Commentary on Speak Essay

In the book Speak the author Laurie Halse Anderson creates a character named Melinda Sordino from a dream she has. The character portrays a girl who throughout a life changing event separates herself from the world. In the book Melinda tries to find herself, and escape depression through her art. Anderson uses characterization, imagery, and setting to express her personality and feelings.

Melinda Sordino was greatly affected by this incident. It disturbed her emotionally, physically and mentally. In just several months she transformed from a brilliant, lively girl, to a depressed and dismal being. Melinda seemed distressed of the fact that she no longer had friends. She would become desperate making friends with people completely different from herself.

I used to be like Heather. Have I changed that much in two months? She is happy, driven, and aerobically fit. As you can see she knows that she has changed but she is struggling to deal with her past and live her regular life at the same time. Noticing the change in his daughters personality her father states I had a sweet, loving little girl last year, but as soon as she comes up here she clams up, skips school, and flushes her grades down the toilet."

However that is not the only issue that she has, Melinda began having a problem speaking from that one night that she was sexually abusedEvery time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze. She could no longer respond to questions that were thrown at her unless she was relaxed, it became a burden. As a result she was not able to tell anybody that she was raped because there was not any person that would listen, including her parents because they were too busy, and there was no way to explain. Another thing that also affected her around this time of her life was her parents because they were not on good terms with each other. My family had a good system.We communicate with notes on the kitchen counter.

I have to say that Melindas greatest weakness was not being able to withstand the blows that would come to her every time she would lose a friend. No matter how hard she tried to defend her self she couldnt. I try to think of something bitchy, something wicked and cruel. I cant. Every time this would happen the wound became deeper, and she would have trouble recovering from the loss of acceptance. More than anything she wanted to tell someone what happened, to tell them that they were wrong, but instead she would end up harming herself even more. She anxiously states If there is anyone in the entire galaxy I am dying to tell what really happened its Rachel But Rachel had already abandoned her.

Anderson also uses her mood through Melindas thoughts. The strongest mood in the story is fear and it is used throughout most of the story. It is here Andy Beast. Little rabbits heart leaps out of my chest and scampers across the paper, leaving bloody footprints (160) She shows imagery to show how scared she is of Andy Beast, the person who raped her. She even addresses him as it before his name. Through imagery it makes us feel whats going on and see the bloody footprints on the paper that also shows how much she is hurting inside. She also feels scared the first day of school stands in the center aisle of the auditorium a wounded zebra in a National Geographic special, looking for someone, anyone to sit with nest to (5) she is scared to be the loner like the only zebra amongst all the kids. She just wants to fit in and find someone to sit with, someone to belong with.

The story goes through so much conflict that the character herself helps us understand very well through what she goes through. She lives in her mind, barley speaks to anyone. She spends most of her time analyzing all the things around her life. She wants to tell someone how she feels but is scared that she might get rejected or no one will believe her. I cant believe you, youre just jealous.(184) when she finally tells one of her former friends from the party who is now dating Andy Beast, what happened and the reason for her calling the cops she lashes out and does exactly what she was afraid of.

In reading and studying Speak By author Laurie Halse Anderson , my character analysis has taught me how Melinda dealt with her problem and what she went through to get her life backit also taught me to choose my friends carefully and that keeping your anger and pain bottled up can hurt you more than you know. Reading this book taught me that no one should judge anyones feelings because no one knows what theyve been through and how they feel.