Melinda Sordino Essays

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

Melinda Sordino Melinda Sordino is the main character in Laurie Halse Anderson’s award-winning book, Speak. Speak is about a young teenager who experienced a great trauma. Melinda Sordino was raped at a high school party before the start of her freshman year. She struggles with letting her secret be known. Melinda is very independent, lonely, and depressed. Before her traumatic event, Melinda was indepent, now, after the event, she is even more so. Both of Melinda’s parents work full time jobs and

main character of the book Speak. This impactful fictional story was written by Laurie Halse Anderson who is a humorous author born in New York on October 23, 1961. She is currently 61 years old. The most influential character in this book is Melinda Sordino. I first became aware of her character development when she began to grow from her trauma. She once admits, “IT happened. There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding.” It is without a doubt that this

Melinda Sordino has a difficult life. She has been casted out of her social group, is failing her classes, and is ignored at home. In the novel SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda is greatly impacted by her relationships with the people in her life. Even though Melinda isn’t communicative, the people in her life influence her through their actions and words. Her art teacher, her pseudo-friend, and lab partner all affect her in different ways. One of the people in Melinda’s life that impacts

Melinda Sordino elucidates the many components of a mentally challenged character. Some of which are positive, such as her creative emotional ways of expressing herself, however, she undoubtedly highlights the negative torments of mental illness, like constant lack of enthusiasm, grave instability, and inability to love. For all of these reasons, I would not want to be friends with Melinda Sordino. Firstly, due to Melinda’s overwhelming struggle with depression, she consistently projects her absence

by someone. In the Book, Melinda Sordino is influenced by peer pressure because she went to that party and drank alcohol when she shouldn’t have drank, but it was peer pressure, so she drank because someone pressured her into doing it, however, she didn’t really want to (Halse). Also, she got peer pressured because she ditched class, but, that’s not what I’m talking about (Halse). My friend experienced peer pressure because he was pressured into drinking, but

secret from everybody else for far too long. Melinda Sordino is a freshman in high school who is going through many difficult situations in her life. She was raped by a senior named Andy Evans who is now dating Melinda’s ex-best friend Rachel. Due to certain situations and circumstances, Rachel ended the friendship between her and Melinda. Melinda never got the chance to explain, Rachel just left her in the dust and continued on with her life. Melinda was really hurting inside, and it only made it

communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say.” (Pg 9). Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a girl named Melinda Sordino , a girl who was raped her freshman year. Three things that helped her finally “ Speak” were , art class , symbolism of trees, and finally accepting it . To Melinda Sordino , the only safe place was the art room , and when she gave her own grades , this was the only class with an “A”. "You did a good job with that Cubist sketch

to use your voice and speak up against your trauma. Anderson used metaphors and external conflicts the character, Melinda Sordino, had as she struggled life in high school, freshman year. Anderson used those to show how Melinda felt throughout her first year of high school. Everyone needs to find the endurance to express themselves when they go through trauma, and Anderson had Melinda express herself through art, as well as comparing herself to others, and having conflicts with others. “Mr. Freeman:

freshman, Melinda Sordino, the protagonist in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, drastically transforms after recently attending a summer party where she was sexually abused by senior, Andy Evans. During this party, she attempts to call the cops to get some help, which resulted in many complications in Melinda's life later on. Students in MerryWeather High don't know why she called the cops, she keeps it untold. For this reason, people start to hate Melinda including her closest friends. Melinda loses her

her mouth tied shut. The name of this teenager is Melinda Sordino, Melinda has grown significantly from the beginning to the end of Speak. Throughout all of this there have been three main symbols, a mirror, trees, and an old janitor's closet. These symbols expressed the importance of self-esteem, overcoming obstacles, and sanctuary. The first main symbol expressed in Speak is a mirror. A mirror expresses the importance of self-esteem. When Melinda is in her halfway place she looks at herself in the

lip, can it.” (Anderson 9) says Melinda. “Speak” a realistic fiction novel by Laurie Halse Anderson is about 14-year-old freshman Melinda Sordino, who had a traumatizing experience over the summer and is struggling to express herself. Melinda is alone and is battling her mental health. “Speak” is the story of how Melinda went from a disturbed, almost-mute girl, to finally finding her voice. Anderson uses the motif of a mouth throughout the novel to track Melindas personal growth throughout the

thoughts of Melinda Sordino. After she gets raped and has to deal with a misunderstanding that leaves her silent and outcast. This short book of 224 pages is mostly written in short statements. From casual thoughts such as, “I zone out,” to ones with impact like, “Why go to school.” The direct language mirrors Melinda’s way of coping with her trauma, by shutting down and isolating herself. This type of writing not only adds to the tension of the book but keeps readers intrigued by Melinda.

In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino struggles through high school, all while dealing with the aftermath of a rape. Throughout the story, she creates artwork of trees for art class. These trees symbolize Melinda's growth throughout the novel as she deals with being raped, depression, anxiety, drama, her parents, her grades, and her rapist continuously teasing and tormenting her. On Page 12 of Speak, Melinda is in art class and is told to choose a slip from a broken globe.

you will never have touched.” Melinda Sordino, the protagonist of the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, experiences sexual assault at a party that deeply and emotionally scars her. As a result, Melinda constantly displays two symptoms of assault throughout the novel, depression, and trauma, which drastically impact her character and life. To begin, Melinda suffers from depression, evident through her attempts at self-harm or suicide. For instance, when Melinda commits self-harm,” I open up

show it, but Melinda finds a way around that problem by showing it in her drawings of trees in art class. In the novel Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino is pushed into arguably the worst year of her entire existence. After an obscured anguish over the summer, Melinda enters ninth grade being quiet and somber. Struggling with school, family, and friends, melinda explains the tragic story of her experiences, and the reason why she has decided not to speak. Although Melinda does show some

novel following a 13-year-old girl, Melinda Sordino. The book depicts the aftereffects of sexual assault and brings awareness to the issue. Throughout the book, Melinda struggles to find her voice after being assaulted and becoming depressed. The book shows her effort to be able to find her voice again and put her demons of the past behind her. Laurie Halse Anderson represents Melinda's ability to move past her assault through her trees in art class and Melinda uses that assignment as a source of

“Speak” is a novel written by Laurie Halse Anderson in 1999, which follows the life of Melinda Sordino. Melinda, a freshman at MerryWheather High School has entered her first year as an outcast because she called the police at a summer party. As Melinda navigates through her first year in high school, she faces constant bullying and resentment from her classmates and former friends because of this decision. Melinda struggles with PTSD and decides to remove herself from any social circle and becomes

not actually that way. Melinda Sordino has a rough life and is way different on the inside than she looks and seems to be on the outside, Melinda herself is an example of appearance versus reality. There are multiple times that the theme appearance versus reality shows up in the novel they are: the couch, Melinda

psychological state through their emotions, behaviours and feelings. The main character, Melinda Sordino is a high school freshman year (grade 9) student who is disliked by everyone around her. All she wants is to be happy, which in Melinda’s point of view is “being accepted by [her] friends” (7). Melinda is constantly blamed by the students of Merry Weather High because she called the police at an end of school summer party. Melinda tries her best to ignore all the hurtful comments, she believes that no one