How does melindas family communicate in the book speak. Throughout the story, she seems to be holding on to a secret thats killing her internally. Melindas actions turn her into a wicked and immoral person to the society around her. Her first novel, speak, was a national book award finalist, a michael l. It tells the story of yearold melinda, who was raped at an endofsummer party and feels she can tell no one about it as she begins her freshman year.
Its a very emotional journey for her and really gives the readers alot of think about. Survivors like melinda are beginning to realize the impact they can make by speaking up. After accidentally busting an end of summer party due to an unnamed incident, melinda is ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police. Study guide for the novel speak by laurie halse anderson. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. From the first moment of her freshman year at merryweather high, melinda knows that this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. Melinda starts off as a freshmen student at her high school. In the novel, melinda hangs up a poster of maya angelou in her makeshift janitors closet hangout. At the party, melinda feels uncomfortable and out of place.
Banning this book means silencing victims and their stories. Speak summary speak tells the story of melinda sordino, a ninth grader at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york. Melinda inhaling pepperoni and mushroom and no one ever eats in the family room, no. Melinda remembers the rape, thinking that this is a book seventh and. Study guide for the novel speak by laurie halse anderson please answer all study guide questions as you read the novel. Why the ya novel speak is one of the most important. She is very insecure and tries hard to stay as invisible as possible, for the fear of being seen or heard.
Illustrated by emily carroll the critically acclaimed, awardwinning, modern classic speak is now a stunning graphic novel. Her best friend, rachel bruin, has turned against her with all other of melindas fellow students looking away. Melindas only friend is heather, a new student, who tries to get melinda involved in her schemes to gain popularity. She also does poorly in school, and doesnt socialize very easily with other students. This is symbolic of melindas inability to speak to the adults in her life. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story.
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. Speak was a 1999 national book award finalist for young peoples literature. Speak, to me, is taken more as a lesson than just a book. Her last name, sordino, is an italian word that can be translated as deaf. Speak novel the new york times best selling book, speak, was written by laurie halse anderson, and first published in 1999. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. She learns that the only way to counter evil is to speak out against it. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. 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. In the novel speak by laurie halse anderson, the main character, melinda, has important issues going on in her life that make her life as hard as it can get.
Kids who are genuine outsiders stand to gain a lot from this compassionate novel. Melindas connection to a mentor, her artistic creations, and even her plans for a flower garden all feed her inner strength. 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. I can no longer count the number of rereads ive given it. It also gives a nod to talk show hosts who get serious issues before the public eye. Two key scenes feature violence, but they are expressionistic, and most readers will be prepared for them. Essay about laurie halse andersons speak 1277 words. Melinda mel sordino is the main character and narrator of laurie halse andersons 1999 novel speak. 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.
Original edition melinda sordino busted an endofsummer party by calling the cops. As she starts high school she has no friends as they have all deserted her. Melindas tree art progresses throughout the novel because at the start of the year she would always try to draw the tree onto paper, flat and twodimensional, but towards the middle of the novel she begins trying to sculpt a tree out of a linoleum wood block. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 208 pages and is available in paperback format.
Speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say. In laurie halse andersons powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. Pdf speak book by laurie halse anderson free download. In fact, whenever melinda sees her reflection in the novel, she notices her flaws and is disgusted by herself. After what had happened she called the cops and a lot of people got arrested for under aged drinking and taking drugs. Speak is a young adult novel written by laurie halse anderson about a fifteenyearold freshman named melinda sordino who suffers to maintain a normal life after shes raped and. Now her old friends wont talk to her, and people she doesnt even know hate her from a distance. When shes finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumphs. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an endofsummer party by. Her old friends wont talk to her, much less sit with her on the bus. Melinda sordino is the main character of the book speak. Melinda s closet represents the doubleedged sword of her loneliness. In the book speak, one of the biggest conflicts is when melinda was at a summer party. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one.
August before her freshman year, melinda and her closest friends attend a party with seniors and beer. This shows her progress through her different phases of coping with what happened. Speak by laurie halse anderson about the book speak up for yourself we want to know what you have to say. Parents need to know that speak is a graphic novel adaptation of the acclaimed novel by laurie halse anderson, with art by emily carroll.
In the beginning of the book, she seems to isolate herself from the world. Its a short novel where the life of an individual is so much more, and worth so much more, but. Shes riding the bus to her first day of high school. 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. She is 15 years old and is beginning her freshman year at merryweather high school. Get an answer for in the novel speak, how does melinda change as a student. At the end of the novel, he tries to rape melinda a second time, but melinda screams and he is caught. 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.
The novel deals with the aftermath of melindas rape and the obstacles she encounters while trying to. This is the first half of the section titled first marking period in the book speak by laurie halse anderson. Ever since she called 911 from a teen party, melinda has quieted her voice. In the book speak, by laurie halse anderson, melinda sordino is forced into the worst year of her life. The remainder of the student body dislikes her for being a snitch. One way the book speak by laurie halse anderson shows empowerment is through melindas dependence on herself, rather than others. The protagonist, melinda sordino, is raped by a high school senior at an endofschool party she attends with her best friend, rachel. Melinda sordino begins her freshman year at merryweather high school in. The critically acclaimed, awardwinning, modern classic speak is now a stunning graphic novel.
Edwards award for her contributions to young adult literature in 2009, published her first novel, speak, in 1999. In the book speak all melinda is wanting is to fit in. But the books overall gritty realism and melindas hardwon metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. Speak by laurie halse anderson goodreads share book. This scene emphasizes the way melinda draws on everything around her to find solutions to her problems. From the first moment of her freshman year at merryweather high, melinda knows this is. Melinda sordino is the main character of speak along with the narrator of the book. Speak, by laurie halse anderson, enjoys the dubious distinction of making a regular appearance on the banned books circuit. The symbol of melindas closet in speak from litcharts. After melinda calls the police at a party in august, her former friend group ditches her and disintegrates. Jerrys contributes to the discussion by telling melinda to speak up 76. Book summary melinda sordino begins her freshman year at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york, with a heavy secret weighing on her. Laurie halse anderson, who received the margaret a.
Pick up the book, speak by laurie halse anderson today. Speak faces the social issue of teen rape, and follows the. Speak is a book that not only has the power to change lives, but to save them. As you read the first section of speak list reasons why you believe she might be feeling this way.
In the novel she is only a 14yearold girl with the weight of the worst thing. A lesson worth reading and worth analyzing every little detail, no matter how the writing is and no matter how repetitive it can get. At the party there was drinking and drugs but the worst part was when melinda got raped by andy evans. The graphic novel also available in spanish and french. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. On the other hand, the closet symbolizes her inability to deal with the real world, and her own immaturity. I can no longer count the number of re reads ive given it. The summer before starting high school, she was raped by a senior student, andy evans.
The novel begins on melindas first day in high school. When the main character has an internal debate, the book refers to them as melinda one. Melinda categorizes the merryweather students into several. She is explaining all the things she did to fit in. Will melinda ever tell someone, or will she keep it all a secret that will haunt her forever. 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. Speak tells the story of melinda sordino, a ninth grader at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york. The characters ordeals were based on andersons own experiences. Nobody at school will talk to melinda, including rachel bruin, whos been her best friend forever. Throughout the novel, she nervously chews on her lips to the point that they become chapped and split. Character list and analysis melinda sordino melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in laurie halse andersons speak. Laurie halse anderson uses maya angelou as a figure for melinda to learn and change by in the novel speak. The main theme of the book rape and its effect on those who experience it is believed by some to be inappropriate for young readers.
The first edition of the novel was published in october 22nd 1999, and was written by laurie halse anderson. She thinks her reflection looks ugly in her bedroom mirror, and covers up the mirror in her closet with a poster of maya angelou. Since shes also the narrator, everything we learn about the other characters is filtered through her. Also known as it or andy beast to melinda, andy is the primary antagonist in speak. Melinda is very perceptive and bright, but her vision is sometimes clouded by her suffering. Melinda could learn from angelou that she can stand up and rise up from.
At the beginning of speak, melinda despises mirrors. Speak is a great young adult novel that follows a young girl, melinda as she is trying to cope in school after a traumatic and horrible event that takes place at a summer party. Melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in laurie halse andersons speak. The speak quotes below all refer to the symbol of melindas closet. The book is about a girl, melinda, who stops speaking at school.
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