Essay On Find Your Own Voice In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak
1236 Words5 Pages
Find Your Own Voice, Make Your Own Paradise
Chaeyeon Song
Speaking is the action of sharing information or expressing one's thoughts and feelings in a spoken language. It takes a lot of nerve, but it is the most rewarding and effective way to show one’s own self. Unfortunately, there are some people who take more than a year to speak. Just as Melinda, the main character of the book, who suddenly shut her mouth because of a terrible memory in the party. ‘Speak’ by Laurie Halse Anderson gives a valuable message to the readers that having your own voice is significant in our life. By showing Melinda slowly stepping up and opening her mouth, the book clearly demonstrates all the vital roles that ‘speaking’ can play.
To start with, the…show more content… Since she didn’t demonstrate her emotions at all, Melinda got in a trap of Heather. Heather is a new friend, a fake friend of Melinda. Heather didn’t treat Melinda as a true friend, but came to Melinda only when she needed help. Even though Heather’s demands were ridiculous, Melinda couldn’t say ‘No’ to her. As an extension of her previous experience, she was not having enough courage to refuse her. “ Heather : You, silly. You draw better than me and you have plenty of time. Please say you’ll do it! … How could I say no? “ (Anderson, 80) At the same time, she couldn’t resist to the people who were sarcastic to her. When Melinda and Heather went to a pap rally, Melinda faced with the kids who were at the party. Melinda got poked, kneed, hair-pulled, and pushed down bleachers. “The girl poke me harder. “‘Aren’t you the one who called the cops at Kyle Rodger’s party at the end of the summer?“‘ I can’t feel my finger. I shake my head. Another girl chimes in. “‘My brother got arrested at that party. He got fired because of the arrest. I can’t believe you give that, asshole.“‘(Anderson,27~28) She didn’t resist. She didn’t even try to explain them the reason why she should’ve called the cops at the party. What she did was just closing up her mouth and staying still. She didn’t show an attitude to speak or reveal the truth. Instead of blaming Andy, who actually raped…show more content… The major motivation of her change is shown in the last few pages. After she knew that Rachel, her old friend, was dating with Andy, she decided to take an action to rescue her friend from a dangerous brute. Even though Rachel was the one who betrayed her, Melinda was disclosing the truth and this shows the reader that she started having a courage. She wrote “Guys to Stay Away From” on the bathroom wall, and put Andy’s name as number one. Later, she found out dozens of girls had writing about Andy’s attack on them. She finally succeed in exposing the truth, and saved the others and herself as well. In addition, her another change can be seen through the relationship between her and Heather. ”Heather: Didn’t you tell me once how much you hated your room? Well, now I see why. It would be so depressing just to wake up here every morning … Sea-foam green and sage, that’s what you should look for classic and feminine. Me: No. Heather: You want something richer, like an eggplant or cobalt? Me: No, I haven’t decided on colors yet. That’s not what I mean, I mean no, I won’t help you.” (p. 179) When Heather went over to Melinda’s house and asking her help for decorating prom ballroom, Melinda was able to refuse it. She expressed her own feeling directly to Heather! Resultingly, she could have her own time, not doing silly services for others. This showed the readers that