Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - 1149 Words

Psychologists usually agree that the teenage years are among the most difficult periods in one’s life. Most teens are trying to figure out who they are, what they believe, and how they fit into the world around them. Beginning in the late 1970s, a whole genre of fiction, referred to as coming-of-age literature, emerged and serves, at least fore many teens, as believable presentations of young people learning to navigate the difficulties of their lives, often fraught with feelings of rejection, seemingly unresolvable personal turmoil, social problems, school and family issues, etc. Indeed one value of reading is to see and better understand some aspect of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book because of its subject mater – rape --, is a worthwhile endeavor in any middle school classroom and offers many valuable life lessons to young teens. One of the many lessons, and Melinda’s main focus at school, is art. Art is not only a hobby, but also a way to better express oneself. Melinda says, in the beginning of the novel, â€Å"Art follow lunch, like dream follows nightmare.† (9). For many kids, having a hobby is an escape from the bad events in their life, whether it is social issues, school issues, or problems at home. With art, Melinda finds a way to escape the torture of the rest of her day. Another remark about art, from Melinda’s art teacher, suggests it as a pleasant subject of the day: â€Å"This is where you can find yourShow MoreRelatedSpeak, Laurie Halse Anderson768 Words   |  4 PagesSpeak, Laurie Halse Anderson â€Å"Speak† is book about a young girl who loses her voice after being raped and slowly gains it back over time. Laurie Halse Anderson uses an internal voice throughout the book to show the havoc that is attacking Melinda’s mind. This adds to the theme of being outcast and isolated because the she has no one to really talk to. One reason she is an outcaste is that she called the cops at the part where she was raped. This leads her to lose her group of friends â€Å"the PlainRead MoreSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson Essay1749 Words   |  7 PagesSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a story written in the first person about a young girl named Melinda Sordino. The title of the book, Speak, is ironically based on the fact that Melinda chooses not to speak. The book is written in the form of a monologue in the mind of Melinda, a teenage introvert. This story depicts the story of a very miserable freshman year of high school. Although there are several people in her high school, Melinda secludes herself fromRead MoreAnalysis Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson1848 Words   |  8 PagesThe book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, is about a teenage girl who stops talking after she gets raped. The title of the book is ironically based on the fact that Melinda, the protagonist, chooses not to speak again after the incident. During the end of the summer party, Melinda calls the cops on her friends causing her to avoid interactions with society. Her peers and friends begin to hate her, yet nobody once asks her why she did what she did. Th e reasoning for her action is that she was beingRead MoreSymbolization in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson1322 Words   |  6 PagesAranpreet Singh Ms. Ceci ENG 1D1-07 Speak In Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, trees symbolize Melinda’s growth throughout her life to stay sane and pass the horrific time of her life. Depression is her first phase, when she starts to paint the trees that were hit by lightning. It is also shown by her not talking to many people. She starts to realize that she cannot be perfect when she imagines a beautiful oak tree but really cannot carve it properly. Her third phase comes when the trees outsideRead MoreAnalysis Of Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson1338 Words   |  6 PagesSpeaking is tough for some people who have had a rough past and do not want to deal with anyone. In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda goes from being caught in a snare to feeling freedom. At the start of the story, she is extremely afraid and anxious because of what happened at the senior party at the end of summer. Melinda is scared because she has no one to be with on her first day of high school. Everyone blames her for what hap pened at the party. Nobody knows that she was rapedRead MoreSpeak Written By Laurie Halse Anderson1569 Words   |  7 Pagesthe ones to cherish and appreciate the most. The novel Speak written by Laurie Halse Anderson is based on a fourteen year-old girl named Melinda, who was sexually assaulted at a summer party. She called the police for help but since none of her friends knew what occurred, they assumed she called to get them all in trouble. This made her an outcast and she spent her ninth-grade year by herself. The theme of friendship is evident in the novel Speak as it impacts the protagonist Melinda. This is seen throughRead MoreSpeak, by Laurie Halse Anderson Essay652 Words   |  3 Pages Speak is a cleaver and an ironic title for a story in which the main character chooses not to speak. The story is written in first-person narration from the point of view of protagonist, Melinda Sordino. Speak is written like an interior monologue in the mind of an introverted teenage girl, like excerpts from her personal diary during her miserable freshman year of high school. Instead of blending in and finding her way through high school. She withdraws and secludes herself from the other studentsRead MoreThe Five Basic Needs In Speak, By Laurie Halse Anderson1103 Words   |  5 PagesTrista Mahika Alexis Paola William Glasser came up with the five basic needs for humans in order to be happy. In Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda, the main character, has and lacks some of these needs. She has two of the four basic needs that we are going be talking about, as she lacks the other two. She has Power and she is a Survivor, meanwhile she is lacking Freedom, and she feels as if she doesn’t have anyone to love, along with not having anyone that Loves her and she doesn’t belongRead MoreIs Censorship Really A Negative Thing? Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson2281 Words   |  10 Pages Each year, someone is guilty of challenging a book while others are guilty of banning novels from the classroom. The question remains, is censorship necessarily a negative thing? Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel that has caused havoc and controversy within the education system. While some critics argue Speak should be â€Å"hidden† from students, many believe otherwise. At a glance, th is novel contains scenes involving issues of drugs, parents that are disengaged in their child s life, sexualityRead MoreOne Night Changed a Life in the Book, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson1029 Words   |  5 Pagesto her, and she escapes into the dark forests of her mind. â€Å"I am Outcast† (Anderson 4). But something about that party was not right. Something she tried not to relive but to forget. â€Å"I have worked so hard to forget every second of that stupid party, and here I am in the middle of a hostile crowd that hates me for what I had to do. I can’t tell them what really happened. I can’t even look at that part of myself† (Anderson 28). Depression is a serious mental disorder. The duration and symptoms vary