Summer Reading Project: Blog 4

Prompt: How does the author use symbolism throughout the book?
Speak  by: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages read: 93 - finished

            Throughout the book it talks about the description of her lips and mouth. The descriptions about her mouth and lips tell that she is unable to speak after what had happened the day of the party.  In the book it describes her mouth as dry, cracked, and swollen. This shows that the description of her lips represent what is inside of her, and what she is keeping hidden. It also shows the shame she feels inside, and how she is unable to take care of herself. Towards the end of the book Melinda begins to talk about the truth of what had happened during the party. The condition of her lips also improve. Melinda's lips and mouth change as Melinda does too. 

            Trees in the book shows a lot about Melinda. A tree is what she had to work with her whole year of art class. I think trees are mentioned in almost eery chapter of the book. It shows how Melinda is growing in her year of high school. In the beginning of the year Melinda struggled to draw realistic trees. This represents her struggle and depression in her life. As she gets better, and starts to talk about herself, and starts talking more, she improves the way she draws trees. It shows that she has grown, and is still growing since the beginning of the school year. Trees grow like Melinda has grown in that high school year.

            In the book she didn't like to look at herself in the mirror. She tried to avoid them, because she wasn't able to face her own reflection. This represents how she wasn't able to face her own feelings as well. In the book she says that she can't see herself. Which shows that her appearance has changed, because of what had happened in the past. In the book she looks at a three-way mirror in a dressing room. One side of it was broken. This represented a part of her that was broken as well.

            Melinda often hides in a supply closet that is in the school. This shows that she needs to hide from the outside world, so she doesn't have to talk to anyone. It also shows her isolation. She isolates herself, and her friends have isolated her. No one knows about the closet space, it is kept a secret in the book. Like how what happened to her at the party was kept a secret as well. Towards the end of the book when the secret is out, she stops hiding in the closet. This represents that she doesn't need to hide the secret anymore. A her secret got out, she began to change in a very good way.