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. Editorials, editorial opinions, editorial news, the hindu. Commentaries become property of the press democrat. Hello, i am writing an opinion essay on speak by laurie halse anderson. 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. In a book called speak by laurie hales anderson, i strongly disagree with main character melinda regarding not telling anyone about being raped. This knowing subversion is frustratingly absent from the novels denouement. She used to be very social, outgoing, and loved until one night at a party.
Opinion, commentary and letters to the editor, including political cartoons by awardwinning artist pat bagley from the salt lake tribune. After a blurred trauma over the summer, melinda enters high school a selective mute. Speak by laurie halse anderson essay 1749 words bartleby. Offerings include the post partisan blog by washington post. In the book, speak by laurie halse anderson, a young girl, melinda, who used to be a popular girl is now an outcast. The title of the book is ironically based on the fact that melinda, the protagonist, chooses not to speak again after the incident.
Speak, by laurie halse anderson, is a book about the trials and tribulations of high school life. Once, all stories existed only in speech, and no technology caused more upheaval than the written word. There is no life lesson to be taught in this book that i can see. Dec 05, 2016 this book was assigned to mandatory reading for my 14 year old at school. Jun 14, 2018 im delighted to share a hot new episode of the mastery sessions with you that will walk you through how to speak your opinion, even when you feel frightened to do so. Published january 15th 2019 by farrar, straus and giroux byr first published october 22nd 1999 more details. Speak definition is to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice. Not welcome to speak on campus, i offer free copies of my. Controversial book about rape is powerful and painful. At the end of the summer before she enters high school, melinda attends a party at which two bad things happen to her. In short, the novel argues that if you are a victim of a sexual assault, you will need to speak about it in order to heal. In what is widely considered the most influential book ever written by walter lippmann, the late journalist and social critic provides a fundamental treatise on the nature of human information and communication. They may be republished in all press democrat media.
The title of the book, speak, is ironically based on the fact that melinda chooses not to speak. This is a gritty, powerful book that teachers and parents could use to launch a number of discussions. Cityscape is a photographic journey through interesting views in cities, including. If the book ended differently i would consider having her read it at this age but it didnt. 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. Speak study guide contains a biography of laurie halse anderson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The title gives us a pretty big hint as to what this might be. The author wanted teenagers to read it in order to raise awareness, but i feel like it also tried to say that.
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. The book speak by laurie halse anderson, is about a teenage girl who stops talking after she gets raped. I feel that the story emphasizes on both the plot and the character because its about what the character goes through and her struggling with this plot. I would recommend this book to the age group of 1216, because the theme, to my surprise is a little bit more mature, yet its at an easier reading level. Speak opinin is an online community of consumers and professionals who share their feedback on products or services. Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. There is a huge stature gap between presidents trumps recent speeches and rallies and. Shocked and scared, she calls the police, who break up the party and send everyone home.
Andy evans, the boy who raped her, is the books antagonist. Each group will assign a seasonmood to their marking period and come up with evidence for that. Speak up for yourselfwe want to know what you have to say. Federal judge amy berman jackson agreed with barrs assessment and meted out a punishment of 40 months. I have a thesis statement, but i am not sure if those reasons relate to it. In my opinion, the book was stereotypical, melinda was shy, weak and quite, something happens to her, she changes. With kristen stewart, elizabeth perkins, richard hagerman, allison siko. Every year several books are challenged and banned across the nation by individuals and organizations who believe the content of the books is inappropriate. Speak was a 1999 national book award finalist for young peoples literature.
The washington post opinions section features opinion articles, newspaper editorials and letters to the editor on the issues of the day. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. The book is about a girl, melinda, who stops speaking at school. John hersey, the writer who let hiroshima speak for itself. Laurie halse andersons speak is a novel that makes a definite argument. This is the underlying message of speak and the message laurie halse. I read the book first as i always monitor my kids stuff and found it inappropriate for her age group. The surveys conducted though speak opinion help clients in understanding market trends, consumer preferences and thus help in. Public opinion qualifies as a classic by virtue of its systematic brilliance and literary grace. Speak taught me how to write the firstperson point of view. Jan 21, 2020 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. Earlier this month, her debut novel, speak, was named in a baffling opinion piece by wesley scroggins, filthy books demeaning to republic education, in a missouri newspaper, the springfield news. Speak questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on speak. It is based on a true story and is based on what people like me teens go through. Its a tough concept that anderson works with beautifully. Stand up and speak out in this saturdays essay, nprs scott simon considers how the author of the anonymous new york times oped could better serve the country. Opinion and commentary from the aurora beaconnews including news columns, editorials, guest commentary and letters to the editor. Accurate descriptions of the minutiae of high school will appeal to any teen who has felt like an outsider, and when melinda is finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumphs. This work presents a process model that answers these questions by defining public opinion in a way that also identifies an approach to studying it. Oct 22, 1999 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. Speak by laurie halse anderson is multiple awardwinning books, but it is also listed by the american library association as one of the top 100 books challenged between 20002009. Opinion, santa rosa press democrat, bay area newspaper, ca news.
But that is just my opinion you have to read to form your own for what fits your child. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. The thirtyonethousandword article was read over the radio. Not welcome to speak on campus, i offer free copies of my ebook on the kent state shootings. The surveys conducted though speak opinion help clients in understanding market trends, consumer preferences and thus help in improving the product or service quality. The model serves as a framework into which the findings of empirical research are integrated, producing a comprehensive understanding of public opinion that encompasses the. Speak is a book that i would recommend to any young adult reader, and in fact to any young adult, as it does examine some serious issues and how jumping to. The book speak by laurie halse anderson had its ups and downs. I have seven new note books, a skirt i hate, and a stomachache. But the books overall gritty realism and melindas hardwon metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. Speak is a book that i would recommend to any young adult reader, and in fact to any young adult, as it does examine some serious issues and how jumping to conclusions about people can cause some serious hurt.
Hello, i am writing an opinion essay on speak by laurie. And whoever said the book was about a girl reacting to rape by purposefully setting out destroying her life obviously missed the entire point of the book. This book was assigned to mandatory reading for my 14 year old at school. A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as todays headlines. Im delighted to share a hot new episode of the mastery sessions with you that will walk you through how to speak your opinion, even when you feel frightened to do so. Group work and class discussion students will be formed into 4 groups, each being assigned one of the 4 marking periods. Speak definition, to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice. Rachel bruin, her exbest friend, is important because, by dating the boy who raped melinda, she propels melinda to finally speak out. Discussionwriting guide for speak, by laurie anderson. Speak by laurie halse anderson speak, by laurie halse anderson, is a story written in the first person about a young girl named melinda sordino. Andersons did an excellent job with making the language simple, as most teenagers would like. Her old friends will not speak to her and no other clans, as. Simon sinek talks about the importance of first listening to others opinions before making your own, arguing that the best leaders are the ones who learn to be the last to speak.
The main character melinda, has a particularly hard time fitting in because of an incident that took place over the summer anderson, 1999. At the end of the book, the character speaks up for herself, which is the highlight of the book, but i still think she went through so much sensitive content that teenagers shouldnt be thinking about it. How to fearlessly speak your opinions robin sharma youtube. Essay about laurie halse andersons speak 1277 words bartleby. The book is written in the form of a monologue in the mind.
83 314 588 12 1092 968 682 116 782 1378 1025 755 402 111 21 406 782 1128 447 529 1589 621 483 1373 1246 1255 948 1189 74 789 872 34 1409 1397 964 624 444 912 677 733 1328 242 1130 569 123 551 1495 512 1169