Melinda's silence and Juliet’s outcry are two sides of the same coin, presenting a stark contrast in the expression of personal turmoil and the search for identity within the suffocating confines of their worlds. Melinda, in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, is rendered mute by the devastating impact of her trauma, choosing silence as her refuge and her protest against a world that has turned its back on her. Her silence becomes a powerful symbol of her internal struggle and isolation, a means to regain some control over her life and the events that have shattered her. Contrasting Melinda’s introspective silence, Juliet’s journey is vocal and externally driven, reflecting a different facet of youthful defiance. Juliet, in Shakespeare’s The Tragedy …show more content…
This evidence highlights Melinda’s internal struggle and her belief that silence is a protective barrier. Her choice to remain mute is a psychological response to her trauma, signifying the overwhelming sense of isolation and misunderstanding she feels from those around her. This silence is both a symptom of her pain and coping mechanism. As the book progresses, Melinda begins to find solace in her art class, particularly when she starts working on a year-long project of sculpting a tree, which becomes a metaphor for her growth and struggle to speak out. Her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, encourages her, saying, “When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” The evolution of Melinda’s tree sculpture reflects her psychological healing process. Through art, she finds a non-verbal way to express her emotions, which becomes a stepping stone towards regaining her voice. Mr. Freeman’s words underscore the importance of self-expression for psychological health and reinforce the idea that reclaiming one’s voice is a vital part of recovery from trauma. Melinds’s gradual transformation and eventual courage to confront her past not only signify personal redemption, but also shed light on the broader impact of speaking out against injustice and the ripple effect it can have within a
Throughout the passages, Laurie Halse Anderson establishes the Central Idea through the use of Characteristics and Imagery, revealing that the loudest words are the ones that aren’t spoken.
Speak is an about the story of Melinda Sordino, a 13-year-old rape victim, and her high school experience in the 9th grade. When Melinda went to a party in the summer of 8th grade, she and her friends went to a party. Something happened at the party where Melinda had to call the cops. Later it is known that Andy Evans, a popular womanizer, sexually assaulted Melinda. Melinda was too embarrassed about what happened and did not tell anyone why she called the police. Now everyone hates her and Melinda becomes a loner. Melinda only has one friend, Heather from Ohio. Heather is a new girl at Merryweather High School in Syracuse and craves popularity. The only reason that she is friends with Melinda is because to her Melinda is a placeholder
Mary Fisher is an American author, artist, and political activist born in 1948. She opted to become an outspoken HIV/AIDS activist after contracting AIDS from her second husband. She is a daughter of the wealthy and powerful republican fundraiser Max Fisher. The speech entitled “A Whisper of AIDS”; she delivered it in Houston, TX on 19 August during the Republican National Convention Address. She delivered this speech and set up nearness and full focus of her audience. Mary Fisher uses appeals of pathos, information, and imagery to shape her ethic sound and response towards this rhetorical situation of HIV/AIDS.
The plot of the book, Speak is that Melinda Sordino, a freshman at Merryweather High went to an end of the summer party with some of her friends. Things take a turn for the worst when a senior named Andy Evans sexually assaults her at the party without her friends knowing about it. Melinda is frightened, afraid, and does not know what to do so she calls 911 busting the party, and causing her friends and everyone at that school to hate her, even if they don’t know her.
Everyone has had that one moment, or maybe a couple. The moment when their life changes forever, the moments when they know they will never be the same person they were yesterday. These moments are turning points that play a large role in a person’s identity.
Because of secrets being kept, hearts were broken and people died. Paris was killed because Romeo could not tell him the real reason he was in the tomb (5.3), showing that keeping a secret may not have good results. Moreover, Romeo’s hesitance to confess his plan to Paris highlights the main theme throughout the play by showcasing the extreme consequences of such actions. Likewise, the Nurse’s inclination to keep her beloved Juliet’s secret supports the idea that there are tragic outcomes of secrecy. While speaking with Juliet, she says, “I think it best you married with the county,” (3.5). The disagreement causes Juliet losing her trust in the Nurse. The indicated exemplifies how an action such as keeping a secret can have a negative consequence.
When one faces a traumatic experience, his or true nature often reveals itself. Trauma forces its sufferers to cope. How one copes is directly linked to his or her personality. Some will push any painful feelings away, while others will hold onto pleasant memories. Both of these coping mechanisms can be observed in Katherine Anne Porter’s “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” and “A Rose for Emily,” the two protagonists’ prominent characteristics distinctly affect the way they cope with trauma and influence the short stories’ outcomes.To begin, Granny Weatherall is a prideful control freak. In contrast, Miss Emily is delusional and stubborn.
A character goes through many changes that depend on the kind of events they experience. The play “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare, uses different tones and language that shows the readers that Juliet, a Protagonist, changes over time, proving the idea that she is a dynamic character. At the beginning of the play, we are introduced to a young, innocent and inexperienced girl, Juliet the daughter of Lord Capulet . She has not yet seen the real world and is raised by the person she trusts most, her nurse. Juliet begins as a naive child who has thought little about love and marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Romeo, the son of her family’s great enemy. Due to the fact that Juliet is a girl in an aristocratic family, she has none of the freedom Romeo has to rome around the city, climb over walls in the middle of the night, or get into swordfights. As we begin to learn more about the character of Juliet, we learn that Juliet is not the girl she used to be anymore. She is more courageous and willing to break the rules. She goes against her and her family beliefs. In the beginning of the play she obeys her parents. But as the play descends Juliet is disregarding of what her parents say. She is no longer the innocent girl she use to be. Shakespeare use of language helps the reader to see the change in a character that makes them a dynamic character.
Juliet’s weakness to be controlled by love leads her to make unadvised and irresponsible decisions that contribute to her choice of ending her life. Characterized as a young and rash teenager, with no interest in love and marriage at first, Juliet wants to be independent. However, after she first lays eyes on Romeo, Juliet’s perception of love is quick to change. Their strong love easily manipulates and clouds her judgment. Even if she is cautious and realizes their love is too fast, the rush of feelings from having a first love overcomes her. Her soft-spoken words symbolically foreshadow the journey of Romeo and Juliet’s love. “Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee, / I have no joy of this contract tonight. / It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;…/ This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, / May prove to be a beauteous flower when next we meet” (2.2. 117-123). The blooming flower is indicative of their growing love, especially Juliet. Being her first experience of true love, her actions become more rash the deeper she falls in, even ...
In the novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson utilizes the motif of the janitor's closet to show the growth and changes Melinda goes through, starting nonfunctional, and then finally finding her voice and learning how to “speak”.
In both ‘Shatter Me’ by Tahereh Mafi and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare, the authors display individual agency and the struggle for autonomy amidst societal constraints, which is displayed through the experiences of their protagonists. In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi employs literary devices to illuminate Juliet's internal struggles and the external pressures she faces in her quest for autonomy. On page 1, Mafi utilizes repetition to underscore Juliette’s internal conflicts and the societal stigma surrounding her lethal touch. Juliettes repeated self-condemnation “I am a monster, I am a monster.” It serves as a poignant reminder of the oppressive forces that shape her identity, highlighting her lack of agency in a dystopian society ruled
The societal roles and expectations forced upon Juliet regarding her identity impact her actions and decisions. Juliet’s expected contributions to society were based on her gender,her social class and family name, and her age.
3 Dec. 2013. Kerschen, Lios. A. A “Critical Essay on ‘Romeo and Juliet’. ” Drama for Students. Ed.
In 1997, Albright gave a commencement speech in the graduating class of Mount Holyoke college, a women's college in Massachusetts. Albright uses examples, ethos (values), strong emotions, and a historic lens to convey the importance and growth women have in society. How their achievements have been challenged but still managed to get through them and recognize the courage and perseverance. Albright uses examples of women taking action in their countries such as Guatemala, Sarajevo, Burundi, and Burma. She begins by describing their actions that include “Keep alive the hope for democracy in her country, strive to ensure new peace endures.
During this time, many teens are highly pressured to want to fit in, conform to societal expectations, or present themselves in a certain way to gain acceptance from others. Both Juliet and Melinda demonstrate resilience in the face of challenging circumstances. In ‘The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet’, Juliet displays resilience when she defies her family’s expectations and risks everything for her love of Romeo. Despite the immense pressure and potential consequences, she remains steadfast in her pursuit of happiness. In Act 3, Scene 5, she says, “I will not marry yet and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, who you know I hate, rather than Paris.”