Speak
Speak Personal Response
Speak shows that the author, Laurie Halse Anderson, understands and remembers the crude emotions and unrest that makes up a teen’s world. This happens to be the most realistic fiction story on the battles of adolescence and harassment. Melinda does not turn into a racist activist Wonder Woman (even though she might when she is older) portrayed in some movies and her recovery is not sugar coated, it describes the true struggles. Even though this novel is based on sexual harassment it also focuses on the thoughts and feelings of a victim of the cruelties in high school. Rape and harassment are not issues I have dealt with but the shunning by friends, weird teachers, and oblivious teachers are problems that I and many others can relate to. For instance, the description of the Sordino family’s communication system on page 14 depicts how some teens get cut of from communication with their parents. The author of Speak portrays high school to be truly what it really is. “I am clanless.”(4) Melinda thinks just what practically all teens think. I am part of no clan; I don’t think FFCA has clans but you still fell “uncool” or not popular. Melinda also talks a lot about how no one cares what you have to say and in reality, that is the comprehension countless teens have about adults. Laurie Halse Anderson did a dead-on illustration of a ninth graders’ day to day life in the dog eat weaker dog world we call high school.
Creativity and symbolism in writing are abundant in this story. Ms Anderson cleverly breaks down this book into four marking periods of the school year, helping us to compare her progress as the year goes on. The use of symbolism is a major element in this book. Since most of the time as we are reading the book we are harbored into Melinda’s mind, symbolism helps create a fuller picture of her pain. To show how shunned Melinda was the use of over exaggerated cliques were used and to...
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