Rape is both a criminal act and a violation of a victim, and is often cruelly overlooked, despite being a large problem in societies everywhere. In Laurie Anderson’s novel, Speak, the author raises awareness of rape through the fictional character Melinda Sordino’s experiences in the eighth and ninth grades. This teaches young readers to be more aware of their surroundings in a world of rape culture, because sexual assault can happen to anyone and at any time.
First of all, Anderson essentially teaches that there’s no specific face of rape, whether it be the victim or the perpetrator. People of diverse age, race, sexuality, and gender are all affected daily. Through the character Andy Evans in Speak, Anderson demonstrates how anyone could be a rapist, despite their social skills or appearance. Moments before Melinda is raped, she meets the Senior who will alter her identity forever. Her prior opinion of him is of “[t]his gorgeous cover-model guy. His hair was way better than mine, his every inch a tanned muscle, and he had straight white teeth. Flirting with me!” (Anderson, 134). Melinda is flattered and falls head-over-heels for Andy. This is due to her not knowing anything about the student, unaware of either his sleazy personality or his reputation for inappropriate behavior with girls. Anderson utilizes imagery in describing to the reader how …show more content…
Laurie Anderson’s novel Speak is one of countless steps towards a world without rape culture, since it communicates awareness of who can be affected and when. An individual’s worry should, however, be taken in moderation, and to live a life of fear isn’t something anyone should have to do. Mindfulness of one’s surroundings is a generally easy task, but a crucial one when facing the
First of all, Anderson essentially teaches that there’s no specific face of rape, whether it be the victim or the perpetrator. People of diverse age, race, sexuality, and gender are all affected daily. Through the character Andy Evans in Speak, Anderson demonstrates how anyone could be a rapist, despite their social skills or appearance. Moments before Melinda is raped, she meets the Senior who will alter her identity forever. Her prior opinion of him is of “[t]his gorgeous cover-model guy. His hair was way better than mine, his every inch a tanned muscle, and he had straight white teeth. Flirting with me!” (Anderson, 134). Melinda is flattered and falls head-over-heels for Andy. This is due to her not knowing anything about the student, unaware of either his sleazy personality or his reputation for inappropriate behavior with girls. Anderson utilizes imagery in describing to the reader how …show more content…
Laurie Anderson’s novel Speak is one of countless steps towards a world without rape culture, since it communicates awareness of who can be affected and when. An individual’s worry should, however, be taken in moderation, and to live a life of fear isn’t something anyone should have to do. Mindfulness of one’s surroundings is a generally easy task, but a crucial one when facing the