Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson: Summary

“Every scar I have makes me who I am” proclaimed an anonymous author. Sometimes people make decisions that will stick with them for forever even if they don’t want it to. In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, she writes about a teenager named Melinda who goes through a ton of drama over the summer before and during her freshman year. A boy named Andy Evans sees Melinda and comes by her. Andy sees her and stays with her all night. Later through the night he brings her away from everyone else and rapes her. Melinda gets extremely scared and calls the police, Rachel (her ex-best friend) finds out she called the cops. Rachel then leaves her at the party and hates her, for calling the cops, from that moment on. In conclusion to this Melinda
Heather, a new girl, came around and was her best friend. But Heather left Melinda she learned to: move on, to accept the past, and to not let people walk all over her. After the rape Melinda had a hard time moving on from the past and everything that had happened. When Heather came into her life, and was a great step toward getting out of depression. But then on page 105 Heather says “Heather: ‘This is really awkward. I mean, how do you say something like this? No matter what . . . no, I don’t want to say that. I mean, we kind of paired up at the beginning of the year when I was new and didn’t know anyone and that was really, really sweet of you, but I think it’s time for us both to admit that we . . . just . . .are . . .very . . .different.’ She studies her no-fat yogurt. I try to think of something bitchy, something wicked and cruel. I can’t. Me: ‘You mean we’re not friends anymore?’ Heather: ‘[smiling with her mouth but not her eyes] We were never really, really friends, were we? I mean, it’s not like I ever slept over at you house or anything. We like to do different things. I have my modeling, and I like to shop . . .’ Me:’ I like to shop.’ Heather:’ You don’t like anything. You are the most depressed person I’ve ever met, and excuse me for saying this, but you are no fun to be around and I think you need professional help.’” Melinda learned to move on and accept that she wasn’t suppose to be
Both good and bad scenarios shape one's identity the most weather they want it to or not. The decisions you make are stuck with someone for the rest of their lives. From the Disney Pixar movie Inside Out it gives us the lesson of “Happy memories are important but so are happy-sad ones.” Melinda may have some memories, good or bad, that define her identity but not all of them have to be happy. That’s why every decision she makes, or scars she has, make up her identity and form her as a