Melinda Sordino Character Analysis in Speak Essay Example

“It wasn’t my fault. He hurt me. It wasn’t my fault. And I’m not going to let it kill me. I can grow.” (Anderson, 198) Laurie Anderson’s motivation for her novel Speak is to persuade readers who have been through traumatic sexual experiences to let their voices be heard. She gradually expresses through the main character Melinda Sordino the effects not speaking up can be. While reading about Melinda’s perturbing high school experience following her assault, it is evident to the reader Anderson made Melinda a reserved character to express how letting fear hinder one’s voice stagnates the healing process. However, as the book progresses Melinda's reserved personality helps her discover her love for art which is ultimately how she came to finding her voice. Throughout the novel Melinda’s lack to show her feelings yielded her to tell anyone what she went through, face to reality of what actually happened to her, and helped her express herself through art.

Initially, Melinda was a typical 13 year old girl, with friends and a want to experience the high school party life. While at one of these parties Melinda’s life is forever changed. When fear took over her, she decided not to tell anyone what she experienced that night. The downside of Melinda not expressing the assault she endured caused her to lose her friends and ultimately become an outcast. Melinda then started to acquire her new reserved personality. To have a reserved characterization is typically one who holds back from expressing their thoughts and feelings, this attribute of Melinda’s proved to have some positive and negative effects. Anderson sets up the start of Speak explaining Melinda’s outcast ways and loneliness to portray that Sordino is alone with nobody to confide in. Thus, allowing the reader to make the assumption that Melinda is still carrying the burden of her assault alone. “People who were my middle-school lab partners or gym buddies glare at me. I close my eyes, this is what I've been dreading. As we leave the last stop, I am the only person sitting alone.” ( Anderson 3) Anderson utilizes this bus scene to show readers Melinda carrying this impenetrable wall of silence wasn’t helping her to mend her trauma, but give her more pain. 

To further explain, Laurie Halse does not write Melinda to not fully accept what she endured until later in the novel. This leaves Sordino to undergo many conflicting mental and physical times. Knowing nobody will give her the time of day or even listen to what happened to her, Melinda never talked about her trauma. Resulting in her not being able to face the reality of what happened to her, this stopped her healing process completely. Anderson acknowledges in her book, acceptance and understanding is the first step in mending after a traumatic experience. Her giving Melinda the blockage to want to deal with, or remember her assault helps Laurie portray the idea one must accept and forgive for his/her own sanity. “There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding. Andy Evans raped me in August when i was drunk and too young to know what was happening.” (Anderson,198) By the end of the school year when Melinda starts to finally accept what happened to her, and understand that it wasn’t her fault. The reader can see her happiness starting to arise, conclusively leading back to the idea of Melinda’s reserved character slowed her healing process. 

In a different light, Anderson expresses Melinda’s decision to not speak up and conceal her emotions about the traumatic experience as a positive thing. During the book Melinda is known to favor her art class, in which she is given an assignment of recreating a tree in various forms. Since Melinda practically stopped talking all together the project was a good way for her to express her truth. The solace Anderson gave Melinda was her art class because it's a nostalgic way for Melinda to come to terms with her violent encounter. This utilization by Anderson is another way for her to express the concept of finding the courage to speak up through whatever. “I handed over the picture. I sniff again and wipe my eyes on my arm. The bruises are vivid, but they will fade. You get an A+. You’ve worked hard on this, you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you? Me: Let me tell you about it.” (Anderson, 198) The year- long project helped Melinda overcome her fear of Andy Evan by showing her growth. Anderson acknowledges through Melinda not knowing how to speak up right away can lead to other outlets to being heard. 

To conclude, Laurie Anderson made her main character Melinda Sordino a reserved character to express that not speaking out stagnates the healing process. Though Anderson gives Melinda a newly profound love of art which ultimately helps her find her voice, it still takes her the whole freshman year to come to terms with her truth. Laurie gives Melinda the inability to tell anyone what she went through and face the reality of the situation. Leading her down a troubled lonely path to refinding herself. Now after understanding Laurie Halse Anderson’s character Melinda Sordino’s characterization one can work to help break the silence.