The Importance Of Relationships In Melinda Sordino's Speak

Improved Essays
Marta Stehniy
Mrs. Burns
ENG1D1-03
Thursday, November 23, 2017
A Girls Life Changed Forever
Everyone in the world needs someone in their life, someone to talk to, someone to be there, someone to count on. Younger age groups such as teenagers tend to forget the relationships they can build with family members, friends and teachers. The novel Speak explores how important those relationships are and how they can impact every life. Melinda Sordino's experience helps readers understand people's positive and negative impacts on lives and how developing a single relationship can change a person forever. In the novel, there are multiple individuals such as Andy Evans, Mr. Freeman and Ivy who play a part in Melinda's life and are characters who
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Mr. Freeman, Melinda's art teacher brings out her creativity by assigning her a project. When Melinda chooses a tree as her project she finds it very simple and tries to put it back. Mr. Freeman stops her: "Ah-ah-ah you just chose your destiny, you can't change that."(12) At first Melinda does not like Mr. Freeman, but as their relationship becomes deeper throughout the school year Melinda starts to realize that Mr. Freeman is not as bad as she thought. Melinda brings in the bones of her family's 'perfect Thanksgiving dinner' and by the end of the period Mr. Freeman compliments Melinda on her creativity "Excellent, excellent.... This has meaning. Pain."(63-5) Later on, Mr. Freeman gets in trouble with Principal Principle for giving out too many A's and going over the art supply budget. Melinda sees Mr. Freeman in the art room destroying his painting and she just stares. Melinda realizes that even an adult can experience difficulties and that reacting to the pain is necessary. Towards the end of the school year when Melinda is finishing up her project Mr. Freeman pulls up a chair and sits beside her; he starts to criticize her work. Melinda begins to relate to the tree and its imperfections and she starts to cry because her whole life seems to be hopeless, but Mr. Freeman hands her a Kleenex box and gives her an inspirational talk. …show more content…
Melinda gets to art class on the first day and sees one of her ex-friends Ivy, from their old group 'The Plain Janes'. Ivy and Melinda were close back in elementary school, until the incident at the party. Throughout the school year, they begin to talk when they see each other in art class and later on develop a closer relationship. When Melinda makes her turkey bone project in art Ivy compliments her: "It's scary, in a weird way... Good job, Mel."(64) It is also in the art room where Melinda encounters Andy Evans. He walks into the art room looking for Rachel and he starts talking to Melinda, but Rachel finds him before he can do anything. Luckily Ivy walks into the art room and she feels something going on so she grabs her sculpture and sits beside Melinda. Ivy starts talking about how she despises Andy and Rachel. "What a jerk, I can't believe she's going out with him... that creep is trouble with a capital T."(162) When Ivy gets marker on Melinda's shirt they go to the bathroom and try to wash it out; Andy Evans pops up in their conversation once again. "He has such a reputation. He's only after one thing, and if you believe the rumors, he'll get it, no matter what."(175) Melinda is waiting for the bus when Ivy asks to show her something in the bathroom, Ivy points at the stall Melinda was in and it says "Andy Evans, He's a creep, He's a

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