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Literacy Essay: Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

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Literacy Essay: Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson
Literacy Essay : Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

A deep deep darkness, swirling downhill through a dark and twisty hazy world hoping and hoping for someone to listen. This is what Melinda was hoping for. Hoping for someone to listen, to help, to guide. Melinda Sordino from the novel Speak was full of sarcastic wits and funny remarks. One problem. It is all in her mind. She doesn’t talk. Refuses to break her silence. Will not speak up. Melinda is practically a mute since the incident that that happened to her August of Melinda’s 8th grade summer. Melinda's attempt to break the social construct of conformity leads to her becoming isolated from family and classmates, as well as pushing her into a deep depression and painful silence. The first justification is that Melinda goes through a traumatic experience. Being that Melinda was raped and unable to express her …show more content…
One spring day, Melinda catches a fever and stays home. While in complete solitude, she reflects on her rape and has a Oprah Winfrey show going on in her head.The evidence states, “My head is killing me, my throat is killing me, my stomach bubbles with toxic waster. I just want to sleep. A coma would be nice. Or amnesia. Anything, just to get rid of this, this thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my mind too?” (Anderson, 165) When Melinda Sordino says “My head is killing me, my throat is killing me, my stomach bubbles with toxic waste.” She is metaphorically talking about how sick she is from coping with the feelings of depression and solitude. “I just want to sleep. A coma would be nice. Or amnesia.” She wants to forget what went down That August Night.“Anything, just to get rid of this, this thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my mind too?” What this shows is how badly Melinda being raped has such an effect on her mind. It is bruised her spirit and scarred her mind. What’s worse is
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