Jennifer Noel-Fils
December 5, 2012
Speak by Laurie Anderson
In Speak by Laurie Anderson Melinda the main character is put into a situation where she is shunned by everyone in school because of something she did in the past. After she realizes that she is being ignored by everyone including her own best friend she decides to start talking to a new girl named Heather. Since Heather has no other friends she talks to Melinda but as soon as Heather becomes popular, she starts ignoring Melinda causing her to have no one at all. In school even her teachers don’t like her and the only one that does is her art teacher because he feels that she has potential in becoming an artist. At home her parents are arguing a lot more and after they find out that she’s not going to all her classes, they start yelling at her more and start having meetings with the guidance counselor. She then becomes mute and doesn’t talk to anyone at all.
The book then switches to the night when Melinda went to a party and got drunk and eventually got raped by this senior named Andy who she refers to as IT. After she got raped she called the police causing people to think that she is a party pooper and that’s the main reason why she is shunned throughout the year but they don’t know the real reason behind her actions. The book then jumps back to the present where one day while Melinda is in her secret place aka an old supply room, Andy comes in and is mad about how she told people about the rape. He then proceeds to try to rape her again but she speaks up for herself by screaming causing people outside to hear her and come to her rescue.
Quote
“I am Outcast” (Anderson
When I read this quote I felt bad for Melinda because she didn’t say she was an outcast she said she is outcast meaning that she made that way by everyone. Deep down she knows the reason why she is outcast since she keeps referring to the night that made everything the way it is now.
