After reading this book i learned about melinda s, the main character s mistakes. This statement defines melinda s behavior for much of the novel. She gulps down a couple beers before walking outside for some fresh air. Mom and dad melinda s parents melindas mom is the hardworking manager of efferts, a downtown clothing store. I would recommend this to every reader out there especially students in high school since i had a big unit on this. Melindas epiphany comes toward the end of the book, when watching daytime talk shows convinces her that she was indeed raped and that it was not her fault.
After reading this book i learned about melindas, the main characters mistakes. How do melinda s relationships change from the beginning of the book to the end. Anderson tackles a difficult subject and manages to do it with honesty and empathy. Necks poor behavior as a teacher and thus serves as both a role model and friend for melinda. The book speak by laurie anderson is a book about how melinda sordino overcomes the troubles in her life, and how she learned to speak up for herself.
Melinda s struggle is so gutwrenching that you feel for her every single page. On the first day of school,she cant make friends on the first day which most people can relate too. Melinda removes her shirt and while ivy scrubs it, melinda stands in a toilet stall reading graffiti on the walls. While melinda s smart and savvy interior narrative slowly reveals the searing pain of that 911 night, it also nails the highschool experience cold. Melinda encounters rachel in the bathroom, and scornfully describes how her former best friend has changed her name to rachelle and is trying to fit in with the pretentious foreign exchange students. She is 15 years old and is beginning her freshman year at merryweather high school. Profanity is scattered throughout the book, including ahole and bulls. Throughout most the book melinda doesnt have any friends. Melinda called the police at a summer party because a boy she didnt. Speak book santa clara county library bibliocommons.
From the first moment of her freshman year at merryweather high, melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. Melinda encounters rachel in the bathroom, and scornfully describes how her former best friend has changed her name to rachelle and is trying to fit in with. Unlike most high schoolers, however, melinda is completely alienated from both groups. In contrast, melindas dad sells insurance, and melinda thinks dads job is too easy and resents what she sees as his freedom. But the books overall gritty realism and melindas hardwon metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. Melinda is very perceptive and bright, but her vision is sometimes clouded by her suffering. Speak book bow island public library bibliocommons. After melinda calls the police at a party in august, her former friend group ditches her and disintegrates. I wanted to reach through the pages and give melinda a giant hug. Now, thinking about the nature of this story rape, some may think thats a wee bit unacceptable. Kristen stewart, eric lively, elizabeth perkins, d. Rachel bruin, her exbest friend, is important because, by dating the boy who raped melinda, she propels melinda to finally. In the first section, what are the signs that melinda has experienced a trauma.
Melindas struggle is so gutwrenching that you feel for her every single page. How do melindas relationships change from the beginning of the book to the end. Her friends, meanwhile, have all abandoned her, believing that she maliciously called the cops on a party when in. She is friends with heather, but its not a real friendship because melinda doesnt like her or talks to her and heather is self centred.
Melindas only friend is heather, a new student, who tries to get melinda involved in her schemes to gain popularity. Near the end of the book, melindas exbest friend rachel, who has been dating andy, breaks up with him on prom night after melinda tells her what really. Principal principal agrees that those girls are nice. The choppy sentences and blank spaces on the pages relate to melinda s fascination with cubism. Heather has just moved from ohio and like melinda, does not have any friends when she. Her last name, sordino, is an italian word that can be translated as deaf. Speak book petoskey district library bibliocommons. Melindas slow healing process is a realistic and compelling one, and readers will cheer for her when she finally does use her voice.
The remainder of the student body dislikes her for being a snitch. Prior to entering into high school, melinda had many close friends. Oct 22, 1999 speak is about melinda sordino, an angstfilled freshman who is hated by all of her best friends because she called the cops during the end of the summer senior party. The word crap is used, and gods name is used in vain with thank, oh my or for the love of. At the party, melinda feels uncomfortable and out of place. This is the underlying message of speak and the message laurie halse. Film speak sundance film festival production 2004 93 minutes directed dy. Another of melindas friends, she, too, stops talking to her for a while, but sees in their art class that melinda is. Speak, laurie halse anderson essays 770 words cram. In contrast, melindas dad sells insurance, and melinda thinks dads job is. Since she s also the narrator, everything we learn about the other characters is filtered through her. Who was melindas best friend in the book speak answers. I first read this publication when i was actually melindas age fourteen.
The creators of sparknotes speak characters from litcharts. Now did i truly understand what was going on in the book. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Jan 21, 2020 speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. This abuse forces her into silence and drastically changes her life and social structure. In art class one day, ivy accidentally gets markingpen ink on melinda s shirt. The official marthas are meg harcutt, emily briggs, and. Instead, freshman year is a nightmare as melinda finds herself rejected by her friends, cut off from her parents, and unable to reveal a terrible secret.
She notes rachels new ability to swear in french, her black stockings with runs, and her new decisions not to shave under her arms which melinda claims makes her look like a young. August before her freshman year, melinda and her closest friends attend a party with seniors and beer. Speak, laurie halse anderson speak is book about a young girl who loses her voice after being raped and slowly gains it back over time. While melindas smart and savvy interior narrative slowly reveals the searing pain of that 911 night, it also nails the highschool experience cold. The author uses a lot of archetypes and allusions throughout the book to add a fuller description to the events melinda had gone through, which will help the readers to better understand what. Melindas slow healing process is a realistic and compelling one, and readers. Learn everything you need to know about melinda, ms. One summer, prior to starting ninth grader at merry weather high school, melinda mel sordid goes to a house party with three other friends and is raped by a senior, andy evans. This book sends a message about rape, and how many girls suffer from sexual assault. Need help on characters in laurie halse andersons speak.
This is symbolic of melindas inability to speak to the adults in her life. Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. Book summary over the summer, she and her friends went to a party and melinda ended up calling the police, causing her friends and everyone at the party to socially reject her. Her parents arent much help either, always fighting about whats best for melinda and communicating through postit notes on the refrigerator wall. Principal principal asks melinda if those girls are, in fact, her friends. Speak book whatcom county library system bibliocommons. When those attended the party find out that it was melinda who called the police, even her closest friends refuse to speak to her and melinda begins her freshman year as an outcast, friendless except for a new student, heather, who melinda refers to throughout the first part of the novel as heather from ohio. She is willing to be melindas friend, however, because she initially. Speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say.
Melinda sordino is the main character of the book speak. Melinda attempts to confide in her exbest friend rachel, who is dating andy and initially doesnt believe her. This adds to the theme of being outcast and isolated because the she has no one to really talk to. Melinda s only friend is heather, a new student, who tries to get melinda involved in her schemes to gain popularity. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Speak tells the story of melinda sordino, a ninth grader at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york. An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, speak will hold readers from first word to last.
Like melinda, the main character in the story, laurie halse anderson grew up in syracuse, new york. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an endofsummer party by calling the cops, so now nobody. The counselor tells mom and dad that melinda s friends, meg harcutt, emily briggs, and siobhan falls, are very nice girls 55. The girls go to the bathroom to try to clean up melindas shirt. In this quote, melinda is forthright about her belief in the benefit of silence. The girls go to the bathroom to try to clean up melinda s shirt. Since shes also the narrator, everything we learn about the other characters is filtered through her. Heather is melindas first friend in the ninth grade. Complete list of characters in laurie halse andersons speak. Analysis of speak by laurie anderson 792 words bartleby. Her parents are neglectful and distant, and she feels completely unable to tell them about her recent trauma.
She also does poorly in school, and doesnt socialize very easily with other students. Plot speak is the narrative of a young outcast, melinda sordino, who spends most of her freshman year of high school in silence. Melinda sordino begins her freshman year at merryweather high school in. She accepted that she was an outcast despite knowing that none of what happened was her fault. Melinda mel sordino is the main character and narrator of laurie halse anderson s 1999 novel speak. The choppy sentences and blank spaces on the pages relate to melindas fascination with cubism. The character s ordeals were based on anderson s own experiences. In art class one day, ivy accidentally gets markingpen ink on melindas shirt. Nicole is an explain jane, one of melindas former friends. Why do you think melindas best friends from middle school turned against her immediately rather than asking what happened. From the time she was young, she enjoyed typing and pounding away on her fathers typewriter while he would read or write poetry. A girl jams her knee into melindas back at a pep rally. Like any student in high school, melindas life revolves around family and friends.
Its hard to speak out because were always kept in fear of what might happen if we do, and this was exactly melindas case. Laurie halse andersons speak tells of melinda sordinos journey through her first year of high school. No one, however, knows melindas biggest secret, the reason she dialed 911 over the. Makes you understand to not judge people if you dont know what happened to them. Its appearance in the first chapter indicates to the reader that this will be the belief that melinda must overcome in order to be a happier and healthier person. Characterize melindas relationship with her family. Written in the voice of melinda sordino, it features lists, subheadings, spaces between paragraphs and scriptlike dialogue. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak out, and on the issue of sexual assault, a young woman needs to find the courage to raise her voice and ask for help. Speak by laurie halse anderson goodreads meet your. Melindas only friend is heather, a new student, who tries to get melinda involved. Speak is book about a young girl who loses her voice after being raped and slowly gains it back over time.
Speak by laurie halse anderson meet your next favorite book. Shes a practical, busy woman, who struggles to balance home and career. Discussionwriting guide for speak, by laurie anderson 1. Melinda mel sordino is the main character and narrator of laurie halse andersons 1999 novel speak. She finally begins to slowly open up to her friends and then to her teacher, mr. Heather, heather, who is new to the school, is melindas only friend for the first half of their.
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