Correlation Between Oppression And Mental Stress

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“Oppression,” def. 3- Mental pressure or distress. -Google Dictionary
It can very distressing, stressful, and anxiety inducing to try to pave a separate path under the shadow of older siblings. To shine through that shadow, hard work, dedication, and, to a certain extent, fear are needed, causing a massive amount of mental pressure. For myself, I live in the shadow of a past valedictorian and National Honor Society president. I often feel as though I can’t make any mistakes, or my family will be disappointed. In Speak, Melinda often is pressured by her parents to do her best in school, even though she has mental issues from a traumatic event that prevent her from doing so. This creates a large amount of mental pressure on Melinda, and is mirrored in younger siblings working to live up to elder siblings. Oppression from living in shadows can be very …show more content…

I am no exception to that. I am expected to do a lot of things; the numerous chores I have, school work, band rehearsals, be just as good as my sister was, and many more things. It can at times be very overwhelming to try to balance all of that, and have time to relax and spend with family, but I am just expected to do so. The amount of pressure to successfully balance all of those things is very trying, and can be emotionally draining on individuals, and I personally experience anxiety over trying to balance everything. Most teens also experience a similar feeling due to the expectations put on them, and Melinda is no exception to this. She, at times, hides in har safe place- a closet- to escape from the expectations of her parents.
In Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, protagonist Melinda is struggling with oppression and distress. In my personal life I also struggle with a similar thing, and many other teens do as well. Living in the shadow of others can put large amounts of stress on

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