Speak

1. From the beginning of the book, Speak, there is an underlying element to Melinda that as a reader I felt uncertain about. She keeps to herself at school and while she is at home. She talks about her former friends and remises on past experiences that they had together. Melinda’s mother works downtown so she rarely sees her unless she misses the bus for school in the morning. Her father gets home late in evening and Melinda usually finds ways to keep distance between herself and her parents. When Melinda talks, it is most likely to herself, reminiscing in her closet about former friends, current fears, or future decisions. Throughout the entire story Melinda is finding her inner voice, her will to speak out on the world. Melinda’s believes that the norms of high school are related to groups and popularity. She wants to fit in, yet criticizes the groups such as the Martha’s.
As for the others view of Melinda Sordino, the school students attach a dark shadow to Melinda. Rumors are constantly generated by anonymous classmates and she even loses her only somewhat friend, Heather, because of the negativity that surrounds Melinda.
4. Some symbols that seem to be relevant in the Melinda’s struggle in the novel Speak are the tree, biting her lips, mascots, and IT. Melinda is assigned an art project in the beginning of the school year, to create a work of art that expresses Melinda’s persona. Her object to work with is a tree. In the beginning Melinda continuously draws a dead or dying tree. This can relate to how Melinda expresses herself in the book, with her artwork. The constant change of the mascots could relate to Melinda and her personality changes that have happened so quickly through the school year. Biting her lips seems somewhat violent in a sense, but I was Melinda’s way of keeping to herself. Holding in her thoughts, pains, fears, and joys (the little that she had). IT, Andy Evans, is a monster and someone that can never be trusted. Melinda had been silent and frightened because of Andy Evans and the control that he had over practically the entire school Melinda constantly battled with this emotional and physical struggle until one day she was finally ready to speak out of Andy’s tyrant behavior and put him in his place. All of these symbols personify Melinda and her journey to find her inner voice in order to finally speak.