William F. Halsey explains "All problems become smaller if you don't dodge them but confront them." This shows that mute Melinda was unable to overcome her struggle since she tried to “dodge” the truth. However, when Melinda finally spoke out about what happened to her, she immediately felt better about the struggle she was dealing with. The main theme of the novel and other texts is overcoming obstacles. This theme is expressed through the conflict, symbolism, and foreshadowing throughout the texts. Laurie Halse Anderson’s use of literary elements in Speak, as well as the devices in the ancillary text, The Art of Resilience, and the poem “If”, help the common theme of overcoming obstacles through a time of growth and change evolve …show more content…
Both Speak and “If” use symbolism to display overcoming obstacles as their theme. “Those branches were long dead from disease. All plants are like that. By cutting off the damage, you make it possible for the tree to grow again,” (Anderson, 187). Symbolizing that removing struggles can help a person change and grow in a positive way. “If” shares the theme of overcoming struggles which is shown in the quote, “Watch the things you gave your life to broken, and stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools,” (Kipling, 15-16). This describes that when a challenge is in someone’s way, they should never give up but work hard to overcome the struggle. “If” and Speak are about getting through rough times, and how doing so could help someone grow and change in an excellent way. Both texts show the theme through foreshadowing as well.
Overcoming obstacles, a common theme shared by both Speak and “If” that is revealed through the use of foreshadowing by their authors. On Melinda’s first day of school she explains, “I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomach ache,” (Anderson, 3). This foreshadows a rough year because of the skirt she hates, and a struggle due to her upset stomach. However, Melinda’s classmate, David, explains to her that speaking up is the correct thing to do. “The suffragettes were all about speaking up, screaming for their rights. You can’t speak up for your right to be silent. That’s letting the bad guys win,” (Anderson, 158). This
Everyone has hardships that they come across, but what really matters is the way they overcome them. In the book “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson, the main character Melinda Sordino does not try to face her hardships, she wants her problems to just disappear, but what makes her different is that she learns that saying nothing will just make her problems worse. The author characterized Melinda as very brave, although it took time for her to accept her problems. Melinda tries to admit what happened to her, deal with the bullies in her school, and tries to help her ex-best friend, Rachel to see with whom she is dealing with.
The author Laurie Halse Anderson made the book Speak to show and convey that to let out emotions and feel better about one's self, you have to talk to anoter. Speak tells the story of Melinda Sorindo, a ninth grader at Merryweather High School in Syracuse, New York. August before her freshman year, Melinda and her closest friends attend a party with seniors and beer. At the party, Melinda feels uncomfortable and out of place. She gulps down a couple beers before walking outside for some fresh air. While outside, Melinda meets Andy Evans, an attractive senior boy. Andy begins dancing with and kissing Melinda, and Melinda is taken aback but too drunk to say anything. Andy pushes her to the ground and rapes her. In her confusion afterward, Melinda dials 911 and the police arrive at the
In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, the main character, Melinda Sordino experiences a disturbing event over the summer of her eighth grade year. She was sexually assaulted by Andy Evans at a party. Melinda nearly loses her mind totally as she began shutting down on all fronts. However, she slowly recovered from her traumatizing experience, and eventually learned how to live with what happened.
Melinda's a troubled high schooler who has had difficulties fitting into her freshman class. She is also having trouble finding her identity due to some unfortunate events during the summer. In Laurie Halse Anderson's novel, speak, Melinda the main character is assigned an art project. She is asked to study drawing and research trees throughout the year. Melinda takes this project very seriously, her artwork is the only ways she communicates her emotions to the outside world.
Speak was written by Laurie Halse Anderson and published in 1999. It is written from the point of view of Melinda, a high school freshmen whose world got turned upside down after a traumatic summer event. The story follows Melinda through 9th grade as she deals with depression, PTSD, and social exclusion and learns about standing up for herself. The theme of Speak is to stand up for yourself. This is clear because if Melinda had stood up for herself the first time, she wouldn’t have been raped and Andy Evans wouldn’t have continued to target her.
Everyone has someone in their lives who can help make them strong and help them to speak out. In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson the main character, Melinda Sordino, lost her voice and does not speak due to a traumatic experience. She went to a high school party at the end of the summer and met this boy named Andy. They danced a little, talked and kissed. Andy took Melinda out to the woods and raped her. She called the cops because she was so scared. When the cops showed up, they arrested people. Everyone knew Melinda called the police which makes everyone hate her. So she starts high school and has no friends and does not talk to anyone including her parents. But throughout the book there were three people who help Melinda find her voice.
Laurie Halse Anderson’s fiction novel “Speak” relates the story of a girl from Syracuse, New York. This story surrounds Melinda Sordino who was victimized by Andy Evans at a high school party. She was afterwards labeled an outcast within her school after calling the police to the barn where they all were, getting many of her friends and classmates in trouble for underage drinking. Since none of Melinda’s friends were aware of the rape, they all believed she called the police just to bust them. In the second half of Melinda’s school year, Andy Evans confronts her and attempts to rape her again; however, this is when Melinda finally finds her voice and gets help before Andy Evans takes advantage of
Khushi Arora Arora 1 Mrs. Bedi ENG 1D1 November 21st 2017 The Journey to the End of Grade Nine Several grade nine students begin their high school journey scared to death. Unaware of how the next four years are going to be. Merry Weather High's inquisitive grade nine student, Melinda Sordino experiences many issues in Laurie Halse Anderson's book Speak. Anderson uses conflicts to represent Melinda's growth from past catastrophes.
Laurie Halse Anderson shows the reader COURAGE is a theme in ‘Speak’ because on page 9 MELINDA got smacked in the chest with potatoes and tries to storm out when she is stopped by a teacher (MR.NECK) who won't let her out because she is too afraid to tell him what she was doing. She needed COURAGE. Another theme is FEAR, MELINDA has/had a fear of speaking, about anything, about what happened. This is shown on page 97 and 9 when instead of talking and confronting Melinda just runs away; in both situations. On page 97 Melinda runs away from Andy when he offers her a bite of a jelly doughnut (tauntingly and creepily not as a friend).
Through the ups and downs of life everyone makes courageous decisions to improve people’s life experiences and those that surround us. The book Speak written by Laurie Halse Anderson talks about the ups and downs of high school while coexisting our personal lives. The main character Melinda gets assaulted at a party and has to work up the courage to talk about that night. It is important to be courageous in life to overcome obstacles and positively reach milestones. Many courageous people have accomplished huge milestones. Melinda may not have accomplished anything huge but Melinda did talk to Rachel about what happened that night, tells Andy no, and opens up to Mr.Freemen about everything. There was many more important moments but these were Melinda's most accomplished milestones.
with for the next 4 years. In Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda realizes the dangers of
William F. Halsey explains, "All problems become smaller if you don't dodge them but confront them." This shows that facing a difficulty face to face will help it go away. In Speak, mute Melinda was unable to overcome her struggle since she attempted to “dodge” the truth. However, when Melinda finally spoke out about what happened to her, she immediately felt better about the struggle she was dealing with. The main theme of the novel and ancillary texts is overcoming obstacles. This theme is expressed through the conflict, symbolism, and foreshadowing throughout the texts. Laurie Halse Anderson’s use of literary elements in Speak, as well as the devices in the article, “The Art of Resilience” and the poem “If” help the common theme of overcoming obstacles throughout a time of growth and change evolve throughout the story.
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 from them all. There are several people in her school that used to be her friend in middle school, but not anymore. Not after what she did over the summer. What she did was call the cops on an end of summer party on of her friends was throwing. Although
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said” (Drucker). The theme that Drucker is trying to give out is communication just like in Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak. Throughout the entire novel, this theme is shown mostly in the characters of Mr.Freeman and David Petrakis.
“A Whisper of Aids” can show that society can have problems speaking up and admitting there problems. She states that “all things there is a purpose “ by that society may be for a purpose and a reason it’s happening. Now there's social media that may of change us but that can be fix later on. “president’s cause no good“ for example there action when there president and choices they have to make. They won't be able to be on both sides, the republic and the democratic. It may affect one of the side as a result one side would be unhappy and the other would be happy. “Courage to step forward” has its consequences when majority of the people don’t agree with you.. This