Speak Themes By Laurie Halse Anderson Book Summary
Speak Themes By Laurie Halse Anderson
Book Summary Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that’s not safe. Because there’s something she’s trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to pieces. And then she would have to speak the truth.
Themes 1. Strength of character? v Overcoming obstacles v Dealing with being an outcast 2. Growing up 3. Conformity
Theme 1: Strength of Character v What is character? v What is YOUR character? v If people knew your real character, would they still like you? v How can a person have a ‘strong’ character? v What does someone with a strong character do when someone turns against them?
Theme 1: Strength of Character “The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don’t know what to do. ” ~ John Holt
Theme 2: Growing Up v What is “growing up”? When you say, “Oh, grow up!” to someone, what are you asking them to do? v When is a person grown up? v Are you grown up? How do you know?
Theme 2: Growing Up “Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ”
Theme 3: Conformity v. In high school, is it better to fit in or be different? v When in life might conforming be a good thing? When might it be better not to conform? v What does a nonconformist look like, do or say? v In high school, are there really any true nonconformists?
Theme 3: Conformity “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. ” ~ Mark Twain
The Author: Laurie Anderson v. Born October 23, 1961 in New York v. Graduated from Georgetown University in 1984 v. Has two daughters v. Speak was 1 st published novel
- Slides: 10