Speak Melinda Sordino freshman at Merryweather High School

Speak

Melinda Sordino freshman at Merryweather High School, Syracuse, New York n terribly unhappy about an incident that occurred the previous summer n Melinda called the police and the party was shut down n she spends her entire ninth-grade year trying to come to terms with what happened to her n

Melinda Sordino n n n she refuses to speak most of the time she misbehaves in interesting ways to try to give meaning to her own existence or to avoid the pain she feels so deeply she appears to have great potential

Melinda Sordino * Her last name in Italian means “mute; the instruction ‘con sordino’, often found in string music, means ‘with mute’ ” * Her first name in Spanish means “beautiful, ” but she has become anything but pretty (especially in her own mind) * She has labeled herself Outcast (note the capitalization of this word throughout the book)

Melinda’s Parents their dissatisfaction with their own lives and their marriage contributes to Melinda’s unhappiness caught up in their careers and the problems within their marriage

Mr. Freeman he is the Art teacher has his own issues with a school board, who will provide him with no supplies with which to teach.

Mr. Freeman the only adult who tries to understand Melinda’s pain and encourages her to stand up for what she believes * what is the meaning behind his last name? Quote: “ In today’s climate in our country, which is sickened with the pollution of pollution, threatened with the prominence of AIDS, riddled with burgeoning racism, rife with growing huddles of the homeless, we need art and we need art in all forms. We need all methods of art to be present, everywhere present, and all the time present. ” – Maya Angelou

David Petrakis Melinda’s biology lab partner and is one of the few students in the school who will speak to her She comes to admire him very much for his: 1. brilliance 2. his willingness to stand up for what is right 3. his patience for her

Heather from Ohio a new girl befriends Melinda at the beginning of the school year shallow and cold uses Melinda when she needs her talents so as to become more popular among a clique known as the Marthas

Rachel/Rachelle n Melinda’s best friend since elementary school attended the summer party with Melinda after Melinda calls the cops and the party is raided, she stops talking to Melinda and leads the way to making the girl an Outcast.

Ivy another of Melinda’s friends who stops talking to her for a while n sees in their Art class that Melinda is suffering great emotional pain n slowly comes to understand Melinda n gives her a kind of unspoken support when she needs it the most. n

Mr. Neck n n n social studies teacher happens to be a racist David Petrakis challenges the way Mr. Neck teaches through a lawyer hired by his parents and Mr. Neck is forced to give ground or lose his job “But if you only have love for your own race/Then you only leave space to discriminate/And to discriminate only generates hate/And if you hating you’re bound to get irate…” - Black Eyed Peas

Hairwoman n the name that Melinda gives her English teacher little more than contempt for her through most of the story, but comes to understand her better by the end and even feels some admiration for her she is like Melinda in that she has to find her own way to satisfaction within her life.

Principal Melinda’s name, obviously, for the principal of her school n subject of ridicule n not really a “fully fleshed out” charactersignificant in that he has no depth in the way he works in the school and so generates no respect n

IT also known as Beast or a wolf tortures Melinda psychologically every time he is near her

The Jocks, the Country Clubbers, the Idiot Savants, the Cheerleaders, the Marthas, etc. names of clans or cliques that the students at Merryweather High School have formed to have friends and create some kind of meaning to what they accomplish in school n they seldom associate with each other and every member is controlled by what the clan expects n

Themes Strength of Character n Teenage Alienation n Conformity n Transformation n Appearance vs. Reality n

Symbols, Metaphors, Motifs

Trees The tree which Melinda struggles over in Art class all year is a metaphor for her; as she grows and breaks her silence, the tree grows as well. n This is further emphasized by the old oak in her front yard which her father has pruned so it can grow and flourish even more. n

Trees n Like the oak tree, Melinda is pruning away the damaged parts which have kept her from growing.

Birds The birds represent freedom to Melinda —they signal the freedom to speak and personal growth. n Melinda continues working on her final tree, adding birds with chalk; the birds seem to bloom in the light, “their feathers expanding promise. ” n

Seeds and Seedlings “Germination” (ch. 60) n Metaphor for Melinda n She can now focus on being a seed that will continue to flourish. n When she is damaged, like a plant, she can grow a new limb, leaf, etc. n Seeds represent Melinda’s new growth and the discovery that she can survive. n

Rabbit and Wolf Rabbits stand still in hope that their predators don’t see them n This is what Melinda does every time Andy is in her presence n Melinda must become more like a predator and attack (deal) with her problems (Andy Evans and silence) n

The Suffragettes Melinda decides to give an oral report on women who, ironically, used their voices to earn the rights they should have had all along. n The suffragettes report is a metaphor for Melinda’s need to speak the truth and fight against what is wrong. n

The Clans The clans represent: n the need for identity n the need to belong and be accepted that many high school students face n the importance of fitting-in during the high school years

The Changing School Mascot The changing of the school mascot represents the search for identity experienced by all (most) members of the school community n Indication for how inept the entire authority system of the school district really is n A comment on political correctness taken to the extreme n