The Importance Of Setting In Sherwood Anderson's Speak

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

for until she finds someone better. Melinda does not want to be popular, however. She spends her time in a janitor's closet and skips classes she does not like.The only class that Melinda goes to is art because that is where she could express herself in any way she wants and no one could judge. It takes a lot of time for Melinda to face that she got raped by Andy Evan after a few beers she drank at the party. In order to recover from her trauma, Melinda tries to warn Rachel Bruin, Melinda’s ex-best friend, because she is dating Andy Evans, or “IT” as Melinda calls him when she passes by him. Melinda ends up taking habits such as yard work to make her feel more confident. Melinda leaves her friendship with Heather and tries to be friends with her old friend Ivy. When the school year ends and Melinda is cleaning out her “home” of a dirty closet, she gets cornered by Andy Evans. This time Melinda is ready for him and defends against herself. Melinda then gets the support of the whole school because Andy Evans has also abused many other girls at Merryweather. The story ends with Melinda finishing her tree and telling everything to Mr. Freeman, her art teacher.

Melinda's story has many themes associated with it. A theme that is most notable is the theme of Adolescence and Growing up. The theme of Adolescence is present because even though Melinda has the past that not a lot of teens go through, we can still connect with her on a teen level. Melinda's school has many cliques that are recognizable in schools today. " Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, the Marthas, Suffering Artists, Thespians, Goths, Shredders. I am clanless"(4)Since it is the first day of school, Melinda feels lost because she does not fit in, just like a regular new teenager does in a new place. Further in the book, we learn how Melinda is different from a regular high schooler because of her negative reactions to certain parts throughout the school day, such as gym and lunch. "Gym class should be illegal. It is humiliating" [18]) and lunch ("Nothing good ever happens at lunch. The cafeteria is a giant sound stage where they film daily segments of Teenage Humiliation Rituals. And it smells gross" [104]),these examples show how Melinda acts immature in starting of the book. Melinda also gives nicknames to adults and reject their authority. Melinda's problems highlight the difficulties of adolescence and puberty-not just social problems, but also the struggle of growing up from child self to adult self. To her, Melinda does not feel ready for growing up but recognising what happened to her allows her to accept that she is maturing and the future is near.

Growth is also seen in the novel. Plants are used in the novel to symbolize the growth in Melinda. In art class, Melinda is supposed to make a "tree" that she will be working for the whole of the school year. Trees have more meaning in Speak more into the book when begins obsessively raking leaves from her front yard to not be depressed.
Her father calls tree surgeons to have dead branches removed from the family's oak tree. "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. You watch--by the end of summer, this tree will be the strongest on the block." After hearing this, Melinda decides to trim the branches on her own , which will allow her to regain her confidence and to "grow".

A setting in Speak that is used a lot is the closet, which has a double meaning.

In the book, closets mean a place where Melinda reflects and is safe from "IT" , but is also a place that is lonely and isolated. Melinda uses the closet as a means of hiding from her personal problems, where she could take names and where she could vent. When Melinda feels safe because she thinks Andy has been found out as a sexual predator, Melinda feels like she does not need a closet anymore. "I don't feel like hiding anymore" (88.1).In a twist of faith, Melinda is attacked by Andy when she is about to get out. The closet then makes Melinda go from a powerless victim to strong women who fought off her enemy and gains control of herself and her life. Another setting that affects the theme is The Rodgers Farm. The Rodgers Farm is where Melinda got raped by Andy at the end of summer party. Although it is true, when Melinda went back to the farm she describes the farm as an innocent and pleasant place. She contemplates, "You could bring a kindergarten class here for a picnic" (85.11). She makes the place from a place of horror to a place where she finds the answers of herself. When she touches a tree, she tries to read it like "a Braille code"

(85.12).