symbolism to convey exactly what Melinda can't say.

With the trees, any reader can see Melinda transition from feeling lifeless with no hope and nothing keeping her going to accepting herself and having hope for the future. At the beginning of the novel, Melinda is painting trees that reflect exactly how she is feeling. In the chapter "Opposite

Freeman, her art teacher, inspires Melinda to get comfortable with expressing herself through art and eventually, through her speech. When Melinda first meets Mr. Freeman he allocates a project in which each child is given an object. During the course of the year they must take that object and “figure out how to make [their] object say something, express an emotion, speak to every person who looks at it” (Lee 12). Melinda’s object is a tree. She does not perceive how she can bring emotion into an object such as a tree.

Her uses of metaphor, diction, tone, onomatopoeia, and alliteration shows how passionate and personal her and her mother’s connection is with this tree and how it holds them together. There is a difficult decision ahead the mother and daughter both analyze the advantages and disadvantages to cutting down this tree. They have a dispute (line1) and “talk slowly, trying in a difficult time to be wise” (line 10). Using

Like many isolated people, they were wrapped up in themselves and not too interested in the world outside. Charles Frazier once said “people who are isolated interest me,whether they isolate themselves or have been isolated by circumstances.” The inner thought coming from the heart represents the real motives and desires. These are the cause of action . The tree metaphor is speaking her voice and inner thoughts without her having to speak up.

The chapter, “Without Wood,” revolves around Rose Hsu Jordan and her failing marriage. Ted, her soon-to-be ex-husband decides he wants a divorce while on a business trip. The weeds thriving in their once beautiful garden leads Rose to her decisions. The weeds represent her marriage, Rose and her role in marriage, and that she is truly without wood.

Laurie Anderson’s young adult novel “Speak” is fulfilled with symbols, good and bad, static and not static. The high school girl, Melinda Sordino, stops speaking after being raped by a classmate. The author uses symbolism in order to illustrate Melinda’s emotional trauma, and how Melinda tries to overcome it. Three the most complex symbols in the novel are a poster of Maya Angelou, an oak tree, and a name of her teacher –Mr. Freeman.

Having this tree helps Janie through many hard times, and gives her something to think about in her times of need. The pear tree serves as a means of characterizing Janie throughout the novel by symbolizing lessons for Janie, Janie’s life, and giving Janie a goal for life. In the story, the pear tree characterizes Janie by being a symbol for her. At the beginning of the story, Janie watches a bee gathering pollen from a blossom on the tree.

In contrast with the tree; the walls family were always beaten down due to poverty, spun in different directions by the wind; as in the millions of miles they move about through the country but they also have strong roots as well. Rose; Jeanette’s mother shows a deep interest and fascination over the tree. She loves to study and make portraits about it. In Rose’s perspective the tree is her view about her family; deep underneath their dysfunctional roots of trial and hardships they face; there is a strong bond of love and compassion that they have together as a

This emphasises the enormity of the task Ofelia is about to embark upon and also her vulnerability as the tree’s dominating presence fills the frame. The fig tree itself is symbolic in its representation. Firstly, the entrance of the tree resembles that of a female’s ovaries, with its curved branches replicating the fallopian tubes. Moreover, the tree’s sickened state mirrors Ofelia’s pregnant mother’s own fragile condition.

At its core, “The Black Walnut Tree” is a conflict between the sentimental and what practically needs to be done. Throughout the poem, the author utilizes a very matter-of-fact and almost dismissive tone as the daughter and her mother debate whether or not to sell the tree and finish paying off a loan that they owe. As the poem progresses, this matter-of-fact tone transitions into figurative language as the black walnut tree takes on a more symbolic view. Mary Oliver shows in “The Black Walnut Tree” that the tree symbolizes the family’s heritage and all that their father has sought to accomplish, and, while the mortgage weighs down the family, cutting down and selling the tree would, in a sense, betray the family and what it stands for. Written in free verse, “The Black Walnut Tree” takes a straight forward and casual approach to the topic and is most apparent

In the book “Roll of thunder hear my cry”, Mildred D. Taylor uses symbolism to provide context, and background information of the how their community is, and who the Logan’s fit in it. A great example when the author provides context and background information would be the fig tree. When the author is describing the fig tree, she describes it as “It keeps on blooming, bearing good fruit year after year, knowing all the time it’ll never get big as them other trees.” (pg 206) The author is trying to describe how the Logan family fits in in the community. Knowing that the Logan family owns land, and that they are the only black family that owns land; we can assume that what she means by “knowing all the time it’ll never get big as them other trees.”, the other trees that

“Schoolteacher’s nephew represents a dismissal by whites of the dehumanizing qualities of slavery”. When Sethe is raped, schoolteacher observed how her body is exploited. The scars on Sethe’s back are so many that they resemble the trunk of a tree with its branches. Sethe bear scars on her back because she was whipped due to her try of escape. Amy Denver, a white girl that helped Sethe when she was running away from Sweet Home, calls the tree a chokecherry tree.

The classic novel, Ethan Frome, wrote by Edith Wharton, contains a great deal of symbolism. Throughout the story, Wharton recognizes a large Elm tree that nearly kills a newly- engaged couple. In most cases, a large tree may symbolize strength or majesty, however, Wharton gives the readers an understanding of fate., when describing the tree. While coasting down a slope, Ethan and Mattie make the immoral decision to commit suicide and crash into the large tree. Ironically, the end result was not their death, but the tragic ending of the two becoming crippled which robbed them the outcome they wanted.

In this scene you see, you are not part of a normal community, but also opening up with the trees and nature. You see Billy fantasies of what society should be. You see the pure beauty, but also see his unrealistic view of the