Melinda opens the novel telling us, " I am an outcast"(4). How has the theme topic of Reputation/Gossip contributed to Melinda's status as an outsider? When Melinda states,“It’s easier not to say anything . . . Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say” (9), is she using the power of her silence to control the situation? Melinda feels 'flawed'; yet, is it really her former best friend, Rachel/Rachelle and Andy that are the truly flawed characters? How does Rachel use jealousy as a weapon? Start blogging about the relevant Othello themes as they appear in this novel.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Melinda opens the novel telling us, " I am an outcast"(4). How has the theme topic of Reputation/Gossip contributed to Melinda's status as an outsider? When Melinda states,“It’s easier not to say anything . . . Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say” (9), is she using the power of her silence to control the situation? Melinda feels 'flawed'; yet, is it really her former best friend, Rachel/Rachelle and Andy that are the truly flawed characters? How does Rachel use jealousy as a weapon? Start blogging about the relevant Othello themes as they appear in this novel.
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jealousy is a wonderful weapon. it can destroy all and leave you in ultimate control letting you minipulate all who fall under its spell.
when Melinds says that "Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say”i think she is wrong because everyone hates her because of what happened during the summer but they don't know the whole story. If people knew what really happened somepeople would have understood why she called the cops.Her friends probably would understand and they wouldn't hate her. So her being silent about it isn't helping her or keeping the situation under control because people still hate her and are talking about her.
talk talk talk dont peopel ever listen for once. we are more ceceptibe to lies than the truth. i think high scool proves that. so in any case whats the significance of the title?
this book was ok but i didnt really get the story
I think that Melinda's situation with her social life would have been better if she told her part of the story. Because she didnt tell her story people just want to avoid her and just blame her about the party. Melinda thinks that no one would understand her but really there are many people who want to know the real truth about her. There are many people who would listen to your story.
In the novel "Speak", Melinda is showing us that sometimes it is easier to remain quiet than to say the truth, but that does not mean that it is the better way to comfront a problem. She is trying to evade her problem even though she knows it is going to hurt more.
Melinada feels "flawed" because she've lost her friends and doesn't have a "normal" life. But I think Rachel is the most "flawed" person because she was not a good friend and she abandoned her friend without giving her the opportunity of giving an explicacion; besides she didn't help melinda in the most difficult moments of her life.
this book is getting interesting because there is more drama in the book
i think the title is named speak because Melinda doesn't really talk throughout the book.She is too depressed and sad so she stays quiet about her situation because she knows that no one would believe her.
Melinda has lost all of her old friends because she didnt tell any of her friends about the situation that happened to her at the party. Only if she told her friends at least about her problems then Melinda could have not lost her friends for the whole year. I think that the reason why she couldnt make any friends was because she couldnt speak of her problem to anyone and this made her not speak most of her time.
Melinda stays quiet during the meeting with her parents and the pricipal but why didnt she take the chance to say the truth in that moment? "that's the point, she won't say anything! I can't get a word out of her.She's mute" (114).
when Melinda got raped at Rachelle, Melinda called the police,but no body knew why she did it they thought that she did it just to riun te party, and people hated her. I think that the people were ignorants because they did not know what she was passing through, and also did not know how much they were hurting her.
When Heather tells Melinda that she wants to break up their friendship, Melinda tries to justify herself by saying that she likes things that she doesn't like. Is Melinda really worried bacause Heather is her best firend or is it only because she is the only person who was with her at the begining of the year?
Why was Melinda insecure about sending her exfriend a note, warning her about her own boyfirend?
Melinda doesn't talk at the meeting or tell them the truth because she thinks there is one point in telling them. she thinks that no one would believe her and that they wouldn't care.
she thinks that no one wants to hear what she has to say. melinda thinks that talking about it will only get her into more trouble.
When Melinda says, "I feel so good to have someone feel sorry for me"(159). I think that sometimes people go through so many problems and they feel depressed, and all they need someone to support them.
I think Melinda was insecure about telling Rachel that Andy was very bad guy because her reputation was not good. Melinda thought that Rachel would not believe her because Melinda "betrayed" her. Also Melinda knew that Rachel would think that she is jealous.
When Melinda says that "The art room is one of the places I feel safe...I don't worry about the next day or minute"(160). Why does Melinda feels secure in the art room?.
Why does Melinda say that she hates being a loner yet she isolates herself from everyone, like not going to school and hiding in her closet?she chooses not to be social and not talk to people, so she is making herself a loner.
When Melinda tells Rachel the truth about Andy Evans Rachel says "I can't believe you. You're jealous. YOu're twisted little freak and you are jealous that I'm popular and I'm going to the prom and so you lie to me like this" (184). Rachel is saying this because of the anger of realizing that, the guy that she thought was perfect, raped her best friend. Also she uses jealousy as a weapon to evade the problem, although she knows it could be true.
Instead of beng afraid of talking to people Melinda could talk to people and make new friends so that she could prove that she isn't the person that everyone thinks she is or the person that Melinda thinks everyone thinks she is
When Melinda says "Before suffragettes came along,women were treated like dogs"(154). What was Melinda trying to say by that?
I think Melinda is so depressed bacause of what happened and she doesn't know how to act so she decides to hide in the closet and scape of her problem. But that does no mean that she doesn't feel so lonely, she is so frustrated because she thinks she's lost everything she had before.
Melinda wasnt sure if she should tell Rachelle about how Andy raped her because she knew that she wouldnt believe here.She would just think that Melinda is jealous and wants to break them apart but Melinda still took the chance to tell Rachelle about it and Rachelle got angry and didn't believe her or more like ahe didnt want to believe it but at the end everyone finds out the truth.
melinda always thinks that people are talking about her and think that she is a loser like when she is at lunch and says, "Are they talking about me? They're certianly laughing enough.".....
"I'm the only one sitting alone, under the glowing neon sighn which reads, 'Complete and Total Loser,Not Quite Sane. Stay Away. Do Not Feed.'"(128)she is always thinking things that aren't alwasy true, in reality no one is actually paying attention to her no one proabably even notices her. Melinda is paranoid because she thinks too much about other people and what they are thinking about her but really no one is really looking at her or talking about her.
Melinda decides to present her report about suffragettes in Mr. Neck class without talkin but it still is a big challenge for her. What motivates Melinda to do it?
When Melinda says "I have entered High School with the wrong hair, the wrong attitude. And I don't have anyone to sit with...The kids behind me lough so loud, I know they are loughing about me"(4). This reveals that Melinda feels lonely and she knows that everybody is talking behind her.But the only thing that she feels to do in that moment, is to tell everybody the real truth of what happened the day of the party, when she call the cops
Do You think Heather and Melinda used each other to get a friend? Do you think that Heather just comes to Melinda acting like a friend whenever she needs help? I think Heather uses her friendship as a weapon and used Melinda as her friend. But really she thinks Melinda is weird. Melinda in a way uses Heather as well. She just wants to have a friend thats all. Nothing matters. But she doesnt tell Heather her problems like other friends do. Also I think that in some ways, Melinda was Jealous of Rachel. Because she liked Andy in the first place before he raped her. But when hearing Rachel going out with Andy, deep down maybe she was a little bit jealous since she thought he liked her too. Also she is only a Freshman and so is Rachel and Rachel having a Senior boyfriend would make everyone jealous. Even Melinda.
When Melinda tells Rachel the truTh about Andy Evans, Rachel reacts negatively saying that Melinda is jealous. But, does she really think that? or is it because she doesn't want to accept it?
when Melinda was supposed to present her report on the Suffragettes she chose to do it without speaking out of protest but what was she trying to prove? why did she chose to do this? or was it just an excuse to not have to talk infront of the class because she knew she wouldn't be able to do it because she already has trouble talking to people.
why was melinda able to open up at the end of the book and was able to do all the things that she wasn't able to do through out the book like speak up, stand up for herself or make friends and finally draw her tree?
when Melinda is in the closet with Andy, she is scared and she feels that she cannot defend herself but finelly she does. She comfronts him and say a very important word: "NO". Why do you think this word is so important?
Melinda is having troubles in her classes. Even in art class she felt upset, she can't do anything. Mr. Freeman feels worried about her, because he thinks that something bad is happening with her and her imagination. What is happening with Melinda?.
what do you think changed in Melinda to make her realize that Heather was just using her and to say no when heather asked for her help? before melinda would just have said yes to avoid confronting heather
The reason because I think Melinda said "no" to heather when she asked for help was because she felt that Heather betrayed her when she broke up their friendship for no reason, even though Melinda helped her when she came as a new student. Heather was the only "friend" Melinda had so it made her feel very mad at her and she decided to show her that nobody could hurt her feelings anymore. She also wanted to prove herself that she could do something to help and protect herself.
Do you think that when Heather broke the friendship with Melinda Heather was being selfish or was it Melinda's fault also? Do you think that Melinda really cared for Heather or just didn't want to lose her because Heather was Melinda's only friend. was she just acting like she didn't care about Heather and that she didn't like her?
I think it is not Melinda's fault that Heather broke their friendship because she tried her best to be a good friend with Heather.But I also think Heather was totaly selfish because she didn't even think if Melinda was going to get hurt. She just thought that she didn't feel comfortable with her and judged her for her behavior without knowing what was her reason.Maybe Melinda just tried to be good with her because she didn't want to be alone but that doesn't mean that she was a bad friend.
When Melinda says that"She,(Alexandra), has paissed off a whole bunch of people.One person wrote in huge letters that she's whore, and all these others added on little details"(174). When Melinda hear everyone saying that Alexandra slept with many guys of the school, and about the bad behavior that Alexandra is having, Melinda remembers what happened to her the day of the party, and she feels confused about Alexandra's behavior with the boys.
i think that one of the other themes in this book is that it is better to speak up instead of keepig everything all to yourself. not only does it hurt you it could also hurt someone else. Melinda thought that if she kept quiet that her problems would go away but they just grew in side of her, she had no one to talk to or to go to for advice. she spent her time thinking and worrying, she couldn't concentrate on her school work which caused her to get bad grades. So she got in toruble with her parents and the school to add on to all the problems she already had.
i read all of the book and i would recommend the book to toher people
i read all of the book already and i would recommended the book to other student if they are intrested in reading books about drama
I dont think Melinda actually tried to be a good friend to Heahter. Yeah she did listen to Heather's problem but she really didnt do anything as a friend. She really didnt talk with her and she didnt do the things other girls do like shopping and telling each other's problems. Heather might have broken their friendship because she didnt want to be with a person that rarely talks and she cant get anything out or Melinda. Also it could be boring being with a person that talks rarely. But she could've helped Melinda. Also Melinda could've done a little bit better being a friend towards Heather.
Why do you think Melinda told Rachel about Andy Evans? Is it really because she was worried about her or was it because she was jealous of her being with Andy Evans? Do you think Melinda was jealous of Heather as well? Because Heather is being a model and her social life is at least better than Melinda? Or is Melinda jealous of anyone who's social life is better than hers?
Why does everyone make up their own stories about the day of the party? Why dont they just ask Melinda what actually happened?
Do you think Melinda is talking rarely because of the party incident? Do you think there are other reasons why Melinda is not talking to anyone? Even her parents?
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