Laurie Halse Anderson Character Development

“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.

Again, throughout the whole book, Melinda has this odd feeling, she thinks that nobody likes her and is always down on herself. An example from the book that shows this behavior is at the beginning of the book, her first day of high school. "I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don't have anyone to sit with. I am outcast." (Anderson 4) As soon as she enters high school she doubts herself. It's almost as that she believes that since she has entered with the wrong clothes, the wrong hair, and nobody to sit with, that she will never fit in. This shows a sign of hopelessness, she is doubting herself to much. Another example of when Melinda shows sadness and hopelessness is when she hears about Rachelles Halloween party she is throwing. She says, "I knew I wouldn't get an invitation. I would be lucky to get an invitation to my own funeral." (Anderson 41) This shows Melinda again, being

This quote show that Melinda is an outcast, “ I have no friends. I have nothing to say. I say nothing" (Anderson 116). This quote shows that Melinda is insecure because, while Melinda is in the guidance counselor's office, her counselor is telling her that she’s been failing her classes and Melinda feels insecure. She feels out of place in the environment. Melinda is self-conscious that she feels she has to try to be pretty in order to gain her popularity back. Since Melinda has lost some friends coming into high school, she’s been feeling down on herself and depressed. Also, Melinda shows that she is insecure by saying, “ I am an outcast “( 8 Anderson). This proves that Melinda is insecure because before the start of High School Melinda was a very popular girl which is now an outcast. Until things went wrong for Melinda and she called the cops. Melinda had called the cops because she had been raped when she was drunk, so her first response was to call the cops. The cops had shown up, making everyone leave the party because of underage drinking and everyone knows Melinda has called the cops. Since that has happened she feels insecure by being an outcast. Because of this Melinda no longer is popular nor has no friends. Melinda feels she is insecure because she’s an outcast and has no friends which these feelings lead

As she grows she discovers more of what she is capable of. Now she realizes that even though she is going crazy, she is still alive. Above all, she does not want to hide anymore and is not afraid to come out of her shell of guilt. “I don’t want to hang out in my hidey-hole anymore…. I don’t feel like hiding anymore” (p.191-192). She comments about not wanting to go back to her closet because she is not afraid of what might happen to her. In the same way she says that she, in no matter what condition, is still alive and breathing. “I have survived… Confused, screwed up but still here” (p.188). She is happy that she survived and that it does not matter if she is frustrated, she still has to stay for the ones who love her. In order which she has to take care of the old Melinda she was and let go of the Melinda she was after the party. After this realization she understood that she is not perfect but she can grow to love those

The story started in an ambiguous atmosphere ,as readers don’t know what happened to Melinda she refused to speak she only wants to live in her isolation. some people in their depression tries to speak, and others chooses to keep themselves silent and get stressed when they are given a heavy workload, like “why me ?” ,as they are too weak or shame to face the world around them ,and this exactly what happened to Melinda in this novel .People experiencing passive anger may not even realize they are angry, because passive angry maybe repressed, it can be hard to recognize. In this long term, these suppressed angry feelings can easily be a main reasson for psychological suffering. As readers can only notice that she carried a folded story that will be displayed through flashback

In the story she states, “I’ve been having trouble sleeping at home. I wake up because the covers or on the floor or because I’m standing at the kitchen door trying to get out. It feels safer in my little hideaway” (Anderson, 130). In this quote Melinda bluntly says that she feels safer in her closet than she does at her home. She also states that she keeps waking up at home and is having trouble sleeping. These were leading factors following what happened to Melinda. In the beginning of the novel she makes her closet her “home.” Melinda says, “ Mostly I just watch the scary movies inside my eyelids” (Anderson, 50). This shows that she is sleeping but she is having some nightmares. As the book progresses she creates a safe environment for her to find peace

Another indication of Melinda’s self-destructive behavior is her loss of concentration. This can proven by Melinda’s declining grades which started off as “Playing Nice- B, Social Studies- C, Spanish-C, Art- A, Lunch- D, Biology-B, Algebra-C+, Clothes-C, English-C , Gym-C+.” After, her grades ended at, “Social Life-F, Social Studies-F, Spanish-D, Art-A, Lunch-D, Biology-D+, Algebra-F, Clothes-F, English-D+, Gym-D.” these quotes demonstrate that Melinda puts little effort into her work, meaning she is distracted and that her school isn’t her main priority. Certainly, her distracted behavior is because she is constantly rewinding the memories of what happened to her; she unable to get this out of her head. Seen from the evidence it is good to say Melinda is having difficulty stay focused. In addition, Melinda has found numerous ways to isolate herself from others. Throughout the book, Melinda takes us to her place of choice, being the abandoned janitor’s closet at her

Here, readers can see that Melinda, that melinda goes into her closet once again. The closet is like her free and hiding place. Where she can do anything she would like to. But at the same time it’s like a prison to her, because when she goes in, she doesn’t want to come out. She wants to make the closet a sanctuary, a place to be in peace and safe, to think and sleep. It’s a place where she can do whatever she likes without being judged.

not speaking out. How keeping quiet affects her friendships, As well as, Melinda having no

Melinda goes back to the place where she was assaulted and has a moment of reflection and self evaluation. She realizes that her rape was not her fault and she should speak up.

My hair is completely hidden under the comforter. Two muddy circle eyes under black dash eyebrows, piggy nose nostrils, and a chewed up horror of my mouth” (21). “As she rests, Melinda bites her lips and looks in the mirror, disgusted by what she sees. (26)” In these quotes you learn about how insecure Melinda is with her reflection. The reflection that she saw symbolizes Melinda's broken sense of self. Towards the end of the book Melinda is in a situation to either fight or flight. In the next quote you will know if she fought or flighted. As Andy pins her by the throat against the closet’s sink. Feeling his body crushing her, and groping desperately “for a branch, a limb, something to hang on to, (96)” Melinda finds a block of wood the base of her bird sculpture. She uses it to break the mirror behind the poster of Maya Angelou. Grabbing a shard of glass, she holds it to his neck, pushing until she draws a drop of blood. When Melinda uses the mirror to defend herself against the person that caused all of her pain, Andy Evans, when he tries to rape her again in the closet at the end of the book, Melinda's self loathing can finally rely on the correct person and not on herself. The shattering of the mirror, and the use of one of its broken shards to threaten Andy Evans

``(198) Melinda is talking about when she got raped. She is feeling regret for not speaking up when she should of. She wants to forget what happened but she can’t.

In the novel Speak, Melinda used to be a straight B student, no behavioral problems and a few absences but, She is a depressed person. Melinda was a good student now her grades get worse every semester and she is getting in more trouble then she usually does. Melinda’s identity in school.

Melinda feels trapped in that she cannot grasp the traumatic event that happened to her at the party that night. Melinda is a very complex character due in part to her quirky and sarcastic humor, her depressive tendencies, and her strength. First of all, Melinda has a very

Much of the novel revolves around Melinda's need to confess about her incident but her fear of not being heard. holds her back. At the beginning of the story she tries to hide behind her silence but it becomes clear in order to move past her rape she must speak out. She confesses twice in the story once by writing a note to Rachel and the second time a spoken one to Mr.Freeman. At the end after she has confessed her secret verbally Melinda feels free.