The Perfect Tree In Kindergartner's Tragic Tree

“I see IT in the hallway. IT goes to Merryweather. IT is walking with Aubrey Cheerleader. IT is my nightmare and I can’t wake up” (Anderson 45). Meet Melinda Sordino- a freshman at Merryweather High that everyone hates. She has a secret, a big one, that makes her feel alone and depressed, but she hasn’t told anyone. In her art class, the students are each assigned a topic for a year-long project and Melinda gets the topic tree. She struggles throughout the school year to create the perfect one. By the time June rolls around, she figures out how to speak up about being raped by Andy Evans and put feelings into her art. Melinda’s journey parallels the development of her tree project by depicting trees that are almost dead represent how she feels
For instance, Mr. Freeman reserves the rest of the linoleum blocks for her, but she isn’t sure why because “a kindergartner could carve a better tree. [She’s] stopped counting the linoleum blocks [she’s] ruined” (Anderson 103). The linoleum blocks are symbols of her relationships with people and she feels as if she has ruined them all and they cannot be fixed. In addition, Rachel, Melinda’s ex-best friend, has been nothing but cruel to her and even Heather, a new girl from Minnesota, says she doesn’t want to be friends with her anymore. As a result, Melinda begins to quit doing her work and then starts cutting class. Both of these events end badly- a meeting with the principal, guidance counselor, and her parents. The consequence if she skips school again is MISS, or Merryweather in-school suspension. Melinda’s life has become a downward spiral but she is the only one who can fix
For example, when Mr. Freeman suggests she take a look at Picasso’s work, she is surprised to find that “it confuses [her], while one part of [her] brain jumps up and down screaming “I get it! I get it!” (Anderson 119). Suddenly, she understands and finds herself climbing out of the hole she was in that was in that was keeping her from using her creativity. With her newfound abilities, she “[sketches] a cubist tree with hundreds of skinny rectangles for branches” (Anderson 119). Everything Mr. Freeman has told her about putting some feeling into her work makes sense. In addition, as the end of the year approaches, she decides she doesn’t want to stay silent any longer. On the last day of school, Andy attacks her once again but this time she feels different. She finds the courage and the strength to push him off her and to say no. It might have taken Melinda all year to find a way to speak up but when she finally did she found out it was worth