Symbolism In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

An image of a dead skull indicates that a substance is poisonous because it happens to be a symbol. Throughout our lives, symbols are used to interpret meanings in an easier way. Similar to how trees represent life and death. They are a constant source of renewal. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak, Laurie uses the power of symbolism to expound Melinda’s progress and growth throughout her bildungsroman story by using Melinda’s art class’ project: trees.
At the beginning of the novel, Melinda is given an art project to work on for the rest of the school year. To her destiny, she picks a piece of paper that read “tree”. “Tree? It’s too easy. I learned how to draw a tree in second grade” (12), Melinda explains. This shows how Laurie

wanted to portray Melinda as childish. As to how children illustrated objects without true meaning, without real feelings as if the drawing was lifeless. From then on, Melinda struggled to create a tree to fit her liking. She complains, “I can see it in my head: a strong old oak tree with a wide scarred trunk and thousands of leaves reaching to the sun…But when I try to carve it, it looks like a dead tree, toothpicks, a child’s drawing. I can’t bring it to life” (78). She couldn’t depict what was in her head, as to how Laurie described it as strong and lively. She was incapable of expressing what she felt inside to others. Her inability to illustrate a tree with life, complexity and beauty is portrayed to her ineptitude to live and share her thoughts and details to others. She’s struggling to find her voice.
Eventually, we then find out that Melinda is keeping a dark secret which she is refusing to tell.

That summer, we realize that she has been raped and has not yet come to terms with what had happened. For multiple times, Melinda has tried to talk until she gave up and stopped trying. Soon enough, her grades started to drop and she started cutting as a whimper for help. This resulted into an overwhelming amount of feelings that she still was not willing to share. Furthermore into the novel, she stumbles upon her art teacher, Mr.Freeman. She complained how her trees suck because she doesn’t know anything. Mr. Freeman explains that that is because she refuses to express her emotions. He says, ”When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time” (122). This refers to when Melinda’s father called to prune the tree just outside their house. Melinda thought the guy was chopping it down when they were actually doing just the opposite. Her dad explained, “He’s not chopping it down. He’s saving it. Those branches were long dead from disease. All plants are like that. By cutting off the damage, you make it possible for the tree to grow again…” (187). Moments later, Melinda comes into a realization that she is like the tree. Both bruised, messed up, and slowly dying, but deep inside you can find a small, clean part of them waiting to burst through the surface. At this

point,
the novel has reached its turning point and Melinda realizes that she has to speak up, for the silence of this rape is the disease that is slowly killing her.
Just as how Melinda got raped at the beginning of the novel, the same happened again towards the end. Andy Evans, the one who raped Melinda had trapped her in the closet where she stood, helpless. She was pinned to the wall, scared and harmless. Just when he was about to undress Melinda, she took the chance and screamed, “NNNOOO!!!” (194). She pushed him off, but that didn’t stop the beast. Until she broke the mirror and took a hold of a shard of glass which she then held up to And Evan’s neck. That was then he stopped, He couldn’t speak. “I said no,” Melinda said clearly (194). This scene was significant because this time, the tables have turned and Melinda chose to speak up. After the incident, Melinda has come into terms as to what have happened. “My tree is finally breathing; little shallow breaths like it just shot up through the ground this morning. This one is not perfectly symmetrical. The bark is rough. I try to make it look as if initials had been carved in it a long time ago…” (196). Melinda standing up to Andy and reducing him to silence like how he did to her at the beginning of the novel showed us the growth in Melinda's character. She has gained the confidence and power to speak up. And thus, Melinda has created a tree as lifelike as herself. Laurie developed a tree that finally stood as a symbol of Melinda’s growth and strength. Through Laurie’s beautiful and lively tree, we know that Melinda has finally grown into the girl she was created to be to be. Mr. Freeman asks, “You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” (198). For once, Melinda doesn't freeze up, instead her stillness melts down as she manages to answer him back, “Let me tell you about it” (198).
Throughout the novel, Laurie uses trees to help represent Melinda’s transformation from her lowest to her highest points in the novel. From an introverted, young girl to a mature, brave and confident woman, Laurie used symbolism to help give the reader a better and deeper understanding of the protagonist and her feelings. Using symbolism to represent Melinda’s transformation through trees helped made the novel such a great one. While Laurie chose a tree to represent Melinda, what symbol would you choose to represent yourself?