The protagonist of a story is the main character who traditionally undergoes some sort of change. But the author offers real solutions to melindas pain. Speak is set in syracuse, new york, in the specific neighborhood and schoolmerryweather high schoolof melinda sordino in the present day. The protagonist in this novel is melinda sordino, a ninthgrader at merryweather high school who must find some way to deal with being raped and labeled an outcast among the students of her school. Hairwoman is the name that melinda gives to her crazyhaired. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Sep 27, 2018 realistic dialogue moves stories along. As a coming of age novel, speak has a strong focus on adolescence and the problems and desires associated with it.
She also does poorly in school, and doesnt socialize very easily with other students. The first, about social casting, runs throughout the book in characters. Although melinda has no clue how to deal with the fact that she was raped, we can tell that anderson has very definite ideas. Overworked and distracted, melindas mother is aware that her daughter has suddenly. The protagonist of speak, melinda begins high school and the novel traumatized by a rape that occurred at the hands of upperclassman andy. Melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in laurie halse andersons speak. As a result of her attack and the bullying that follows, melinda. Books with characters who have physical disabilities books about kids and teens with physical difficulties can help build understanding, compassion, and tolerance among readers who dont face those challenges as well as give those who do a chance to see relatable kids. They rescue her from andy evans and spread word of the attack. What our authors say nonspeaking characters can stand out in a books cast.
An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, speak will hold readers from first word to last. Before the start of her ninth grade year, melinda was attacked at a. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. Speak was a 1999 national book award finalist for young peoples literature. Nina post for more tips, grab the inspired by limyaael booklet. The summer before starting high school, she was raped by a senior student, andy evans. She is 15 years old and is beginning her freshman year at merryweather high school. Melinda, melinda sordino is the depressed, teenaged narrator of the story. How to describe the main characters from speak pen and the pad. Speak hungarian rapper born 1976, a hungarian rap artist and internet phenomenon famous for his antiwar video. In the book rachel starts talking to andy evans and melinda tries passing notes to her to stop her and tries talking to her and telling her not to talk to andy. Complete comprehensive study guide and summary of speak by laurie halse anderson.
Jocks, country clubbers, idiot savants, cheerleaders, human waste, eurotrash, future. Speak summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Two of the biggest themes are about social casting and about keeping secrets. The story is written in firstperson narration from the point of view of protagonist, melinda sor. He or she must usually overcome some opposing force. The main character, melinda, cuts class, steals passes from teachers, and deliberately cuts herself. Despite melindas unusually traumatic experiences, almost every reader can connect to the world she lives in.
Who are the best disney characters who never speak. 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. Majority of authors hear their characters speak, finds. Speak is set in syracuse, new york, in the specific neighborhood and schoolmerryweather high schoolof melinda sordino in the present day character list. Asked in video games, super smash bros, rats of nimh. His parents are wealthy and he attends a prominent private school.
Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. Her old friends wont talk to her, much less sit with her on the bus. Its been used in schools in order to not only teach literary analysis. It was also made into a movie of the same name in 2004. Speak is a cleaver and an ironic title for a story in which the main character chooses not to speak. How to describe the main characters from speak pen and. Peak doesnt think of himself as extrordiarily talented at all, but his mentor, teacher, vincent feels otherwise. As the poems antagonist, satan is the originator of sinthe first to be ungrateful for god the fathers blessings. Books with characters who have physical disabilities. Since shes also the narrator, everything we learn about the other characters is filtered through her.
Melinda called the police at a summer party because a boy she didnt. I focus on the things they do, the actions they take, and how they respond to another characters distress or frustration or other emotion. In the book, speak by laurie halse anderson, a young girl, melinda, who used to be a popular girl is now an outcast. Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. There was drinking and drugs at the party, but this isnt the reason melinda decided to crash the party. Also considered the protagonist, she is the character that readers watch bloom from the tormented, quiet girl at school into a strong defender of. Also considered the protagonist, she is the character that readers watch bloom from the tormented, quiet girl at school into a strong defender of herself in the end. When she first tells rachel what happens she doesnt believe her and she thinks shes just lying and jealous liar. Rachel and melinda have been best friends since grade school at least. In a narrative that spans geography and time, from the atlantic ocean in the seventeenth century, to a correctional institute in texas in the near future, and told from the perspectives of five very different characters, speak considers what it means to be. The protagonist of speak, melinda begins high school and the novel traumatized by a rape that occurred at the hands of upperclassman andy evans at a party the summer before. Melindas pain and ultimate hope for healing is described honestly and compassionately. Melinda sordino she is a sophomore in merryweather high school, syracuse, new york.
Raped by an older boy at an outofcontrol summer party, melinda has become an outcast at merryweather high school for calling the police. Her former best friend, rachel, is particularly cruel. Here are the most popular characters that parents and their kids love. Tone, an element of style, refers to the authors attitude toward the characters, the subject matter, and the audience. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak out, and on the issue of sexual assault, a young woman needs to find the courage to raise her voice and ask for help. Melindas connection to a mentor, her artistic creations, and. He is the main antagonist of the book, and spends much of the narrative harassing melinda in various read full character analysis melindas mother. What are 10 major events that happened in the book speak. May 10, 2011 in laurie halse andersons powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. The summer before her freshman year of high school, melinda sordino meets senior andy evans at a high school party. He thinks peak is epecially talented in writing and language arts, this is quite clear to the reader because peak is writing this documentary, the book, for an end of school project. Melinda sordino wants to be like every other teenager in her high school, but shes an outsider. Narrator niru is a first generation nigerian immigrant who is struggling with his sexuality.
Jan 21, 2020 speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. Necks poor behavior as a teacher and thus serves as both a role model and friend for melinda. Andy evans, the boy who raped her, is the books antagonist. Complete list of characters in laurie halse andersons speak. Shes riding the bus to her first day of high school. A popular and handsome upperclassman, andy evans raped melinda at a party the summer before speak begins. Geoffrey speak 19242000, a british teacher in hong kong.
Shes important to the story because shes important to melinda. Despite his friendly facade, he also has a terrible reputation at school, with many girls reporting his violent. Free study guide for speak by laurie halse anderson. The only person who will talk to her is heather, an annoying new girl in town who is focused on social advancement. Speak by laurie halse anderson is an ageappropriate novel for teens with believable characters and situations. Who were the main characters in the book speak answers. Aug 30, 2015 she brines her book in apocalyptic elements mysterious regulations placed on travel, drought, ocean levels high and rising and yet speak, a cascade of found documents and. Melinda sordino is the main character of the book speak. Melinda lists the cliques that the ninth grade class has broken into. It focuses on a 9th grade girl who suddenly finds herself without friends after an incident that occurred at a high school party. Due to her trauma and inability to tell anyone about what happened, melinda spirals into a dark depression. Speak no evil by uzodinma iweala is a novel that encompasses many themes. The exposition of the book speak is when everything from the characters to the.
He is the main antagonist of the book, and spends much of the narrative harassing melinda in various subtle but menacing ways. For more great titles that will entice your reader, check out these timeless chapter books for kids. Melinda sordino begins her freshman year at merryweather high depressed and alone. Speak is a novel written and published by laurie halse anderson in 1999. Also known as it or andy beast to melinda, andy is the primary antagonist in speak. Apr 27, 2020 majority of authors hear their characters speak, finds study research on writers appearing at the edinburgh international book festival reveals 63% listen to their creations, and 61% feel they. Who are the main characters, or the most prominent characters, in. Main characters satan head of the rebellious angels who have just fallen from heaven. Students melinda sordinothe protagonist, a high school freshman whos been branded as a social outcast due to calling the police during a party in the summer where she had been raped. Throughout the story, she seems to be holding on to a secret thats killing her internally. A ninthgrade girl named melinda is at the heart of laurie halse andersons youngadult novel, speak. Throughout the day, students bully and isolate her. Since shes also the narrator, everything we learn about the. Majority of authors hear their characters speak, finds study research on writers appearing at the edinburgh international book festival reveals 63% listen to their creations, and 61% feel they.
Melinda sordino begins her freshman year at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york, with a heavy secret weighing on her. In the beginning of the book, she seems to isolate herself from the world. The two main characters of a book or movie are the protagonist and the antagonist. She brines her book in apocalyptic elements mysterious regulations placed on travel, drought, ocean levels high and rising and yet speak, a cascade of found documents and. Negrete, a ghostwriter of kreayshawn single gucci gucci. This is the underlying message of speak and the message laurie halse. The creators of sparknotes speak characters from litcharts. Freeman mom and dad melindas parents andy evans david petrakis ivy. Speak characters laurie halse anderson 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.
She used to be very social, outgoing, and loved until one night at a party. Varied, entertaining speech takes readers into the heart of your characters. The story follows the experiences of social outcast, melinda sordino, during her freshman year at merryweather high school in syracuse, new york. Speak study guide contains a biography of laurie halse anderson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Melinda is very perceptive and bright, but her vision is s. After a blurred trauma over the summer, melinda enters high school a selective mute. In speak, we can hear laurie halse andersons voice behind the voice of fourteenyearold melinda sordino, our narrator. When you give each character an interesting voice and persona, its a joy to read their conversations. What is one of the internal conflicts of the main character.
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