Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

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LAURIE HALSE ANDERSONS SPEAK

• A.USHA

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• LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON
• American Writer
• Best known for childrens and young adult novels
• Freelance journalist
• Recipient of Margaret Edwards Award from the
  American Library Association
• Her notable works are Speak (1999), Catalyst
  (2000), Twisted (2007), Winter Girls (2009)

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• SPEAK
• The novel Speak has received several awards and
  honours, including the Golden Kite Award
• A New York Times Best-Seller
• Translated into sixteen languages
• 1999 National Book Award finalist
• In 2004, Jessica Sharzer directed the film
  adaptation

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MELINDA SORDINO

• Melinda Sordino, the protagonist of the novel
  begins her fresh year
• Over the summer, she and her friends go to a
  party given by her friend
• She is brutally molested by Andy Evans in that
  party
• She calls the police, but she is unable to utter
  even a single word to them
• So the cops do not know what happened to her
• They trace the place and they arrive

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• The police does not find any mess. None of her
  friends know about the rape
• Her friends stop talking with her
• She becomes so silent and she does not like to
  interact with anybody
• Andy is senior to her and he does not feel guilty
  for his immoral behaviour
• Her friend Rachel is his next target. She does
  not want her friend to be a victim like her. She
  breaks her silence. She tells Rachel what has
  happened
• She feels free after speaking up

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• Melinda is the young star of Speak
• She is perceptive and bright, but her vision is
  sometimes clouded by her suffering
• She feels so guilty even though she does not
  commit any crime

• This is what happens in reality. The criminals
  feel free and the victims feel so ashamed
• This particular character Melinda tells us that
  how far the male dominated society hurts women

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• Her parents do not offer much support or guidance
• Parents should be friendly with their kids. In
  foreign countries, parents do care for their
  pets. But they dont know what is happening in
  their childrens life
• She is not blessed with caring parents

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• Her only solace is Arts class
• She feels so relaxed whenever she paints a
  picture
• This tells us an advice that if a depressed
  person concentrates in a useful hobby, he forgets
  his/her stress
• She learns that her friend Rachel is going to be
  the next victim of Andy Evans. She tells her
  story to Rachel and she tries to protect her from
  Andy
• Andy is agitated because of the sudden avoidance
  of Rachel. Andy decides take revenge upon
  Melinda, he threatens her when she is all alone

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• Melinda defends herself. She shouts so loud to
  gain some help People gather and Andy is caught
• His true colour has revealed
• Finally the virtue is rewarded and the vice is
  punished

• This story can be viewed as speaking out against
  violence and victimisation
• She learns that the only way to counter evil is
  to speak against it
• This novel contains many feminist overtones
  Melinda regains her voice and strength after
  being silenced and dominated by a male

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The enemy does not stand when the victim
decides to survive
- Rae Smith