Yet, it proved to be realistic for millions of girls, be it the incident itself or the internal conflict and depression rape carries. Therefore, I believe that Speak is a realistic representation of an adolescent experience. However, I also believe that how realistic it is and how many people relate to it is not the purpose of the novel. Speak exists to allow vulnerable victims a safe haven of courage and validation. It can show people like Melinda that there is someone who shares their experiences, thoughts, and feelings; that they are normal and it isn't their fault; that they, too, can speak up. Speak tries to tell its readers that, like Maya Angelou said, "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived
Yet, it proved to be realistic for millions of girls, be it the incident itself or the internal conflict and depression rape carries. Therefore, I believe that Speak is a realistic representation of an adolescent experience. However, I also believe that how realistic it is and how many people relate to it is not the purpose of the novel. Speak exists to allow vulnerable victims a safe haven of courage and validation. It can show people like Melinda that there is someone who shares their experiences, thoughts, and feelings; that they are normal and it isn't their fault; that they, too, can speak up. Speak tries to tell its readers that, like Maya Angelou said, "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived