Laurie Halse Anderson Speak Analysis

This summer I read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. The story begins with Melinda, the narrator, starting ninth grade. Everyone, even her old friends, won't talk to her. It's later announced that during the summer, Melinda called the police on a party and it got shut down. After this incident, Melinda became the most hated girl in her school. Something horrible happened to Melinda at the party that she hasn't told anyone about. She shuts herself in, withdrawing from school, her family, and any possibility of friendship. The reason that Melinda called the cops in the party was because she was raped. She becomes completely isolated and eventually becomes mute. Melinda’s emotional scar created by her experience leads her to cut class, steal passes, and cut herself. Very few people try to get her out of the shell, except for one of her teachers. At the end of speak, the same guy who raped her at the party strikes again. This time, Melinda says no, and this simple word makes her
The only difference is why they do not speak up or participate in class. Some people just do it because it is part of their personality of keeping everything in and not saying anything to anyone. I used to think that the only reason people didn’t speak is because they have the same problem as I, but I realized that there are many reasons people isolate themselves. One reason for not speaking up may be similar to Melinda’s, someone might have gone through a traumatizing moment that they are way too shocked or afraid to talk anymore. People also don’t speak up much because they feel that no one will listen to them. This feeling is very common for people with parents who ignore them. Some people just have no idea how to react or what to say because they don’t understand something. Maybe some people just need a little bit more time to get comfortable. There are many reasons why someone doesn’t speak but, the most common one is