I literally wanted to hop into the sea of words and tell melinda sordino ill be your friend. Oct 19, 2011 can you describe melinda sordino in 5 words. What are the problems melinda faces in the book speak. Dear melinda, when i look at you, i see a diamond in the rough. The symbol of melindas bedroom in speak from litcharts the. In the beginning of the book, she seems to isolate herself from the world. Also known as it or andy beast to melinda, andy is the primary antagonist in speak.
In the beginning of the book speak, melinda references the ten lies they tell you in high school. Speak anderson novel, a 1999 novel by laurie halse anderson speak, the film based on andersons book. Anderson instead writes melindas account of the rape in the same way that her memory would construct it. After accidentally busting an end of summer party due to an unnamed incident, melinda is ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police. After calling the police during an endofsummer party, melinda is an outcast at school.
The story follows the experiences of social outcast, melinda sordino, during her. Read the rest of second marking period and find a quotation that relates to one of the themes in the book, it can be from a newspaper article, song or in literature. Traumatic events are not stored in a normal, linear fashion. Anderson uses two strong words, ugly and metal when describing the lips. Reread pages the section called closet space on pages 50 and 51. I think that overall it delivered on getting its message across that it is okay to speak up and that you dont have to be afraid.
She only finds it when its needed to prevent a reoccurrence of the same horror. A vocabulary list featuring 30 great words from speak, by laurie halse anderson. Throughout the story, she seems to be holding on to a secret thats killing her internally. Tree as a symbol in speak by sarah merecicky on prezi. While melindas smart and savvy interior narrative slowly reveals the searing pain of that 911 night, it also nails the highschool experience cold. Melinda s rape permeates the text, with the author using a combination of simile and metaphor. The entire section contains 4 answers and 842 words. In laurie halse andersons speak, melinda s tree project is used to represent her growth at the end of the book. Jun 04, 2011 speak, laurie halse anderson speak is book about a young girl who loses her voice after being raped and slowly gains it back over time. How did they express melindas feelings in the book speak.
Other activities to help include hangman, crossword, word scramble, games, matching, quizes, and tests. Literary devices in speak by laurie halse anderson bartleby. If you give me enough ideas, ill have theo dream up a new website page for the playlists. Melinda sordino she is a sophomore in merryweather high school, syracuse, new york. You have such light and creativity in you, but it is covered in the darkness that you use a shield. I feel that the story emphasizes on both the plot and the character because its about what the character goes through and her struggling with this plot. Her last name, sordino, is an italian word that can be.
The summer before starting high school, she was raped by a senior student, andy evans. Symbolism is an effective technique that is used to establish the central theme of perseverance. This book was very sad to read because so many people were rude to others, i dont like when books are like that. This study guide consists of approximately 53 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of speak.
Can you give five words that describe melinda sordino from the book speak. In the novel speak by laurie halse anderson, melinda sordino is entering her first year of high school. Use all those words and their synonyms and you have this book. In these first sections of speak, you meet melinda, and through her description of her classmates and teachers, you gain a sense of their character as well as her own. Nov 29, 2010 similarly, melinda is scarred from something. Learn by example and become a better writer with kibins suite of essay help services.
What are some character traits of melinda in speak melinda s character traits. The speak quotes below all refer to the symbol of melindas bedroom. His protectiveness toward her, his gentle but strong urgings that she speak her mind these suggest he really cares about her. They rescue her from andy evans and spread word of the attack. To have a class discussion on what was seen and what students initial thoughts are. While melinda s smart and savvy interior narrative slowly reveals the searing pain of that 911 night, it also nails the highschool experience cold. May 20, 2008 teased and ignored by her peers, put down by her teachers, ignored she felt like they didnt care by her parents, dropped by her friends not being able to speak up about her problems or feelings which led to her not being able to speak about anything at all. Well, perhaps we can come up to a conclusion if we follow the personality traits of melinda gates, the most powerful and possibly the most humble woman of the world. At the end of the novel, he tries to rape melinda a second time, but melinda. Speak is a novel written and published by laurie halse anderson in 1999. Oct 22, 1999 speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say. He is a sleazy, but attractive, senior boy with a reputation for inappropriate behavior with girls. She does this because although she doesnt want to speak out to anyone, she does want people to know that andy is a bad person.
Additional describing words adjectives that describe adjectives of various nouns can be found in the other pages on this website. Character list and analysis melinda sordino melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in laurie halse andersons speak. You also see hints as to what has caused melinda to be isolated and view herself as an outcast. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an endofsummer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Her last name, sordino, is an italian word that can be translated as deaf. Melinda changes from being conforted by the closet to wanting to move on attitude shows her emotional state all these drawings make the closet seem smaller anderson 152. It is unknown of what she is scarred from, but it is evident by her insecure behavior that she was once scarred. An array of personalities in speak by laurie halse anderson. How can melinda tell the truth about what really happened when she wont even speak. Second marking period, dead frogsnaming the monster. After what had happened she called the cops and a lot of people got arrested for under aged drinking and taking drugs. He rapes melinda at a party the summer before her first year of high school. From the first moment of her freshman year at merryweather high, melinda knows that this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. Free flashcards to help memorize facts about test over the whole book.
This prezi explores the idea of using symbols in literature and in speak by laurie halse anderson. Hope this word list had the adjective used with speak you were looking for. Melinda is very perceptive and bright, but her vision is sometimes clouded by her suffering. Describe melinda sordino featuring in the book speak answers. Speak band, a synthpop band from austin, texas speak bachelor girl song, a 2018 single by australian pop band bachelor girl speak godsmack song, a 2006 song by the band godsmack. She speaks only when silence is unavoidable and most of the time those words are not her true thoughts. Maybe i can figure out how to set them up over on itunes, too. She uses those words to show that those words can be applied to melinda s life. Speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say. Melinda sordino, the narrator of laurie halse andersons novel speak, is a 14 yearold rape survivor. The title of the book, speak, is ironically based on the fact that melinda chooses not to speak.
Melinda mel sordino is the main character and narrator of laurie halse andersons 1999 novel speak. It is based on a true story and is based on what people like me teens go through. She seldom talks, and has such habits as severely biting her lip, all of which seem odd until we learn why she called the police on an endof. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one.
Laurie halse anderson uses an internal voice throughout the book to show the havoc that is attacking melindas mind. Words cannot describe how much this book means to me. Since shes also the narrator, everything we learn about the other characters is filtered through her. The speak quotes below all refer to the symbol of melindas closet. By the end of ninth grade, melinda finds her voice and learns to speak. The symbol of melindas bedroom in speak from litcharts.
She is very insecure and tries hard to stay as invisible as possible, for the fear. I believe this song should go at the scene that andy evans is leaning over mel in the lunch room and not even talking to her. I can tell that your mind is a place full of deep thoughts and questions, and i want to encourage you to let those inquisitions out and to free your mind. Speak is set in syracuse, new york, in the specific neighborhood and schoolmerryweather high schoolof melinda sordino in the present day character list. Melinda s speaking up after she was raped in speak by laurie halse anderson. This is melinda after she tells rachel that andy raped her and rachel doesnt believe her. Melinda uses several words to describe her daily life. Speak by laurie halse anderson essay 1749 words bartleby. The character of melinda sordino in speak from litcharts the. Speak by laurie halse anderson about the book speak up for yourself we want to know what you have to say. Speak is a book that i would recommend to any young adult reader, and in fact to any young. Once i finished reading the last word i knew i was going to reread it. How to describe the main characters from speak pen and. Freemans last name work on a symbolic level in speak.
An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, speak will hold readers from first word to last. Melinda as a character is very relatable, although not hugely memorable. The story follows the experiences of social outcast, melinda sordino, during her freshman year at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york. In this book speak, what are some characteristics of melinda. In the book speak, one of the biggest conflicts is when melinda was at a summer party. Get an answer for please share some quotes that describe melinda s character.
The book is written in the form of a monologue in the mind. The climax here occurs when melinda finally confronts andy as he tries to rape her the second time. Get everything you need to know about melinda sordino in speak. This is the only point in the book in which there is a complete disregard for grammar rules. Speak by laurie halse anderson goodreads share book. The first time she couldnt find a way to speak or call for help, but this time she does and the evil he has perpetrated on her and other girls in the school finally comes to an end. Melinda is in charge of making the first slice down the frogs abdomen and as she does so, she has a flashback to the second marking period, dead frogsnaming the monster my preferences. Melindas rape permeates the text, with the author using a combination of simile and metaphor. She wants to explain why she called the cops but she cant find the words. Melinda discovered this cozy hiding place in the school. Melinda sordino is the main character of the book speak. What are some character traits of melinda in speak.
How to describe the main characters from speak pen and the pad. Ever since she called 911 from a teen party, melinda has quieted her voice, literally and figuratively. She is 15 years old and is beginning her freshman year at merryweather high school. She also does poorly in school, and doesnt socialize very easily with other students. We follow he through her first year of high school and learn that the source of her cynicism is that she was raped.
She is very insecure and tries hard to stay as invisible as possible, for the fear of being seen or heard. The novel begins on melindas first day in high school. On page 72, melindas parents give her a sketch pad and charcoal pencils for christmas. Melinda doesnt want anyone to have to go through the things she did. Melinda must learn over the course of the novel to overcome her trauma and to. Still, melinda sounds slightly less sad than normal here as if telling does give her some relief. Melinda thought shed feel so much better after telling rachel, but rachel doesnt react the way melinda wants. Its an abandoned janitors closet in the seniors wing.
A woman of 52 years of age and a mother of 3, melinda is fit and healthier than most of the 30 years old. I do think that it is very powerful that melinda goes through most of the book without speaking. Melinda writes on the bathroom wall, guys to stay away from. Melinda sordino is the protagonist of the novel speak by laurie halse anderson. From the first moment of her freshman year at merryweather high, melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school.
At the party there was drinking and drugs but the worst part was when melinda got raped by andy evans. A vocabulary list featuring speak by laurie halse anderson, first marking period. Get an answer for how did they express melindas feelings in the book speak. Your readers are not interested in having the book retold to them, and are certainly not interested in having the ending spoiled. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. The story follows the experiences of social outcast, melinda sordino, during her freshman year at merryweather high school in syracuse. The characters ordeals were based on andersons own experiences.
Traumatic events are not stored in a normal, linear fashion, but in bits and pieces with overlapping thoughts. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an endofsummer party by. It was also made into a movie of the same name in 2004. Symbolism in the novel introduce what symbolism is discuss how trees and mirrors are represented in the book homework. Browse essays about laurie halse anderson and find inspiration. Speak by laurie halse anderson, first marking period.
Anderson instead writes melinda s account of the rape in the same way that her memory would construct it. In speak, mute melinda was unable to overcome her struggle since she attempted to dodge the truth. In her bedroom, melinda describes how out of place she feels in it, having. Please share some quotes that describe melindas character. Hes in melinda s social studies class and is her lab partner in biology. Speak study guide contains a biography of laurie halse anderson, literature. Make sure why she does it, how she acts thinks and feels not what she does.
She is terribly unhappy, because she is the victim of a vicious rape, and so spends her entire ninthgrade year trying to come to terms with what happened. Laurie anderson uses the metaphor of a scarred tree throughout the book to express this pain and deal with the aftermath. Its not clear how much david suspects about melinda s problems, but it seems likely hes aware things arent right with her. Melinda sordino is the protagonist of the novel speak. However, when melinda finally spoke out about what happened to her, she immediately felt better about the struggle she was dealing with.
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