Other Great Books

Some other wonderful books I have read that relate well to the novel Speak include the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan. Both of these books take place in a high school and discuss the problems that many teenagers face including, being misunderstood, eating disorders, substance abuse, struggling with schoolwork, and romance.

Conclusion

This book doesn't exactly end in the fairy tale happiness bracket, but it is certainly an optimistic ending. In the end everyone found out that Andy had raped Melinda, and actually had tried once again. But I feel that an even bigger triumph than Andy being caught is Melinda realizing it was not her fault and that she can go on with her life. This is usually the hardest thing for rape victims to do. Melinda also earns an A+ in art for her tree drawing. I think this isn't neccesarily just because of her art skill but because of the heart and soul she put into her work and the long journey she went through throughout the year. Overall I enjoyed this book even more the second time! 

Changes

As the weather changes Melinda's depression seems to slightly lighten. She talks about actually feeling happy for the first time in the book while outside in the spring air. She cleans up her front yard and plants flower seeds. Showing interest in something is a large step towards happiness after depression. She even begins talking to her parents. This is an enormous step for Melinda. I also feel that Melinda gets some happiness after writing in a bathroom stall that Andy Evans is a creep and when she goes back to the stall she sees that many other girls have wrote all different stories about him being a bad person, which makes her feel less alone.

Ivy

Melinda in the beginning of the book explains that all of her friends have shut her out, but as I continue to read I wonder if this is really true for all of them. I do believe that Rachel stopped talking to her because she called the cops and broke up the party that she brought her to, but I am not positive that Ivy shut Melinda out. I feel that Melinda more likely closed herself off from the world and therefore shut Ivy out. I think that Ivy is a good influence for Melinda for several reasons. The most basic is that she is friendly to her even though Melinda rarely talks to anyone, also because they are in the same art class Ivy often tells Melinda how much she likes her artwork which really boosts Melinda's self esteem. Another reason I think Ivy is a good influence for Melinda is her love for art. I think through art they both express themselves whether they know it or not.

The Truth

In this section Melinda confides in the reader the truth of what happened at the party where she called the cops. She explains that she was raped by a senior and the reader now understands much of why she is so depressed. Rape is a too common thing at parties and is often referred to as date rape. Date rape is when someone is raped by a person they know or have met before. Melinda speaks of just after the rape when she looked in a window and didn't recognize herself. For her the rape completely changed who she was and left her very confused and hurt. This section also talks about her gaining weight since this happened. Change in personal appearance is common for people dealing with traumatic events. Although Melinda gained weight many people have different reactions. Some people lose weight, stop showering, dress differently, or stop caring about beauty things like make-up or styling hair.

Valentine's Day and Losing a Friend

In this section once again Melinda is losing more and more control over her life. The downward spiral begins when Heather confronts Melinda about her weird personality and deepening depression. At this point Heather no longer feeling close to Melinda at all anymore cuts off all ties in order to try to save her own reputation. Melinda doesn't seem especially surprised by this happening and admits that she was never very close to Heather but is still hurt to now be truly all alone. Soon after this it is Valentine's Day which is just another reminder to Melinda that she doesn't have anyone to talk to. When she finds a card taped to her locker she hopes that it is someone professing their love for her but it turns out to be Heather trying to be nice to Melinda but the card is more of a stab in the heart because it got her hopes up only for them to crash back down and be reminded that Heather is too embarrassed to be her friend. Melinda also has been caught skipping school and had a meeting with the principal, guidance counselor and her parents. They realize that Melinda is not being rebellious but has an emotional problem. Although the school sees this they do not react correctly by getting her help but instead set up a punishment plan for Melinda for acting out.

IT

In this section Melinda has several run ins with an older male student she refers to as IT. She later tells the reader his real name is Andy Evans, but Melinda does not tell us why she freezes up around him and even vomited after one bump in while other girls are drooling over him. Also after Melinda's parents receive her report card they have a talk with her about her attitude and how much effort she isn't putting into her school work. This night Melinda has thoughts about suicide and when her mother sees that she has cut herself her only remark is "Melinda I don't have time for this." As a teenager my heart sobs for Melinda and I wish I could be there to help her through this tough time and stick with her even when she tried her hardest to push everyone away.

Melinda's Depression Deepens

In the last twenty pages Melinda's depression has become more severe and more of the traumatic night has been painted for the reader. Melinda also talks more about her family life, she explains her suspicions of her parents having affairs, and the belief that if it wasn't for her they would be separated. On Christmas day Melinda is tempted to tell her parents what has caused this change in their daughter but like many times doesn't feel able to speak. 

Connections From Speak To Common Problems In Schools

In this section of Speak the author makes several inferences to major problems in many school districts. One is the repetition and commonness of bullying in the school. This is well illustrated through Melinda being out casted by the closest person she had, Heather. This happens when Heather joins a school club called the "Marthas." Melinda helps Heather look good for the group and takes no credit because she knows that Heather will be scrutinized for asking Melinda to help with the assignment. After Melinda leaves the "Marthas" make fun of Melinda by calling her creepy, making fun of her clothing, and asking what is wrong with her lip. Another issue that was shown in this section was when Mr.Neck censored his classes debate on immigration, I found this very interesting and extremely wrong. Mr.Neck opened a discussion and then stopped it because he did not like a student's answer, he then sent that student to the office. In my mind this is an example of breaking freedom of speech.

Getting To Know Melinda Better

As I have continued reading the novel Speak more of Melinda's personality has been shown. You can see that Melinda has some social issues through the stuttering while trying to explain herself to the librarian when she was late to study hall. Melinda also tries to hide from reality by making a secret hideout in a deserted janitor's closet, and begins skipping class and spending time in there alone instead. Some of the causes for her problems are also illustrated during this section, like talk about her calling the cops at a party and girls saying mean things and pulling her hair who had once been her friends. Melinda, although she doesn't realize it, express her inner feelings through art. Right after the incident in the gym with the girls pulling her hair she began painting very dark pieces of art, many of which had dead or partially dead trees in them. This really shows how Melinda was feeling at that time. I feel that another personality trait that comes out during this section is Melinda's choices to sit in the back of her classes and constantly being prepared for a traumatic event to happen.

Reflecting On My First Readings

After doing my first readings in Speak I have found several things that really appeal to me. These include the very catchy titles of each section. For example"Fizz Ed" instead of Physical Education or Phys Ed. This really shows the characters personality and her very funny sarcasm. I also like the way Melinda describes her teachers. She gives them little nicknames instead of writing their actually names. I think this is helpful for several reasons. On one hand it is useful because it gives the reader an easier time connecting to the teachers and being able to remember teachers they may have had with similar personalities. It is also helpful because then you instantly remember the character traits of the teacher, for example her English teacher.

Predictions About the Book

Although I have already read this book I do not remember much of the details. I really only remember the basic story line because I originally read the book over four years ago. I look forward to re-reading the book and looking deeper into Melinda's feelings and the true meanings of things she says.