Speak

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Speak

• By Laurie Halse Anderson

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Anticipation Guide

• It is never socially acceptable to call the
  police while at a party.
• 2. Silence is the best way to deal with problems.
• 3. Art class is useless unless you are going to
  be an artist.
• 4. People are different on the inside than they
  appear on the outside.
• 5. Keeping silent can be more powerful than
  speaking.

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About the Novel Speak

• Author Laurie Halse Anderson
• Protagonist and Narrator Melinda Sordino
• Point of View first person
• Genre Coming-of-Age (Bildungsroman)
• A bildungsroman is a story where a protagonist
  grows psychologically, morally, and physically
• Setting Place Syracuse, New York, Merryweather
  High School of Melinda Sordino, present day
• Setting Time Melindas freshmen year

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Speak Themes

• Language and Communication
• Isolation
• Violence
• Friendship and Betrayal
• Depression
• Transformation and Coming-of-Age
• Guilt and Blame

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Speak Motifs

• A motif is a recurring idea, symbol, or image
  which often reveals theme.
• Predator and Prey
• Communication, Mouths/Lips, Speaking
• Trees and art work
• Mirrors

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Marking Period 1

• Vocabulary

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inconspicuous

• adjective
• Not noticeable or prominent
• The secret agent had to be very INCONSPICUOUS as
  he did his research.

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reconstitute

• verb
• To reconstruct or recompose to return to the
  liquid state by adding water
• The RECONSTITUTED mashed potatoes that the
  cafeteria serves are disgusting!

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desperation

• noun
• The state of being hopeless or depressed
• It was an act of DESPARATION.

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ponder

• verb
• To think about seriously to deliberate or
  meditate
• She PONDERED seriously over her choice of
  college.

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discreet

• adjective
• To be careful, considerate, or respectful of
  others privacy
• The teacher was very DISCREET when she handed
  back the papers to the student.

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solemnly

• adverb
• seriously
• She SOLEMNLY swore that she would finish the
  test.

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vaguely

• adverb
• Unclearly
• He VAGUELY remembered the day of her birth.

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flounder

• verb
• To make a mistake or to struggle
• The judges in the Salem witch trials did not want
  anyone to know that they were FLOUNDERING.

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simultaneously

• adverb
• To do at the same time as one
• They SIMULTANEOUSLY raised their hands.

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mayhem

• noun
• Chaos and confusion
• During the hurricane, it was MAYHEM.

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Marking Period 3 and Marking Period
4vocabulary
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conundrum

• noun
• A riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or
  play on words (What is black and white and read
  all over? A newspaper)
• A puzzling question or problem
• When both of her friends birthday parties were
  on the same day, she was in a CONUNDRUM.

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misdemeanor

• noun
• A criminal offense defined as less serious than a
  felony
• An instance of misbehavior
• Not paying her parking tickets was considered a
  MISDEMEANOR.

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germinate

• verb
• To begin to grow or develop
• In Botany, to develop into a plant to sprout
• The seeds in the garden were finally GERMINATING.
  

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asphyxiate

• verb
• To cause to die or lose consciousness by
  impairing normal breathing, as by gas or choking
• Many Holocaust prisoners were ASPHYXIATED in gas
  chambers.

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wistful

• adjective
• Characterized by melancholy, longing
• Sadly reflective
• After his grandmother died, he was very WISTFUL
  as he pondered about their pastime.

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reluctance

• noun
• lack of eagerness or willingness the act of
  rebelling or struggling against
• She had RELUCTANCE about going to the party.

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tenacious

• adjective
• persistent stubborn tough
• Her TENACIOUS personality allowed her to get what
  she wanted in life.

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suffragette

• noun
• A female supporter of the cause of womens voting
  rights
• The SUFFRAGETTES advocated for womens rights to
  vote.

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delinquent

• noun
• One who commits wrongful, illegal, or antisocial
  behavior
• She was always getting in trouble and was known
  as a DELINQUENT in her school.

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arborist

• noun
• A specialist in the care of trees and shrubs
• Since the trees in our yard were dying, we hired
  an ARBORIST.