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Study Guide
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Speak Study Guide." Course Hero. 24 June 2019. Web. 25 Sep. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Speak/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2019, June 24). Speak Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved September 25, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Speak/
In text
(Course Hero, 2019)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Speak Study Guide." June 24, 2019. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Speak/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "Speak Study Guide," June 24, 2019, accessed September 25, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Speak/.
Laurie Halse Anderson
1999
Novel
Drama, Women's Studies
Speak is narrated in the first person by Melinda, the protagonist. Readers engage with the story through Melinda's unfiltered thoughts, as if inside her head.
Speak is written in present tense. One chapter, the flashback scene in which Andy Evans rapes Melinda, is told in the past tense. Doing so takes away the immediacy of the action, which could be triggering and traumatic for teenage readers, while also highlighting the novel's focus on the aftermath of sexual violence.
The title Speak directly contrasts the novel's primary theme: silence. After being raped, Melinda struggles to find both the courage and the words to tell her story.
This study guide for Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
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