Speak Laurie Halse Anderson Character Analysis

In the book, “Speak” by, Laurie Halse Anderson, we are taken on a journey through the life of a young girl, named Melinda Sordino. We quickly learn that Melinda is a rape survivor that becomes mute after encountering sexual violence at a party during summer break, right before the start of her freshman year of high school. Melinda carries the burden of this secret with her in shame and in silence, from the hallways of her school to the doors of her home; internally isolating herself from everyone.

However, she seems to have one friend, Heather, who is terribly desperate for popularity and validation. Heather even tries to get Melinda to join in on her attempts to climb the social ladder and gain status, but to no avail. Melinda is far too
consumed with the shame and confusion of her rape. In turn, Melinda does everything she can in her power to avoid long periods of social interaction as often as she can. Melinda even avoids classes and classmates by stealing late passes and hiding in the janitor's closet. It is here that we witness Melinda slowly disconnecting from her emotions. "I know my head isn't screwed on straight. I want to leave, transfer, warp myself to another galaxy. I want to confess everything, hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone else. There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. Even if I dump the memory, it will stay with me, staining me. My closet is a good thing, a quiet place that helps me hold these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them." -pg.50-5

Emotional disconnection and isolation are prevalent among teens battling depression. In cases similar to Melinda's, risks of depression and suicide are increased and are extremely likely. Situations like these are reasons why teens need outlets and resources to express or discuss their feelings. Melinda chooses not to talk about her feelings with the people close to her, (until much later in the book) but she does find peace in her art class. Although, Melinda still battles with her depression, she is able to escape by tackling a lengthy school art project that is centered on trees. During the process of her project, she frequently notices Andy Evans in school, the young man responsible for her trauma; and whom she has begun to refer to as "IT." With every encounter, Andy finds a way to inflict more emotional harm to Melinda. Constantly triggering her to feel the shame of his sexual abuse. She soon finds herself absent for school days and allows her grades to slip. Yet, after countless nights of inner turmoil and mild self-harm, Melinda is ready to break her silence and confront the reality of her rape. "IT happened. There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, flying, burying, or hiding. Andy Evans raped me in August when I was drunk and too young to know what was happening. It wasn’t my fault. He hurt me. It wasn’t my fault. And I’m not going to let it kill me. I can grow.” -pg.197

When Melinda decides to face her abuse, she takes a turn for the better.
We see her become more sociable and a little more open about what has happened to her. Suddenly, Melinda is overcome with relief because her conscious is free and she feels a weight has been lifted from her. Taking her life back in big and small ways, Melinda gets involved in outdoor activities and dedicates herself more to her tree project. She even severs her friendship with Heather and reconciles former friendships. But before the school year can end, Andy returns to steal away the hope for a life he sees Melinda has regained. Confining her to the janitor's closet, Andy tries to force himself on her again. Melinda fights him off and is quickly respected among her peers for coming forward in her abuse without allowing it to completely silence her; like Andy's violence has done to so many other girls. Melinda finishes her school year strong by completing the tree she's worked so hard on and opens up to her teachers.

In closing, it is ironic that I see Melinda's story as a metaphor just like the tree she created. A seed of shame was planted inside of Melinda, and just as a tree she silently grew. Processing every painful moment, sprouting slowly. Yet, growing steadily in her own strength without anyone's knowledge. Only to rise from the dirt as tall and bold as the tree she
envisioned.