How Does Melinda Show Courage

Courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. In Speak there are many little acts of courage by many different people but I believe the main character Melinda had the most big and small acts of courage. In this essay I will talk about why I believe she does and why I think courage is important in the ways it comes into this book. The first reason I think Melinda has the most courage is when Melinda finally said no to Heather. When she said no to Heather she found courage to speak up and use her voice. “No, I haven’t decided on colors yet. That’s not what I mean, I mean no, I won’t help you” (Anderson 179). It’s important for her to find courage and speak up for herself otherwise she was always be stuck doing things for Heather that she never really wanted to do and Heather never really appreciated what Melinda did for her. When Melinda found the courage to say no to Heather it could’ve also give her a little bit more confidence because now she knows that she has a voice that she has control of.
When she was in the closet getting her stuff Andy came in and did things Melinda didn't want him to do. She yelled no “NNNOOO!!!” (Anderson 194). Then protected herself with a piece of glass from the mirror she broke “I reach in and wrap my fingers around a triangle piece of glass. I hold it to Andy Evans neck. He freezes. I push hard enough to raise one drop of blood” (Anderson 195). If she didn't find the courage to use her voice to yell and tell him to stop and also to break a mirror to cut Andy then Andy could have done bad things that would’ve ruined Melinda and make her feel worse than she does already. Even though Melinda was scared and venerable at the moment she still found courage to do those things to save