What Is The Theme Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

A person 's identity can be affected by many things, loss, pain, and the people around them. These things could not be more evident, in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Melinda is a 15 year old girl who has experienced a series of traumatizing events, that cause her to change completely as a person. The summer before her freshman year she was raped. Drunk, dazed and violated she called the police on the huge party she was at. She soon developed a case of post traumatic stress disorder. Melinda became closed off and stopped talking. She never told anyone about her rape. All of her old friends rejected her after the call to the police. Desperate for friends, Melinda meets Heather. Heather craves popularity that Melinda can far from provide. Heather, like so many other abandons Melinda. Rachel her ex best friend became someone totally different, she even started dating Andy Evans. The boy who raped Melinda. Things get progressively worse for Melinda before she decides she needs to tell

The book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson creates many connections; whether they are real world, virtual or personal. This journal will explain those connections, and show my thoughts on them, as well as how they have impacted my view on different, related, topics.

The novel “Speak”, written by Laurie Halse Anderson first published in the year 1999, deals with Melinda, an “outcast” (p. 4), who experiences her first year of high school while simultaneously trying to cope with the aftermath of sexual abuse during a party, which consists mainly of her not being able to speak. Since we are all aware of the fact that Melinda’s traumatic event led to a certain degree of dehumanization for her, the following words intend to focus on and elaborate Melinda’s struggle in school; how she views her teachers, her marks, her periods and to some degree also her peers and classmates.

Children in the age range thirteen to fifteen are often transitioning through a critical time of their lives. They frequently look to others as a cicerone on how they themselves should act. In the novel, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino calls the cops on an end-of-summer party at which she was raped. The novel depicts Melinda’s excursion as to how she copes with the heart-wrenching events that have affected her momentously as well as creating “[a] frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life.” (Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review). The tragic event along with the rejection of her friends took a rather large toll on Melinda Sordino, in which, at one point, she stops

Speak, a novel written by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a memorable story about a girl who overcomes a horrific experience, rape, and with it, injustice. Melinda, the main protagonist, has an emotional journey, and with the help of her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, survives through this excursion. As Mr. Freeman says, “‘Welcome to the journey’” (12). Mr. Freeman assists Melinda, by constantly questioning her emotional being, turning an art project into a pool of her feelings, and forcing Melinda to see the light in her heart. With Mr. Freeman lifting her emotional baggage, Melinda can finally be free and with that, experience happiness once again.

Melinda was able to speak at the end of the novel Speak by Laurie Hals Anderson, because she ultimately realized that she had the vital support surrounding her. At the beginning of the novel, Melinda has lost all of her friends due to a misunderstanding during the summer, however as the book moves along she establishes valuable connections with new and old people.

The novel Speak was written by Laurie Halse Anderson, which features a girl named Melinda who is starting her first year in high school. Melinda is hated by her peers and seem to have a heavyweight surrounding her. As the story goes on the reader learns that Melinda’s depressive state is because of the traumatic experience of being raped. Throughout the novels entirety Melinda is shown attempting to take control over her life and to get through the school year in one piece. Speak gave many people the opportunity to put themselves in the place of a rape victim. Melinda kept quiet and told no one for reasons such as fear and humiliation. She faces this horrible experience utterly alone. To make matters worse, she is forced to face her attacker; Andy Evans everyday at high school. Melinda heads down a dangerous and destructive path. After being raped, by Andy Evans, Melinda suffered from many self destructive events

There is a hidden message behind every book. Especial one called Speak written by Laurie hales Anderson it involves a girl named Melinda Sordino. Sordino is a freshman at Merryweather high school. She has been an outcast ever since a senior party in summer where she got raped by a senior named Andy Evans. After the incident, she called the cops who shut down the party, which leads to many people hating her including her own friends. The people that outcast her had no clue that she called the cops because she got raped, Melinda never spoke to anyone about it. Eventually, she confessed about what actually happened that night at the party. This story deals with a lot of important themes that many have a hard time admitting to which includes communication

Melinda had many good friends in elementary school and all throughout middle school. In High School, she has one friend, who she later found out was no friend at all. Her friend Heather became a “Martha,” also known as a preppy, rude

Isolation is when one is set apart from others and is virtually alone. In Laurie Anderson’s Speak, the protagonist, Melinda, isolates herself and is further isolated from others. Isolation can be seen through three symbols: lips, mirrors and a closet. Melinda thinks no one cares about what she has to say, resulting in silence. After the incident in the summer, Melinda cannot bare to look at herself. A space where Melinda can physically be alone is what she needed to even more so build a wall between her and others, thus being why the closet is an important aspect and symbol. Isolation is what helped Melinda cope with her pain, this is what makes it the major theme in the novel.

In “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda is starting high school and has not many friends. She feels like she doesn’t fit in at Merryweather High School. She just lost her best friend and made a new friend as well. The author wants Melinda to speak about her problems with her teachers, her parents, or anyone who is willing to help her.

The book Speak is a book written by Laurie Halse Anderson, it is about a young girl named Melinda Sordino and is about a very serious and all too common issue: rape and depression. Rape is a serious problem, it can completely destroy a person, making them never the same again. Depression is always an uphill battle and is even worse when your friends turn their back on you and your family does not notice something is seriously wrong with you. Melinda was a young girl enjoying life until an older boy named Andy Evans took advantage of his size and raped her.

In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson she is trying to show about strength is that people grow and can get stronger throughout time and experience. At first in the story Melinda was a very shy and let people step all over her. For example on page 8 “ Thwap! A lump of potatoes and gravy hits me square in the center of my chest. All conversation stops as the entire lunchroom gawks, my face is burning in their retinas.” What that quote was implying is that people are bullying her because she called the cops at the party yet she says nothing to them or what happens at the party. When her ex best friend Rachel starts dating Andy Evans or Andy Beats she starts to worry about Rachel and leaves her a note saying be careful he's dangerous. That

Well, before the summer party Melinda is thinking about how good her life in high school will be and she is all cheery and happy, she interacts with her parents and isn't locked up in her room all the time. After the summer party Melinda's mood drops she suddenly feels all depressed and try's avoiding her parents as much as possible barely ever talking to them.

It all begins at Merryweather High school. Before the beginning of the school year, Melinda and her friends went to a raving party, with everyone from school. Melinda had a terrifying encounter with a senior student, and ended up calling the police. Since no one knew what happened, at the party, everyone rejected her socially. While having everyone reject her, a new girl, Heather, came into town and became her friend.