Laurie Halse Anderson Analysis

“Dad: [Bangs table, silverware jumps] ‘Cut the crap. She knows what’s up. The interim reports came today. Listen to me, young lady. I’m only going to say this once. You get those grades up or your name is mud. Hear me? Get them up!’ [Attacks baked potato.] Mom: [annoyed at being upstaged] ‘I’ll handle this. Melinda. [She smiles. Audience shudders] We’re not asking for much, dear. We just want you to do your best. And we know your best is much better than this. You tested so well, dear. Look at me when I talk to you.’” Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson

In both Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and in our daily lives, authority is a major factor. Authority, the right to give orders or enforce obedience, is used nearly daily in classrooms, homes, and even jobs. The

use of authority (right or wrong) can make or break most people.

At least one person exhibiting authority is seen each day, One form of authority that everyone is familiar with is parental authority. When you are born, your parents believed to be given authority over you immediately, their authority is intended to teach their children who is in charge of them and to overall maintain order in the child’s life. Simple orders like parents instructing you to do your homework or to go to bed is them dictating rightfully. Without a guardian's authority our sense of right and wrong would be seriously altered. In Speak this is seen in most dialogue between Melinda Sordino and her parents, though her parents may be exhibiting and enforcing their authority in more harsh ways, they’re using their authority to try and help Melinda. Telling her to get her grades up, asking her to speak, making the

decision to have her visit a therapist because they figure it will help her get over whatever is weighing her down, these things may come off as the actions of stereotypical parents in a novel that have a teenage daughter that has multiple problems going on in their life that are causing pain that they just fall oblivious. As a teenager, it often seems that way. Parent’s may not receive enough trust from their child for the kid to be open and come to them, there may not always be that ‘Mom, I really need to get something off of my chest and I know you won’t judge me.’ type of relationships. Parental authority can help when this situation is at hand. The novel, Speak, ended before we got to see how the therapy sessions worked for Melinda, but many teenagers that have experienced traumatic thing have been helped out by counseling.

Legal authority commonly shows up later on in life, police officers and other legal figures are responsible to make sure you abide by the laws to make sure they can protect not only you, but other citizens as well. This is commonly shown when someone is speeding or driving recklessly and police have the right to ticket that person, in fear of such case, most people will follow the laws. Legal authority is present in Speak when she calls the police the night Andy Evan rapes her, despite her leaving the scene before their arrival.