How To Change In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak is a novel that makes a definite argument. In short, the novel argues that if you are a victim of a sexual assault, you will need to speak about it in order for yourself to grow and heal. As you probably know, there are lots of difficult reasons why victims of sexual assault might have a hard time speaking up about what's happened to them. Like Melinda Sordino, main character of Speak, they might be ashamed or afraid of what will happen if they tell. Speak is the story of Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman.

The first way that they do so is through making her feel bad about calling the police at a party where she was raped. While at a school assembly that she did not particularly want to go to, someone recognizes her and connects her name with that of the one whispered around because of the party. Melinda tells readers through metaphors what it is like to be in her position: “A block of ice freezes our section of the bleachers. Heads snap in my direction with the sound of a hundred paparazzi cameras. I can’t feel my fingers.

Children in the age range thirteen to fifteen are often transitioning through a critical time of their lives. They frequently look to others as a cicerone on how they themselves should act. In the novel, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino calls the cops on an end-of-summer party at which she was raped. The novel depicts Melinda’s excursion as to how she copes with the heart-wrenching events that have affected her momentously as well as creating “[a] frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life.” (Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review).

On a seemingly emotional high after attending a high school party as a rising freshman, Melinda’s world got turned upside down when she was taken advantage of by a popular senior jock. Along with the pain of the trauma itself, Melinda was reminded of her terrible ordeal each time she came in contact with Andy: “I want to throw up and I can smell him and I run and he remembers and he knows. He whispers in my ear” (Anderson 86). When Andy encroached on her sanctuary in the art room and destroyed her work, Melinda shut down and locked herself in her closet, where she “stuffed [her] mouth with old fabric and screamed until there were no sounds left under [her] skin” (Anderson 162). While interactions with others could incite her anxiety and feelings of depression, continued encounters with her rapist further aggravated Melinda.

Speak was written in 1999 by Laurie Halse Anderson. The book is about Melinda, a freshman just starting high school. Melinda starts school off with no friends, she lost the ones she had over the summer. A traumatic event causes Melinda to shut everyone out, and not speak to anyone. Growing up usually takes time, but Melinda is rushed into maturity too soon and must help others do the same.

Because the lack of family support and guidance, Connie lies to her parents of her whereabouts, and she sneaks away to local hangouts. While being out, she unfortunately catches the eye of Arnold Friend. This man will erase Connie’s innosense and expose her to how cruel the world can actually be. Many literary

In the young adult novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, the main character Melinda called the police at a high school party while going into freshman year. This unfairly made her instant an outcast and loner. Because of the rape, Melinda lost friends and interest in school and activities.

In the novel, one character doesn’t want to go to school anymore and doesn’t have any friends because they scare her. Page 30 states, “‘I’m afraid of children my own age. They kill each other… Six of my friends have been shot in the last year alone. Ten of them died in car wrecks…

I use my music to realize what I can do. It reminds me that I am still human, what kind of human doesn’t like to listen to music, it just lets me now I am doing good for myself, and I need to male sure I still have myself in check in reality, and to keeping being me. I also listen to music when I am working out to keep

Speak Journal Response This journal is in response to the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. As a coming-of-age contemporary novel, Speak discusses many sensitive issues that are still prominent even today. In this story, we explore the life of Melinda Sordino, a fourteen-year-old girl who is beginning high school right after experiencing an utterly traumatic event: rape. Melinda is left friendless, with no one to help and support her after what happened.

It helps to prevent increased amounts of suicide, which is because of raised quantities of self-harm, throughout America and the world. Also, for those who struggle with addiction involving drugs find comfort and help with this form of Psychotherapy. This therapy brings back the forgotten memories that were once lost to certain mental disorders including Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Music provides an escape from the stressed mind and brings a positive light to the patient’s life. Physical complications are fixed from the mental portion, and medicine has improved tremendously from the efforts brought by music.

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything” (Plato). If my childhood was filled with anything: it was imagination. From my earliest memories of my cousin, and I putting on a sold out concert on my papaw’s front porch; to putting my baby dolls to sleep with lullabies. Music has always been a big part of my life: it was the one thing I could always count on, no matter where I went; and that still stands true today.

III. Finally, music offers many advantages to those who listen. A. Medically, certain music can help significantly in healing the mind and the body. 1. Music therapists are professionals trained to use music and/or musical instruments to promote overall health and well-being in their patients (“Positive & Negative…,” 2017).

At a young age, I constantly wanted to express myself through music. I always found a way to incorporate music into my daily life, whether it be by blasting my favorite music, creating my own funky songs, or even having the opportunity to participate in my elementary school choir. My love for music actually took flight after I had decided to join my elementary school choir, however, in my opinion, it is not the most transformative moment in my life. After elementary

Music has always been a part of my life. In definition, it is “vocal or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.” Ever since I was a young child, I have loved music. The strong, steady beats, the entrancing melodies, and the lyrics that vary between heartwarming and heart-wrenching have always had an unexplainable effect on my life. Music seems to have the ability to change certain aspects of my world.