The Importance Of Choice In Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Whether one decides to believe in fate, destiny, free will, or anything else, one thing is always true: people make choices. Every day we make choices. They can be small ones, like choosing to tip five percent more at a restaurant or choosing to wear a green tie over a blue one. But many of the choices a person makes are larger than these, choosing a field to major in, or choosing a spouse, perhaps. Clearly, our choices are important because they determine our character and future, but they are also important because many, if not all, of our choices, directly affect others and the people around them. A novel that highlights this fact is Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson.
One piece of evidence showing choice affecting others in Speak is after Andy Evans raped Melinda Sordino at a senior party. Andy wasn’t treated too differently until nearly a year …show more content…
This alone is huge because it would have likely taught him a lesson and boosted Melinda’s morale, but while fighting Andy off she drew the attention of the girl's hockey team. The team not only taught And a physical lesson but also let the entire school know what he had attempted to do. Melinda’s decision ultimately affected Andy by ruining his reputation at their school, herself by winning back the school’s trust, and her friend Rachel who was in a potentially dangerous relationship with Andy at the time. After making one brave choice for herself, Melinda affected several people, and for the better, which clearly demonstrated important to make wise choices.
Overall, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a book that accurately shows why our decisions are important. The novel highlights the fact that the decisions we make will not only determine our future but also the futures of the people around us, whether we intend to or not. This, to me, is why our choices