Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson Summary

Melinda's a troubled high schooler who has had difficulties fitting into her freshman class. She is also having trouble finding her identity due to some unfortunate events during the summer. In Laurie Halse Anderson's novel, speak, Melinda the main character is assigned an art project. She is asked to study drawing and research trees throughout the year. Melinda takes this project very seriously, her artwork is the only ways she communicates her emotions to the outside world.

In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda, a high school freshman, is given the assignment of working with a tree as her object for the year in Mr. Freemans’s art class. She thinks,

In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda, having been raped by high school senior Andy Evans, has experienced

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a story written in the first person about a young girl named Melinda Sordino. The title of the book, Speak, is ironically based on the fact that Melinda chooses not to speak. The book is written in the form of a monologue in the mind of Melinda, a teenage introvert. This story depicts the story of a very miserable freshman year of high school. Although there are several people in her high school, Melinda secludes herself from them all. There are several people in her school that used to be her friend in middle school, but not anymore. Not after what she did over the summer. What she did was call the cops on an end of summer party on of her friends was throwing. Although

One of the women made the comment that Mrs. Wright used to be pretty and happy, when she was Minnie Foster not Minnie Wright. This is just the beginning of realizing that she was just pushed to far into depression and couldn't live up to John Wright's expectations anymore. The Wrights had no children and Mrs. Wright was alone in the house all day long. The women perceive John Wright to be a controlling husband who in fact probably wouldn't have children and this may have upset Mrs. Wright. They eventually find vacant bird cage and ponder upon what happened to the bird, realizing Mrs. Wright was lonely they figured she loved the bird and it kept her company. The women make reference to the fact that Mrs. Wright was kind of like a bird herself, and that she changed so much since she married John Wright. They begin looking for stuff to bring her and they find the bird dead and they realize someone had wrung its neck. This is when they realize Mrs. Wright was in fact pushed to far, John Wright had wrung her bird's neck and in return Minnie Wright wrung his.

When Bird’s mom attempts to justify planting clues in Bird’s life to lead him to her, the author describes Bird’s reaction as follows: “The understanding seeps into him like a

The book's motif of birds represents freedom and the female independence it allows for. For example, the book begins with a parrot "hung in a cage," zealously sharing the words it knows. While Edna’s cage is her role as a mother-woman, the "maddening persistence" of the trapped bird symbolizes the persistence with which she shares her feminist ideas with the reader. Yet, by the book’s end, the bird motif aligns with a demoralizing message about feminism. For instance, as Edna approaches the water for the final time, the narrator describes a bird with "a broken wing... beating the air above," Edna "reeling, fluttering, circling disabled,” and eventually falling into the water.

Mallard has found are tangible in her life. To many, the song of birds brings peace, which can accompany hope. Hope is the basis of motivation, and it is that hope that motivates Mrs. Mallard to seize her newfound freedom and opportunity. This portrayal of hope gives the reader a tangible understanding of the mindset and joy of Mrs. Mallard's realization. As she ponders over her life and what she will now do in her husband's absence, many doors begin to open in her mind.

Bird was a timid, blushing little woman, of about four feet in height, and with mild blue eyes, and a peach-blow complexion, and the gentlest, sweetest voice in the world;- as for courage, a moderate-sized cock-turkey had been known to put her to rout at the very first gobble, and a stout house-dog, of moderate capacity, would bring her into subjection merely by a show of his teeth. Her husband and children were her entire world, and in these she ruled more by entreaty and persuasion than by command or argument. There was only one thing that was capable of arousing her, and that provocation came in on the side of her unusually gentle and sympathetic nature;-anything which in the shape of cruelty would throw her into a passion, the general softness of her nature” (91-92).

The theme implies breaking free from social responsibilities and expectations going beyond to self-expression without judgments. First, the birds represents the situation and the role women are confined to. More importantly, the bird symbolism describes Edna’s situation. She feels trapped in her life.

The symbolism used adds to the story and adds to the idea of women stepping out of men’s shadows. One of the main female characters owns two birds: a mockingbird and a parrot. These birds are used to symbolize the main character Edna Pontellier’s true feelings. The parrot symbolizes Edna’s unspoken feelings and thoughts. The fact that the parrot is caged represents how Edna feels trapped in her loveless marriage. The mockingbird is used to represent Robert. The parrot and the mockingbird talk to each other and seem to be the only ones who understand each other, which is synonymous to Edna and Mademoiselle Reisz’s, a pianist and single woman, relationship. These two women share the same idea of wanting to be independent; however, only Mademoiselle Reisz lives this lifestyle. She understands that Edna wants this lifestyle and helps her reach it by teaching her artistic skills and by keeping her love for the neighbor boy Robert alive. The bird with the broken wing symbolizes Edna’s failed attempt at freedom. Just like the bird, she tried to escape her cage, but in the end, it cost her her life when she drowned while swimming in the sea.

When Mrs. Wright realizes that her bird no longer lives, she realizes that the last pieces of who she is, or was, have too died. A young, innocent, alive

In "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", a young African American woman tells of her experience in dealing with issues all females face at a point in their lives, such as self-esteem issues, gender oppression, and rebellion. She faces the struggle of who she wants to be versus living in the reality of whom she actually is. In various points of the reading, she often finds herself drifting off into her thoughts with the wishes of being someone she isn't, with references to "movie stars", and "one of those sweet little girls who were everybody's dream of what was right with the world ". When in reality she was a Southern girl, donned in hand me downs, preparing herself to give a speech in church on Sunday morning.

Mrs. Hale compres Minnie to a canary “She was kind of like a bird herself-real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and-fluttery” (Glaspell 1011) Birds are a symbol of freedom. They are meant to fly and be in constant movement. Their spirits are wild, and can not be contained. Their home is the endless skies and the comforts of the clouds.

A bird is a symbol that presents for Mrs. Wright and her a spirit. The author describes a bird and Mrs. Wright have the same condition. As a bird can fly and sing to anywhere they want, they have freedom without being stopped by anyone. Before marriage, Mrs. Wright used to be a singer; she was one of a popular girl in the choir. She has freedom, wore beautiful clothing and she can sing anytime without stopped by anyone. “She – she was kind of like a bird herself - real sweet and pretty, but timid and – fluttery” (Glaspell1114). However, after Mrs. Wright married,