The Importance Of Verbal Communication In Laurie Halse Anderson's 'Speak'

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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. Laurie Halse Anderson uses repetition to emphasize the importance of the protagonist, Melinda, being frozen around the mouth area. This creates an idea in the reader’s mind of Melinda being frozen and slowly thawing out throughout the novel. The author states, “I can’t stop biting my lips. It looks like my mouth belongs to somebody else, …show more content…

The author uses repetition to emphasize the importance of the protagonist, Melinda, being frozen around the mouth area. Another way the author shows the importance of communication is by including events in the novel in which there is a strong lack of communication with Melinda and her parents. A final 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

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