Growing as a Whole

Author's Note: This essay is about Melinda and how she is a dynamic character. The purpose is to show you the reason of what I believe to be how she shows to be developing.
         Melinda from Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson shows her dynamic character development growth throughout the reading of this book. Melinda can help you grow as a person or a whole. I know she has taught me to grow from mistakes. Because she had suffered from a wild high school party. During it she was founded by a gorgeous high school guy. He decided to go in the woods with her, she did because he was a god. This "god" was doing stuff to her she didn't like. She tried screaming yet he covered her mouth. Once she got free, she cracked, she called the cops. That's when it all happened. Her feelings and emotions were locked up, and she needed to express them. Only one problem, she has no friends now and is starting high school.
         While Melinda is suffering from depression at her school, her parents don't notice anything. I believe she should have told someone that would have cared. For example Rachelle or her parents. Even a counselor! She is depressed not just because of what happened, but it seems like because she is in a horrible atmosphere for a girl who has no friends and is trying to survive a life in high school. Yet in art class, she was assigned to make a tree. I believe that during the reading, she starts to understand what the tree is in her mind and how it can relate to her.
         An example of her showing her understanding of the tree and how it is growing upon her. A tree starts off frail, similar to Melinda and how she is scared of everything around her because if can snap her at any given point. Then the tree starts to get stronger in itself because it is growing, just like when Melinda told Rachelle about what happened. That let Melinda become a stronger whole, which also shows how she is a dynamic character. Also because she changed her belief in people around her. Yet near the end of the book, she is a fully grown tree, secure of being itself. Not afraid that much as before.
        After all, because Melinda told Rachelle about what happened. It lead up to more drama for her. Even though it was a smart choice, it might have been better to have told her before. But that is how she learns how to grown like the tree. Yet it was a very strong moment for her and telling Rachelle because she was dating the guy who did stuff to her in the woods.
      All in all, Melinda turned out to be a strong person because of telling Rachelle of what happened. Even if the timing wasn't a good time, at least she told her. And thankfully Rachelle helped her out after a few talking with some people. Once everything was done with, she wasn't a weak, frail tree anymore. It looks like she was really going to get through the rest of high school, no matter what comes up.

The Life of Being Bullied

Author’s Note: This essay is about how I compare to Melinda. The purpose is to show how bullying can relate to everyone and how Melinda and I relate to the actions we came upon.

                Melinda is hated by people all around her. Not knowing who is pure and who is not. Many people, including myself,  know how it is feeling like the character Melinda from Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. I believe that everyone is similar to her. She is hated by her old friends and people that she doesn’t even know. Reason being is because she called the cops at a party. Causing some people to get arrested, people ignore her and make her life miserable. I can relate to this because I have been hated by a group of people, this little group of people were my friends. Some of them are still my friends, kind of like Rachelle and Melinda at the end, they start to somewhat reunite. But this group, they ruined my life in school.

                First of all, Melinda and I acted upon the situation the same way. An example would be not going to school one day. I stayed home one day telling my parents I was sick, same with Melinda. But Melinda just ditched school, which I did not. Another example would be trying to find people. Luckily I was already friends with a wide span of people. Heather was Melinda’s new Rachelle. Even though she got dumped by her, I am still friends with the ones to this day.

                Nevertheless, going back to the group you were in would be hard for anyone. Knowing they started rumors about you and made more and more people dislike you. Good thing Melinda didn’t go back in, neither did I. It would have been a regret going back. Yet you can still be friends with some of them, some of them aren’t worth it. For Melinda, Rachelle was the one worth going back to. She spoke up and talked to her. Something I have done too. With one of my friends I let out my feelings to the situation she was involved with. Letting go and speaking your mind while knowing that they are still part of that group is a big step, yet I managed to do it, same with Melinda. Even though the group split up, it was still there at the school Melinda goes to.

                Near the end of Melinda’s dreadful year, you start to realize that she can be compared to about anyone. I can relate her to more than just myself. People get bullied and get hated by their friends. Life is like that for people all around the world. No one has to live the way Melinda did though, same with the girl from the movie “Cyber Bully”. She is bullied and her social life is destroyed, just like Melinda. Have you ever lost friends like Melinda and myself?

"I cut class, you cut class"

Author’s Note: I wrote this piece to show my feelings for a quote from the book “Speak” that was quoted by Melinda Sordino. It shows my feelings towards how her character changed and how I interoperated it from when I read it.

"Conjugate this; I cut class, you cut class, he, she, it cuts class. We cut class, they cut class. We all cut class. I cannot say this in Spanish because I did not go to Spanish today. Gracias a dios. Hasta luego.” Melinda Sordino thought to herself in the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. This quote tells you what she is doing at the moment, cutting class. It is also showing the thoughts of what Melinda had about Language Arts and Spanish class because those are the two classes she is talking about.

This quote also shows a conflict between Melinda and herself because she is cutting class; something she never does. But the reason why she cut class might have been because she was done with school and because of what Heather told her before, “When you get through this Life Sucks phase, I’m sure lots of people will want to be your friend. But you just can’t cut classes or not show up to school. What’s next—hanging out with the dopers?” So Melinda might have cut class because of Heather. She might have not intentionally desired to but when people bring stuff in your mind, you often attend to think about it. But then you sometimes do what they say, which might be why Melinda cut class and thought the quote about cutting class.

After all, Melinda cutting class shows her changing throughout the book. Since this is something she doesn’t really do. So therefore this quote shows a change in the character of Melinda. It isn’t a big change in her character but it does show the meaning she was going for, and that is cutting class to go and get away from everything. This, in a way, is a big step for her because that is something the reader might not have thought she would do. Overall, it is showing the person she is now developing to become.

Melinda

Author's Note: I wrote this piece about how Melinda is in the book "Speak".            

        Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a girl named Melinda Sordino that is now a freshman at Merryweather High. She is very depressed in this book, not just because she lost her best friends from last year. Or that now she goes to a new school, with her ex-best friends. Something happened to her that is making her have flashback and very distinct memories. It was because of her calling the cops at a party thrown by cheerleaders with a lot of alcohol. Something happened to her that is making her have flashback and very distinct memories.

        Melinda reminds me of Emily in “Lipstick Apology”, by Jennifer Jabaley. She gets very depressed after a tragic incident that affected her life. Just like Melinda and the incident that happened to her. Even though Emily got over her depression, Melinda hasn’t yet totally overcome it. Reason being is because she is a very closed person and doesn’t tell people about what happened to her in 8^th grade at the party.