The themes of this short story include jealousy, obsession with narcissism and the emergence of another identity. In this short story, jealousy is displayed when Monica has the narrator choose between the real her and the Monica in the mirror. In the story, “Once, she said, “You know, sometimes I think you like me better there”—she pointed to a mirror—“than here”—she pointed to herself. She said it teasingly, with a little laugh, but in her look was an anxious question.” The Monica in the mirror was described in this excerpt: “a fresh Monica, a vibrant Monica, a Monica with a glow of pleasure in her face. She was dressed in clothes that no longer seemed a little drab, a little elderly, but were handsomely understated, seductively restrained.” The real Monica is depicted in the excerpt “Not for a moment did the mirror make her look young, or beautiful, for she was not young and she was not beautiful. But it was as if some inner constriction had dissolved, some sense of her drifting gradually into unhappiness.” Jealousy is what drove the…
Melinda in “Spotlight” has a vivid inner voice, where the reader can make an inference that she is a analytical introvert. The quotes “I see a few friends - people I used to think were my friend - but they look away” and “There’s that new girl, Heather, reading by the window. I could sit across from her. Or I could crawl behind a trash can. Or maybe I could dump by lunch straight into trash and keep moving out the door.” shows how the author’s use of diction helps create her voice as analytical and introverted. She can be characterized as analytical in these situations as she was looking at her old friends and a person reading a book while analyzing the situation. She can be characterized as introverted in the sense that she has given an…
This chapter starts up in the hospital. Esther is having a very hard time in the hospital since her suicide attempt. With the stories she describes, it is very apparent that people are looking at her as if she is a freak. Esther looked at herself in the mirror in the hospital and could not believe the face staring back at her. Her face was bruised and her hair was gone. I think at that moment it was more than just looking at herself. She realized all the bruises and the haircut, but she also realized how everything has affected her. Her face was representing her feelings and emotional state as well, bruised and beat up. Since she was so shocked by her appearance, she dropped the mirror. When Esther dropped the mirror the nurses became upset…
In the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino was a survivor. Melinda showed bravery because she was raped over the summer at a party and she wouldn’t tell anyone. Melinda didn’t talk at all the next school year. Whenever she would see the person who raped her she would call him IT who was Andy Evans. Melinda said she felt like a rabbit when she was around him. Melinda also showed mental strength because at the end of the book she wrote on the bathroom wall people to stay away from Andy Evans. A few other people wrote on the wall also. When Melinda tried to tell Rachel that Andy raped her but Rachel thought Melinda was jealous of her. Andy tried to rape Melinda again because Rachel found out what happened to Melinda. At the end Melinda gained mental strength because she thought she was the only girl raped by Andy Evans then she found out that he raped a bunch of girls.…
In the novel Speak written by Laurie Halse Anderson the readers are introduced to Melinda Sordino, a freshman in high school who is suffering at the hands of another student. It is clear that through out the story that Melinda’s family is dysfunctional. Throughout the book Melinda’s parents do not hear her desperate cries for the help she so desperately needs. This is shown through the way the family interacts with each other, how Melinda’s parents respond to her signs of deep suffering, and how they handle the drastic changes in Melinda after experiencing such a traumatic event.…
“Speak” is book about a young girl who loses her voice after being raped and slowly gains it back over time. Laurie Halse Anderson uses an internal voice throughout the book to show the havoc that is attacking Melinda’s mind. This adds to the theme of being outcast and isolated because the she has no one to really talk to.…
Speak is written with the intent of drawing the reader in and initiating the gut feeling which we learned is created with the use of metafiction. Anderson writes the whole book in present tense and from Melinda’s point of view. The grammar she uses is casual and is written how a typical teenager would talk. The dialogue within Melinda’s head is sarcastic and vivid, starkly contrasting the introverted facade she erects to protect herself. This insight into her mind evokes sympathy for Melinda and a connection to a character that doesn’t really exist.…
6. The Dominican- American Convention and the issue of economic sovereignty- In 1907 America stared helping Dominican Republic out, they were not independent anymore. D.R started following the sdic since they were not stabled and owed plenty of money. The sdic had a ratio of 50:45:5 50% was house collected in the country, served by the bank of N.Y. 45% was to put in the Dominican Republic treasury. 5% was to pay the u.s government/administrative. Dominican Republic did not have no more freedom since U.S took over.…
An inherent tension between the actual and the possible is revealed through the development of ideas in a speech. This is seen through an intrinsic connection between reality and what can become reality, made obvious by notions presented through, rhetorical devices. This is seen in the prescribed speeches.…
Society often expects certain type of behavior from everyone. But in the big picture, this behavior is only based on what type of sex you are and what your responsibility according to your sex. In today’s society, we have discrimination; high expectations and a set of norms that in a lot of cases only apply or are strictly apply in one gender only. So all of this leads us to the question: Are gender expectations still prevalent in this present day?…
Distinctive voices are created for different purposes. How is this shown in you prescribed text and at least one other text of your own choosing?…
“It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip; can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say.” (Speak. Pg. 9, Paragraph 4.) Everyone at some point in their lives have felt that terrifying feeling of dejection, sorrow, anger, frustration and pain. Whether it is an action done by one or an action done by others, there is always the fear of being judged, to which people decide it is best if they don’t talk their problems with others. Melinda used to be a serene, sweet loving girl that loved to play sports and had a good relationship with her parents and friends, but suddenly, as she started her first high school year, she skips days of school, drop her grades and feels completely empty. The tones of fear and relief in Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson reflect an inner growth presented by the main character when she overcomes the challenging and devastating condition of being sexually abused.…
High school is supposed to be a fun, new, and exciting experience. The novel Speak is about a social outcast named Melinda and her struggles to fit in in high school. She doesn’t have any true friends because no one stays around long enough to hear her story. The book is written by Laurie Halse Anderson. Throughout the novel Melinda shows her emotional discomfort through actions instead of speaking out. In the end she speaks up for herself and she finds a happier state of being.…
"Mr. Freeman thinks I need to find my feelings. How can I not find them? They are chewing me alive like an infestation of thoughts, shame, mistakes," says Melinda Sordino, the main character from the novel Speak written by Laurie Halse Anderson. Melinda is a freshman at Merryweather High School and chose the right not to speak. Mirrors in this story are one of the motifs, and Melinda learns that mirrors give a reflection, whether she likes what she sees or not, along with protection to an abundance of things.…
Melinda escaped her tough times by going to her art class. She was assigned to draw and sculpt trees. Her art had a really strong connection with her personal feelings throughout the book. Melinda goes through tough times and her problems show in her art.…