She is terribly unhappy, because she is the victim of a vicious rape, and so spends her entire ninthgrade year trying to come to terms with what happened. In her bedroom, melinda describes how out of place she feels in it, having. A woman of 52 years of age and a mother of 3, melinda is fit and healthier than most of the 30 years old. Her last name, sordino, is an italian word that can be translated as deaf.
Anderson instead writes melinda s account of the rape in the same way that her memory would construct it. She seldom talks, and has such habits as severely biting her lip, all of which seem odd until we learn why she called the police on an endof. How to describe the main characters from speak pen and the pad. While melindas smart and savvy interior narrative slowly reveals the searing pain of that 911 night, it also nails the highschool experience cold. Speak by laurie halse anderson goodreads share book. Anderson instead writes melindas account of the rape in the same way that her memory would construct it. Second marking period, dead frogsnaming the monster. Melinda thought shed feel so much better after telling rachel, but rachel doesnt react the way melinda wants. Also known as it or andy beast to melinda, andy is the primary antagonist in speak. Melinda as a character is very relatable, although not hugely memorable.
Symbolism is the use of ideas or objects to represent something more than its original meaning. Melinda is very perceptive and bright, but her vision is sometimes clouded by her suffering. An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, speak will hold readers from first word to last. Reread pages the section called closet space on pages 50 and 51. What are some character traits of melinda in speak. What are the problems melinda faces in the book speak. Speak is a novel written and published by laurie halse anderson in 1999. In laurie halse andersons speak, melinda s tree project is used to represent her growth at the end of the book. You also see hints as to what has caused melinda to be isolated and view herself as an outcast. The climax here occurs when melinda finally confronts andy as he tries to rape her the second time. The use of symbols to portray the theme in speak, a novel by laurie halse anderson.
Freemans last name work on a symbolic level in speak. I can tell that your mind is a place full of deep thoughts and questions, and i want to encourage you to let those inquisitions out and to free your mind. Melinda mel sordino is the main character and narrator of laurie halse andersons 1999 novel speak. Speak band, a synthpop band from austin, texas speak bachelor girl song, a 2018 single by australian pop band bachelor girl speak godsmack song, a 2006 song by the band godsmack. Speak by laurie halse anderson about the book speak up for yourself we want to know what you have to say. Other activities to help include hangman, crossword, word scramble, games, matching, quizes, and tests. He rapes melinda at a party the summer before her first year of high school.
Free flashcards to help memorize facts about test over the whole book. Describe melinda and davids relationship, especially taking into consideration the valentines day scene. Laurie halse anderson uses an internal voice throughout the book to show the havoc that is attacking melindas mind. We follow he through her first year of high school and learn that the source of her cynicism is that she was raped. Melinda discovered this cozy hiding place in the school. Can you give five words that describe melinda sordino from the book speak. In the beginning of the book speak, melinda references the ten lies they tell you in high school. Melinda uses several words to describe her daily life. Use all those words and their synonyms and you have this book. Words cannot describe how much this book means to me.
At the party there was drinking and drugs but the worst part was when melinda got raped by andy evans. If you give me enough ideas, ill have theo dream up a new website page for the playlists. This prezi explores the idea of using symbols in literature and in speak by laurie halse anderson. Get an answer for how did they express melinda s feelings in the book speak. Once i finished reading the last word i knew i was going to reread it. She only finds it when its needed to prevent a reoccurrence of the same horror. He is a sleazy, but attractive, senior boy with a reputation for inappropriate behavior with girls. It is unknown of what she is scarred from, but it is evident by her insecure behavior that she was once scarred.
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. Traumatic events are not stored in a normal, linear fashion. Additional describing words adjectives that describe adjectives of various nouns can be found in the other pages on this website. The story follows the experiences of social outcast, melinda sordino, during her freshman year at merryweather high school in syracuse. Melinda must learn over the course of the novel to overcome her trauma and to. She is very insecure and tries hard to stay as invisible as possible, for the fear. To have a class discussion on what was seen and what students initial thoughts are. The entire section contains 4 answers and 842 words. His protectiveness toward her, his gentle but strong urgings that she speak her mind these suggest he really cares about her.
How to describe the main characters from speak pen and. Throughout the story, she seems to be holding on to a secret thats killing her internally. She is very insecure and tries hard to stay as invisible as possible, for the fear of being seen or heard. In the beginning of the book, she seems to isolate herself from the world. Melinda s speaking up after she was raped in speak by laurie halse anderson. The book is written in the form of a monologue in the mind.
The symbol of melindas closet in speak from litcharts. Its an abandoned janitors closet in the seniors wing. The summer before starting high school, she was raped by a senior student, andy evans. This is melinda after she tells rachel that andy raped her and rachel doesnt believe her. 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. What better place to start with an author than their most beloved book. Nov 29, 2010 similarly, melinda is scarred from something. The characters ordeals were based on andersons own experiences. Speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say.
Laurie anderson uses the metaphor of a scarred tree throughout the book to express this pain and deal with the aftermath. She wants to explain why she called the cops but she cant find the words. The story follows the experiences of social outcast, melinda sordino, during her. Melinda s rape permeates the text, with the author using a combination of simile and metaphor. Melinda sordino, the narrator of laurie halse andersons novel speak, is a 14 yearold rape survivor. In the first marking period of the book the main character in the book speak by laurie halse anderson, melinda sordino, does everything she can to not look in a mirror so that she cannot see. You have such light and creativity in you, but it is covered in the darkness that you use a shield. Study guide for the novel speak by laurie halse anderson. Make sure why she does it, how she acts thinks and feels not what she does.
She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an endofsummer party by. The character of melinda sordino in speak from litcharts the. She does this because although she doesnt want to speak out to anyone, she does want people to know that andy is a bad person. I feel that the story emphasizes on both the plot and the character because its about what the character goes through and her struggling with this plot. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. An internal conflict that melinda is struggling with depression the song human by christina perri is the perfect example of an internal conflict of depression, because it describes what a person with depression goes through.
A vocabulary list featuring speak by laurie halse anderson, first marking period. Melindas rape permeates the text, with the author using a combination of simile and metaphor. What are some character traits of melinda in speak melinda s character traits. While melinda s smart and savvy interior narrative slowly reveals the searing pain of that 911 night, it also nails the highschool experience cold. By the end of ninth grade, melinda finds her voice and learns to speak. It was also made into a movie of the same name in 2004. Please share some quotes that describe melindas character.
I do think that it is very powerful that melinda goes through most of the book without speaking. Jun 04, 2011 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. Traumatic events are not stored in a normal, linear fashion, but in bits and pieces with overlapping thoughts. Anderson uses two strong words, ugly and metal when describing the lips. I literally wanted to hop into the sea of words and tell melinda sordino ill be your friend. Get an answer for how did they express melindas feelings in the book speak. The symbol of melindas bedroom in speak from litcharts. After what had happened she called the cops and a lot of people got arrested for under aged drinking and taking drugs. Speak by laurie halse anderson essay 1749 words bartleby. Symbolism is an effective technique that is used to establish the central theme of perseverance. Speak study guide contains a biography of laurie halse anderson, literature. Browse essays about laurie halse anderson and find inspiration.
In speak, mute melinda was unable to overcome her struggle since she attempted to dodge the truth. At the end of the novel, he tries to rape melinda a second time, but melinda. Its not clear how much david suspects about melinda s problems, but it seems likely hes aware things arent right with her. Tree as a symbol in speak by sarah merecicky on prezi. How did they express melindas feelings in the book speak. Speak anderson novel, a 1999 novel by laurie halse anderson speak, the film based on andersons book.
She learns that the only way to counter evil is to speak out against it. Read the rest of second marking period and find a quotation that relates to one of the themes in the book, it can be from a newspaper article, song or in literature. An array of personalities in speak by laurie halse anderson. Get everything you need to know about melinda sordino in speak.
Speak by laurie halse anderson, first marking period. A vocabulary list featuring 30 great words from speak, by laurie halse anderson. Well, perhaps we can come up to a conclusion if we follow the personality traits of melinda gates, the most powerful and possibly the most humble woman of the world. The story follows the experiences of social outcast, melinda sordino, during her freshman year at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york. Melinda writes on the bathroom wall, guys to stay away from. Oct 19, 2011 can you describe melinda sordino in 5 words.
Symbolism in the novel introduce what symbolism is discuss how trees and mirrors are represented in the book homework. Literary devices in speak by laurie halse anderson bartleby. Her last name, sordino, is an italian word that can be. How can melinda tell the truth about what really happened when she wont even speak. She is 15 years old and is beginning her freshman year at merryweather high school. On page 72, melindas parents give her a sketch pad and charcoal pencils for christmas. Character list and analysis melinda sordino melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in laurie halse andersons speak. She also does poorly in school, and doesnt socialize very easily with other students.
Melinda doesnt want anyone to have to go through the things she did. In the novel speak by laurie halse anderson, melinda sordino is entering her first year of high school. Speak is a book that i would recommend to any young adult reader, and in fact to any young. Maybe i can figure out how to set them up over on itunes, too. 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. Since shes also the narrator, everything we learn about the other characters is filtered through her. Hope this word list had the adjective used with speak you were looking for. In this book speak, what are some characteristics of melinda. Melinda sordino is the protagonist of the novel speak. 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. The title of the book, speak, is ironically based on the fact that melinda chooses not to speak. Melinda sordino is the protagonist of the novel speak by laurie halse anderson.
The first time she couldnt find a way to speak or call for help, but this time she does and the evil he has perpetrated on her and other girls in the school finally comes to an end. It is based on a true story and is based on what people like me teens go through. The symbol of melindas bedroom in speak from litcharts the. May 20, 2008 teased and ignored by her peers, put down by her teachers, ignored she felt like they didnt care by her parents, dropped by her friends not being able to speak up about her problems or feelings which led to her not being able to speak about anything at all. This book was very sad to read because so many people were rude to others, i dont like when books are like that. She uses those words to show that those words can be applied to melinda s life. I believe this song should go at the scene that andy evans is leaning over mel in the lunch room and not even talking to her.
Describe melinda sordino featuring in the book speak answers. The speak quotes below all refer to the symbol of melindas bedroom. This is the only point in the book in which there is a complete disregard for grammar rules. After calling the police during an endofsummer party, melinda is an outcast at school. Melinda sordino is the main character of the book speak. Oct 22, 1999 speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say. Ever since she called 911 from a teen party, melinda has quieted her voice, literally and figuratively. They rescue her from andy evans and spread word of the attack.
This study guide consists of approximately 53 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of speak. The novel begins on melindas first day in high school. The speak quotes below all refer to the symbol of melindas closet. Speak is set in syracuse, new york, in the specific neighborhood and schoolmerryweather high schoolof melinda sordino in the present day character list. Your readers are not interested in having the book retold to them, and are certainly not interested in having the ending spoiled. Still, melinda sounds slightly less sad than normal here as if telling does give her some relief. Melinda is in charge of making the first slice down the frogs abdomen and as she does so, she has a flashback to the second marking period, dead frogsnaming the monster my preferences. She speaks only when silence is unavoidable and most of the time those words are not her true thoughts. In these first sections of speak, you meet melinda, and through her description of her classmates and teachers, you gain a sense of their character as well as her own. However, when melinda finally spoke out about what happened to her, she immediately felt better about the struggle she was dealing with. Get an answer for please share some quotes that describe melinda s character.
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