Laurie Halse Anderson Speak Symbolism

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According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, communication is defined as “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.” As the definition of communication implies, communication does not have to be verbal and there are other methods for communicating. Melinda, the protagonist of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, does not speak out about what happens to her (at the party in the summer where she was raped). In order to find the evidence to back this theme, the reader must look at the symbolism thought the book. Although there are many forms of symbolism throughout the book, the focus shall be on Melinda’s art work and her grades, with both being various ways Melinda communicates her feelings to the reader. Melinda in art has a …show more content…
She may be able to do it in many, if not all (not including music), art forms as long as it “…speaks to every person who looks at it” (12). Grades show Melinda’s inner self and how she’s doing, including her own personal grades about herself, including, ‘Plays Nice’, ‘Attitude’, ‘Social Life’, and ‘Lunch’, which do not have the best of grades. There is also no fourth marking period, showing her grades for the last fourth of the school year, implying how Melinda is after this many months of collecting herself. Communication, the theme of Speak, is hammered through the book and into the minds of the readers every which way.
The first way Melinda communicates is through her artwork. Art class is a place where Melinda feels safe to convey her emotions in a non-verbal fashion. In fact, her assignment throughout the year is to “say something, express an emotion, speak to every person who looks at it” (12). With her particular project she must make a tree and it can be in anyways, drawing,
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