At any one point in time life could take a twist, and the only way out of the hard times life goes afterwards; is by asking for help, which takes courage. The book “Speak” written by Laurie Halse Anderson, follows the High School life of Melinda Soreno, and she is struggling with showing courage. Her life is perfect until one late night party, and now she keeps a secret inside of her that she needs to get out. Courage can be admitting to something you’ve done, or call someone for help; it could also be helping another realize that they need to defend themself against their aggressors. It is scary for someone to admit that they are facing issues, that they are not thinking straight. This fear can sometimes come from what people observe. …show more content…
Mel is in her language arts class and they are talking about symbolism, and Rachel says “‘Does anyone really think that this guy sat down and stuck all kinds of hidden messages into his story? It’s just a story’” (Anderson 102) afterwards their teacher talked with her after class. In addition, the entire class had to write a five hundred word essay in symbolism. This is courageous because Rachel is expressing her thoughts even though she know that very few people believe the same thing. Rachel also knows that she might get in trouble because she is refusing to learn the material being taught to her. Because of this Mel thinks “That’s what you get for speaking up”(Anderson 102) , she is observing what is going on …show more content…
For example, if the cops are called to a scene, something bad could be prevented from happening. Guilty people could be punished, versus if the cops weren’t called, many innocent people could be hurt, and no one is punished. Mel describes that she was raped by Andy Evans. Then Mel tells us, “The next thing I saw was the telephone. I stood in the middle of a drunken crowd and I called 911 because I needed help. . . . Tears oozed down my face, over my bruised lips, pooling in the handset” (Anderson 136) she describes how she couldn’t say anything and she just stood there and cried long enough fo the cops to track the calling location. A simple call, or whimper could help, Mel got out of the situation the only way she could think of. It takes courage for a person to realize they need help, but even more, to get help. Help is hard to get in a world of judgmental people, there is always someone on the street to judge a person struggling, and in need of help, but they are to fed up over themselves to help, and be a better person. Courage can make the world a better place to be in for many
Throughout the passages, Laurie Halse Anderson establishes the Central Idea through the use of Characteristics and Imagery, revealing that the loudest words are the ones that aren’t spoken.
The addition of fear is sometimes too much for people to handle. As if they didn’t have enough already” (Baker 1).
Courage is having to stand up for people who are being treated unfairly or if they have different skin color. In Mildred Taylor’s book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Stacey has to show courage by standing up for his friends and family. Stacey is a seventh grader at Great Faith Elementary School and is the oldest Logan kid. when Papa is gone he feels like he needs to be the man of the house and watch out for his younger siblings. Stacey had to show courage when he helped Little Man get back at the bus, takes the blame for the cheat notes, and took T.J. home when he was injured.
In the novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson utilizes the motif of the janitor's closet to show the growth and changes Melinda goes through, starting nonfunctional, and then finally finding her voice and learning how to “speak”.
The plot of the book, Speak is that Melinda Sordino, a freshman at Merryweather High went to an end of the summer party with some of her friends. Things take a turn for the worst when a senior named Andy Evans sexually assaults her at the party without her friends knowing about it. Melinda is frightened, afraid, and does not know what to do so she calls 911 busting the party, and causing her friends and everyone at that school to hate her, even if they don’t know her.
In the novel Speak, the author Laurie Halse Anderson uses the protagonist, Melinda, to show the importance of verbal communication in healthy relationship. Laurie Halse Anderson includes events and altercations in which it is clear to the reader that it could’ve been avoided by communicating.The author brings the reader through a process that the protagonist goes through in the story of thawing out of the frozen shell she’s in where she can’t talk. Laurie Halse Anderson uses repetition to emphasize the importance of her face being frozen. In addition, she also includes events that Melinda faces with her family that shows lack of communication. Another way Laurie Halse Anderson shows how verbal communication is needed is by walking the reader through instances where if Melinda spoke her side and what she felt, there could’ve been a complete different outcome. Using different tactics, it is evident that Laurie Halse Anderson is emphasizing the importance of communication in her novel Speak.
A good influence, good mood/ positive outlook on life, and polite. These are some qualities that a good friend should have. Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson, young adult novel. Melinda Sordino would not make a good friend because she is a bad influence, she doesn’t speak up when she needs to and she often seems to be in a bad mood.
Within the United States, an estimation of about 288, 820 individuals are victims of sexual assault. In the novel, Speak by Laurie Halse-Anderson, Melinda is one of these people and her tree is a symbol of speaking the truth. If you need help, the only way to get that help is to communicate.
you to see what real courage is, instead of seeing courage is a man with
One of the best explanations of courage is the following by Maya Angelou: “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtues with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” Her explanation summarizes all that courage can lead you to who you are in life. Courage is standing up for what you believe in, despite disapproval, pain, fear, uncertainty, or intimidation. Courage is challenging what is normal. Courage is giving voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. Courage is using whatever power available to educate the world about injustice. Courage is following your heart even when the path is not known. Courage is trying after failing.
“It’s such a complicated subject, it’s hard to know what to say. It’s easy to break down courage into categories.
The world’s greatest innovator Steve Jobs once said, ”Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Whenever someone explains what courage is, a person’s definition would be about overcoming fear or having bravery. Despite that, courage can be an individual handling what society is asking from them and going by what their hearts say and dealing with their own problems. This concept comes into play in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, where several of Lee’s characters experience courage by going against societal means. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee connects the characters going through their own conviction to show her theme that courage is going against society’s beliefs and handling one’s situation.
To me having courage makes me feel stronger than ever. Courage is one of the things that helped me join NJROTC, and it helps me get through the days. Before I learned what courage was or even used it, I was too shy to even say my name out loud. But when I joined NROTC they helped me break my shyness. And now I see clear, I know in the future courage will help me stand up and make it to my goals in life.
Everyone has had that one moment, or maybe a couple. The moment when their life changes forever, the moments when they know they will never be the same person they were yesterday. These moments are turning points that play a large role in a person’s identity.
Journeys can be quite complex, at times being unpredictable in the catalyst, obstacles, or destination. A single decision can set off a chain reaction of events, potentially altering the outcome drastically. In a life-changing event, the way one deals with the aftermath shapes the future ahead as well as the person they will become. Choosing whether to speak up, reach out, and find support is critical when struggling with something. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a journey story because it focuses on Melinda’s emotional struggles and growth as she copes with the trauma of being raped.