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Character Analysis: Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Decent Essays

Melinda Sordino is a fourteen year old high school freshman from Syracuse, New York .Mel is the narrator and protagonist of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Who tells her story in first person perspective, where she explains the struggles she had starting school after being sexually assaulted over summer vacation. Causing depression, which lead to Mel losing a close friend. After reading the novel, I concluded that Melinda is shy, isolated and misunderstood. . As the plot progressed Mel started to trust her teachers, she also started expressing herself. Based on what was written in the novel, this is what I think that Melinda looks physically. It seems that she is beautiful , but she doesn’t know it.On page fifty of the novel Mel …show more content…

So, let’s explore how Mel viewed herself. In the first marking period of the book Mel felt isolated. After summer vacation, she was keeping everything inside .On page four she said, “ I am an outcast.” Because she had no friends at school and didn’t know how to tell her parents about that night . “Nobody really wants to hear what I have to say.” Quote from page nine .Throughout Speak Mel felt alone, she seemed to be depressed at some points. “I get out of bed and take down the mirror. I put it back in my closet, facing the wall.” Mel said on page seventeen of Speak. This shows that Mel was finding it hard to look at herself . I assume that it’s because she was sexual harassed .Mel was also having a hard time talking to people. My evidence to support this claim comes from page fifty. “Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher I freeze”. Second piece of evidence to show that Mel was having a hard time expressing herself quote from page seventy two . “How can I talk to them about that night?How can I start?” She wanted to talk to someone about the rape, but she didn’t know how to start or what to say which is very understandable .She has low self-esteem and confidence. My first piece of evidence to support this is from page ( Anderson 146) “ You’re better than you think you are.” Ivy observes.The book ended with Mel saying “ Let me tell you about it ”. So it is safe to say that she started to express her

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