Character analysis of sordino in the book speak 932 words. Aug 01, 2011 speak by laurie halse anderson revolves around melinda, a fifteen year old girl that was sexual assaulted during a party, causing her to go mute. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. Speak was a 1999 national book award finalist for young peoples literature. A teenage boy, andy, who attends the same school, raped her. Speak study guide contains a biography of laurie halse anderson, literature essays, quiz. The remainder of the student body dislikes her for being a snitch. In the book, speak by laurie halse anderson, a young girl, melinda, who used to be a popular girl is now an outcast. The characters ordeals were based on andersons own experiences. Essay on analysis of laura andersons speak character. How melinda gates made her mark at microsoft by not fitting. From the first moment of her freshman year at merryweather high, melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. Speak by laurie halse anderson, first marking period. Melinda sordino she is a sophomore in merryweather high school, syracuse, new york.
Speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say. Speak by laurie halse anderson speak, by laurie halse anderson, is a story written in the first person about a young girl named melinda sordino. The quotes strong, cynical tone show that melinda does have a voice, she just does not want to use it outside of her own head. She does this because although she doesnt want to speak out to anyone, she does want people to know that andy is a bad person. During the book, melinda symbolizes the tree that shes drawing in mr. After melinda calls the police at a party in august, her former friend group ditches her and disintegrates.
She also does poorly in school, and doesnt socialize very easily with other students. Although the book is narrated by melinda, there are many characters that are more complex than their surface appearance. The main theme of the book rape and its effect on those who experience it is believed by some to be inappropriate for young readers. Her old friends wont talk to her, much less sit with her on the bus. In a novel called speak, of course, it is significant that melinda is read full symbol analysis. I need quotes that are evidence of that physical description and find homework help for other speak questions.
Melinda is very perceptive and bright, but her vision is sometimes clouded by her suffering. No one, however, knows melindas biggest secret, the reason she dialed 911 over the. This made her very confident in her artwork but it also made her feel confident in school and throughout life. Due to her trauma and inability to tell anyone about what happened, melinda spirals into a dark depression. A woman of 52 years of age and a mother of 3, melinda is fit and healthier than most of the 30 years old. High school senior andy evans rapes melinda at the endofsummer party just before melinda starts 9th grade. One difference is that in the movie, melinda meets heather on the bus. She is not as successful, however, in convincing them to look for symbolism in.
If youd like me to speak at your event, please fill out the form below. The author of speak, laurie halse anderson, positions the main character melinda very clearly towards communication in the beginning of the book with the. Shes only fourteenyearsold, and shes dealing with one of the worst things that can happen to a person. Hence, melindas symptoms have been happening for greater than a month. Melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in laurie halse andersons speak.
Melinda french gates is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. Asked in speak novel what does melinda want in the book speak. In the book speak by laurie halse anderson the main character melinda learns many things. In her bedroom, melinda describes how out of place she feels in it, having. This statement defines melindas behavior for much of the novel. Melinda french gates speakers bureau and booking agent info. In the section entitled hall of mirrors, melinda goes shopping for clothes and gives minor descriptions of her physical appearance. It makes the most sense to have melinda narrate because she is the main character. Melinda doesnt want anyone to have to go through the things she did. Melinda writes on the bathroom wall, guys to stay away from. Melinda has always like eeman better than her other teachers because he actually.
What is a physical description of the character melinda in speak. Shes riding the bus to her first day of high school. Study 38 terms speak part 4 study guide flashcards quizlet. Melinda losses her ability to speak up and speak out. Since shes also the narrator, everything we learn about the other characters is filtered through her. Reason 1 he suggested a new medium, so i used purple finger paints. Between the book and movie speak, there are many differences between the two. The nonverbal communication of melinda in laurie halse. This book is written in the first person, so you are seeing melindas world through the eyes of her as the isolated person. Also known as it or andy beast to melinda, andy is the primary antagonist in speak. She is explaining all the things she did to fit in. Jun 24, 2011 what are some characteristics for the character melinda in the book speak. Since melinda does not speak, this is the only way that the readers can access her feelings and thoughts.
David petrakis unquestionably helped melinda find her voice. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an endofsummer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Get everything you need to know about melinda sordino in speak. May 10, 2011 speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say. How does its appearance have on melinda in the book speak. Part of the report is to give characteristics about the main character in the book. He assigns her a project on drawing a tree and thats all he tells her. Get everything you need to know about appearance versus reality in speak. In fact, whenever melinda sees her reflection in the novel, she notices her flaws and is disgusted by herself. The book is written in the form of a monologue in the mind of melinda, a teenage introvert. She thinks her reflection looks ugly in her bedroom mirror, and covers up the mirror in her closet with a poster of maya angelou. Melinda makes the reference to her having two people living inside her.
He is a sleazy, but attractive, senior boy with a reputation for inappropriate behavior with girls. Speak is set in syracuse, new york, in the specific neighborhood and schoolmerryweather high schoolof melinda sordino in the present day. Both of these characters support melinda through out the novel and are important in helping melinda speak. How can melinda tell the truth about what really happened when she wont even speak. Well, perhaps we can come up to a conclusion if we follow the personality traits of melinda gates, the most powerful and possibly the most humble woman of the world. What are some characteristics of melinda sordino in speak. Oct 23, 2009 between the book and movie speak, there are many differences between the two. What is a physical description of the character melinda in. What are some characteristics for the character melinda in the book speak. Melinda french gates generally travels from and can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other. I enjoy meeting and talking to people who share my passion for playing in the dirt. Melinda sordino is the main character of the book speak.
In the book speak all melinda is wanting is to fit in. Speak covers about a year in the life of melinda, a teenage girl who suffered a trauma the summer before the books action begins. Get an answer for what is a physical description of the character melinda in speak. Much of melindas cynicism within speak springs from what she views.
Melinda called the police at a summer party because a boy she didnt. She is 15 years old and is beginning her freshman year at merryweather high school. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in speak, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. In this book speak, what are some characteristics of melinda. She ends the book understanding that, although she cannot fix the gap.
Melinda mel sordino is the main character and narrator of laurie halse andersons 1999 novel speak. The character of heather in speak from litcharts the. What are some characteristics for the character melinda in. Speak, by laurie halse anderson, enjoys the dubious distinction of making a regular appearance on the banned books circuit. A vocabulary list featuring speak by laurie halse anderson, first marking period. Melinda looks at a book of landscapes brimming with trees and plants. Much of melindas cynicism within speak springs from what she views as a fundamental disconnect between appearance and reality. Putting up the poster of maya angelou is an important step for melinda because she becomes a role model for melinda and later in the book becomes the embodiment of melindas conscience. A vocabulary list featuring 30 great words from speak, by laurie halse anderson. Although sometimes main characters can provide biased opinions, melinda simply expresses her feelings. She is willing to be melindas friend, however, because she initially doesnt know that melinda called the police at the party before school began which other students think melinda did to get everyone in trouble but. She is so proud and feels like she accomplished something. After raping melinda at a summer party, he continues to antagonize her throughout the novel, showing his inability to empathize with others. I can speak on a wide range of topics and we will send you a complete list of my topics after you submit your request.
The nonverbal communication of melinda in laurie halse andersons speak anna dierks essay english language and literature studies literature publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay. The theme of appearance versus reality in speak from litcharts. Throughout the story, she comes across new characters in her life that help her to find her voice in various ways. Melinda hates her appearance, but is especially disgusted by her ragged lips, which she cant stop picking at and chewing. Her last name, sordino, is an italian word that can be translated as deaf. Speak symbols from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. Dec 05, 2016 this book is written in the first person, so you are seeing melindas world through the eyes of her as the isolated person. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The reader discovers that melinda is not comfortable with her. David, being one of melindas only friends, helps melinda realize that if she wants to make a point or make a change that she has to speak out. Melinda mel sordino is the main character and narrator of laurie halse anderson s 1999 novel speak.
What are the traits of melinda in the book speak answers. In laurie halse andersons powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. The summer before starting high school, she was raped by a senior student, andy evans. Speak is set in syracuse, new york, in the specific neighborhood and school merryweather high schoolof melinda sordino in the present day. Melinda from the book speak wanted to have friends again and get her life back, but some devastating things occurred that really affected and changed her life, so this experience lets melinda think about what she is going to do and she learns a lot about herself and gains courage and bravery. At the beginning of speak, melinda despises mirrors. Heather doesnt seem to be using melinda at first, but she isnt treating melinda like a real friend either. She used to be very social, outgoing, and loved until one night at a party. A transfer student from ohio, heather is everything that melinda is notperky, friendly, and obsessed with being popular.
Its appearance in the first chapter indicates to the reader that this will be the belief that melinda must overcome in order to be a happier and healthier person. Therefore, i believe that melinda should be identified as having ptsd with selective mutism. Melinda, 9 in this quote, melinda is forthright about her belief in the benefit of silence. Oct 22, 1999 in laurie halse andersons powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. He is a narcissistic senior in high school who is used to getting his way, either through charm or by force. Another difference is in the movie, rachel is the person that slaps melinda when she catches her on the phone. Its as if they operate in two realities simultaneously. After accidentally busting an end of summer party due to an unnamed incident, melinda is ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police.
She doesnt try to find out from melinda why everybody is mad at her, or why melinda is having a hard time. The character of melinda sordino in speak from litcharts the. Speak by laurie halse anderson goodreads share book. Melinda sordino is a character from the book speak, who has so many things to say but can not figure out a way to do so by herself. The title of the book, speak, is ironically based on the fact that melinda chooses not to speak. So naturally the first thing she does to make this space safe is hide the mirror by covering it with a poster of maya angelou. Freeman helps melinda by being there for her and comforting her. He rapes melinda at a party the summer before her first year of high school. She learns that the only way to counter evil is to speak out against it. After calling the police during an endofsummer party, melinda is an outcast at school.
Through the physical appearance of melinda, anderson shows many signals that. How does its appearance have on melinda in the book. The first physical description of melinda emphasizes her lips, which are in. By the end of ninth grade, melinda finds her voice and learns to speak. Melinda gates ended up staying at microsoft for nine years, and she writes in the book about what she learned. There was drinking and drugs at the party, but this isnt the reason melinda decided to crash the party.
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