But the book s overall gritty realism and melindas hardwon metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. The book speak by laurie halse anderson had its ups and downs. After a blurred trauma over the summer, melinda enters high school a selective mute. Analysis of speak by laurie halse anderson 1848 words 8 pages. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in speak, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Speak literary devices examples flashcards quizlet. It follows freshmen melinda sordino and how she struggles through her freshmen year while keeping a dark secret inside of her. Speak was a 1999 national book award finalist for young peoples literature. Shes riding the bus to her first day of high school. Analysis of hyperbole in speak when writing a young adult novel, it is always important to properly assume the role of an adolescent, and get inside their head to determine their thoughts, actions, and reactions. Book analysis of the book speak by laurie anderson 1009. On the bus, she attempts to avoid the other students, who immediately begin to alienate and bully her. A nightmare follows her from the endofsummer party, but she. Due to the tragic event that took place the summer before melindas ninth grade year, her life will never be the same.
Audible book switch back and forth between reading the kindle book and listening to the audible book. In the book speak, main character melinda sordino has been the victim of a rape. Speak, by laurie halse anderson, is a book about the trials and tribulations of high school life. A literary analysis of silence in speak by laurie halse anderson pages 3. Banning this book means silencing victims and their stories. Speak by laurie halse anderson is a young adult novel that was published in 1999. An analysis of hyperbole in speak by laurie halse anderson.
At the end of the summer before she enters high school, melinda attends a party at which two bad things happen to her. I read this for my young adult literature class along with scholastic articles about the book, which added a great new layer to my interpretation of the novel. Throughout speak, anderson represents melindas trauma and. Sparknotes is here for you with everything you need to ace or teach. This is the underlying message of speak and the message laurie halse. Williams was born in chicago, illinois and earned his mfa from washington university, where he was a chancellors graduate fellow. This makes me so angry i could screamor better yet, write a book.
The book speak by laurie halse anderson, is about a teenage girl who stops talking after she gets raped. In the book speak by laurie halse anderson the main character melinda learns many things. Book recalls the tumult of the teen years speak by laurie halse anderson. Speak was very well paced and i never found the story to be dragging or boring. The summer before starting high school, she was raped by a senior student, andy evans. You will have time to get to your class before the bell rings. Immediately download the speak summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching speak. 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. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. With kristen stewart, elizabeth perkins, richard hagerman, allison siko. The main character melinda, has a particularly hard time fitting in. This lifestyle almost perfectly matches melinda sordinos, the main character in the book speak, by laurie anderson.
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. Laurie halse andersons speak is a novel that makes a definite argument. Speak is a book that not only has the power to change lives, but to save them. Book analysis of the book speak by laurie anderson. The title of the book is ironically based on the fact that melinda, the protagonist, chooses not to speak again after the incident. The main character melinda, has a particularly hard time fitting in because of an incident that took place over the summer anderson, 1999. Speak is a novel written by laurie halse anderson and published in 1999. The book is written in the form of a monologue in the mind. Throughout the novel, she is attempting to deal with the social and emotional outcome of the rape and, of course, is. Melindas only friend is heather, a new student, who tries to get melinda involved in her schemes to gain popularity.
Rape is a sensitive content to the author since it also happened to her when she was a teenager, and. Melinda sordino is the main character of speak along with the narrator of the book. Sparknotes are the most helpful study guides around to literature, math, science, and more. The author does not use traditional chapter numbers or section numbers in this novel. Previous page table of contents next page downloadable printable version. Free study guide for speak by laurie halse anderson. The miracle morning by hal elrod animated book summary how to create a morning routine duration. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. Throughout speak, anderson represents melindas trauma and recovery. In the book, speak by laurie halse anderson, a young girl, melinda, who used to be a popular girl is now an outcast. In the book speak, by laurie halse anderson, protagonist melinda sordino enters her freshman year of high school with a dark secret. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of speak by laurie halse anderson. Due to her trauma and inability to tell anyone about what happened, melinda spirals into a dark depression.
Melinda sordino begins her first day at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york apprehensive and skeptical, and pessimistic. For the purpose of this study guide, we have assigned chapter and part numbers. Find sample tests, essay help, and translations of shakespeare. I have seven new note books, a skirt i hate, and a stomachache. Shocked and scared, she calls the police, who break up the party and send everyone home. Melinda wishes she could tell rachel, especially rachel, her secret. Throughout the book, mel struggles to emerge from a cloud of depression and apathy that surrounds her, yet continually finds herself rejected and alone. Like many novels with high school settings, speak is deeply focused on ideas of growing up and coming of age. Its been used in schools in order to not only teach literary analysis. Her parents and guidance counselor try to get her to open up about her poor academic performance, but melinda refuses to speak to them. She used to be very social, outgoing, and loved until one night at a party. The title of the book, speak, is ironically based on the fact that melinda chooses not to speak. Melinda used to be shy but now because of big events and different people she is confident.
This is a gritty, powerful book that teachers and parents could use to launch a number of discussions. The book is about a girl, melinda, who stops speaking at school. Hopefully, reporting the attacker will make it less likely he or she will hurt you, or. Struggling with school, friends, and family, she tells the dark tale of her experiences, and why she has chosen not to speak. One of the best ways to delve into the mind of a teenagerin a literary sense. Laurie halse andersons awardwinning, highly acclaimed, and controversial novel about a teenager who chooses not to speak rather than to. The title gives us a pretty big hint as to what this might be. The entire school feels like a minefield to her, and it seems. Her old friends wont talk to her, much less sit with her on the bus.
Speak the stereotypical high school dream consists of attending crazy parties and maintaining many strong friendships and relationships, all while getting passing grades. A theme of speak by laurie halse anderson is metamorphosis. He is the author of the chapbooks bruised gospels arts. I would recommend this book to the age group of 1216, because the theme, to my surprise is a little bit more mature, yet its at an easier reading level. Melinda is a smart, intelligent student and person but after what happened in the summer, her visions and goals are clouded by judgement and her own personal suffering. It is ultimately as story of social acceptance and self acceptance with very clear messages to get across to the reader. The symbolism of birds in speak the factors that helped melinda recover. Im trying to remember how we got on the ground and where the moon went and wham. Riveting and compassionately written, it is emotional and inspirational. What makes this books exploration of that subject particularly poignant and pointed, however, is that melinda has. On the bus, she attempts to avoid the other students, who immediately begin to alienate and.
At the conclusion of your essay you need to cite the book as your source using mla format. Oct 22, 1999 speak was very well paced and i never found the story to be dragging or boring. But the books overall gritty realism and melindas hardwon metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. Colman 2009 stated that it is a mental disorder of childhood or adolescent whose essential feature is a persistent failure to speak in a certain social situations in which speaking is expected, such as at school or among peers, despite a proven ability to speak in other situations.
Complete comprehensive study guide and summary of speak by laurie halse anderson. Nov 01, 2014 the main character in my novel, speak by laurie halse anderson, is melinda sordino who is a girl who called the police at the end of summer party to save everyone else, but no one sees or understands why she would do that. She also succeeded with the moral of the story, it served a great importance. Analysis of speak by laurie anderson 792 words bartleby. Melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in laurie halse andersons speak. A literary analysis of silence in speak by laurie halse. If we truly want to help survivors of sexual abuse, then books like this one must be embraced. Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. I will be analyzing her character and role in the book. In the last chapter of the novel, melinda sits in mr. Andersons did an excellent job with making the language simple, as most teenagers would like. Speak by laurie halse anderson essay 1749 words bartleby. Speak study guide contains a biography of laurie halse anderson, literature essays.
In short, the novel argues that if you are a victim of a sexual assault, you will need to speak about it in order to heal. I loved the character development and melindas voice throughout th 2017 reread. Speak by laurie halse anderson speak, by laurie halse anderson, is a story written in the first person about a young girl named melinda sordino. Because of the rape situation, melinda was very shy and selfconscious. Throughout the novel, melindas parents, peers, and school faculty alike observe the shift in. Speak cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test.
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