Melinda's Fears and Salvation in 'Speak'
Melinda has had a hard time speaking up throughout the story. She had few to help and understand her but some did. The story Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson started off with Melinda’s encounter with sexual assault. She had called the cops because she was assaulted but others thought it was because of the party. In this Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson essay is mentioned that in the story there was one person who understood her and she was able to tell him anything and he would never tell anyone else. That one person was Mr. Freeman, and he helped her find her voice throughout the story.
Mr. Freeman was a guy that Melinda could tell anything. He gave her amazing advice and kept it between the two of them. Mr Freeman once said, “This is where you can find your soul if you dare, where you can touch that part of what you’ve never dared looked at before”. He is informing Melinda that she can look back at what she didn’t want to. He is telling her she can talk to him or somebody about it if she needed to. The text also states, “The next time you work on your trees, don’t think about your trees. Think about love, or hate, or joy, or rage - whatever makes you feel something, makes your palms sweat or your toes curl. Focus on that feeling . When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time”. This quote shows that Mr. Freeman is persuading Melinda to let out her true feelings. To express herself and if she doesn’t she will slowly fall apart and “die one piece at a time”. Mr. Freeman was a huge influence for Melinda to speak up.
Mr. Freeman was very kind and trustworthy. He influenced Melinda to talk to him and was a great person in Melinda’s life. Mr. Freeman states, “Your a good kid. I think you have a lot to say. I’d like to hear it”. In this quote, Mr. Freeman is informing Melinda that she can say what she wants to him. He would like to hear it and she won’t judge him. The text also states, “Welcome to the only class that will teach you how to survive...welcome to art class”. This quote is showing Mr. Freeman tell Melinda and the rest of her class that his class is the most important. He claims that his class is the only class to teach you how to survive. He may be suggesting that he is the only teacher that a student can talk to the way Melinda does throughout the story. Without Mr. Freeman Melinda may have never found her voice.
Overall Mr. Freeman, the art teacher had a very important role in Melinda’s life. Melinda struggled with assault and being socially rejected throughout school and that left her unable to speak. Her voice was gone and Melinda had few people that would genuinely listen to her. Those who helped Melinda showed help in different ways, Mr. Freeman helped her through art. If Mr. Freeman wasn’t so kind to Melinda, she may’ve never found her voice.
