Character Analysis Of Courage In Laurie Hase Anderson's Speak

Courage is when someone does something brave and difficult to help themselves, someone else or something else. In the book Speak by Laurie Hase Anderson, Melinda goes to a party with all of her 8th grade friends plus some seniors. Melinda was having fun until she made the mistake of getting drunk. After that she went walking in the woods and all of a sudden Andy Evans began to rape her. Melinda was scared and upset so she called the cops, but she didn't tell anyone why. After the party Melinda became an outcast because she ruined the party. Someone that demonstrates courage in the book Speak is Melinda herself, she shows courage by calling the cops, helping Rachel and speaking up for herself.

The first time Melinda showed courage is when she called the cops at the party. Melinda called the cops because she needed help. She felt uncomfortable and alone, she didn't want to be there anymore. "The next thing I saw was the telephone". "I stood in the middle of a drunken crowd and called 911 because I needed help". (Anderson 136). After the party Melinda became an outcast, everyone hated her only because of what
She wanted to fight back, she just couldn't. “No I don't want to!” “But I can't spit it out.” (Anderson 135). But at the end of the book something changed in Melinda. She fought back to Andy Evans. That is very courageous because he is way bigger than her so it would be hard to fight him off when he is pushing his whole body against her. “He grabs me, pulls me away from the door, one hand over my mouth, one hand over my throat.” (Anderson 195). She also showed courage because it would be very hard to fight back to Andy only because he know so many more people than Melinda so a lot of people would believe him and not her. Melinda was not about to let the man that ruined her high school year ruin the rest of her life. "A sound explodes from me." "NNNOOO!!!" (Anderson