What if you were raped and nobody knew about it? In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda was raped and she didn’t tell anyone. Before school started Melinda was at a party and she was drunk. She was raped in the woods that night by an older boy, Andy Evans. She called the police and she was blamed for calling the police on the party because she never told anyone she was raped. Through many different events and people Melinda changes from being shy to feeling confident. In the beginning of the book Melinda was very shy and self conscious.
Since everyone thought she called the police they didn’t want to be friends with her so she was going into high school with no friends. This made her very shy and she just minded her own business. On the first day of school Melinda was getting on the bus and she didn’t know where to sit. She thought if she sat in the back she would get made fun of but if she sat in the front she would look like a little kid. She chose the front because she doesn’t want to walk down the bus isle past her friends because they were mad at her.
She was being shy and didn’t want to make up with her friends. This also happens at lunch because her old friends didn’t want to sit with her so she was going to sit with another new girl Heather but she didn’t get the chance to. She thought, “I am Outcast” (Anderson 4).
She didn’t want people to judge her on where she sat so she was debating. At lunch she was walking back from buying her lunch and a basketball player threw a Ho-Ho at her and it landed on her lunch tray and got mashed potatoes and gravy all over her shirt.
The Essay on Rape Culture 2
In the United States, rape has become one of the most underreported crimes each year (“Reporting Rape” 1). The term rape culture refers to how our society has taught women how not to be raped instead of teaching men not to rape. Through jokes and the sexualization of women we are more likely to believe rape is not a big crisis in our nation. Rape culture leads to the acceptance of rape as a ...
She threw her lunch out and her face turned red when she hurried quickly out of the lunch room. Melinda describes, “I hurried so fast out of the lunchroom the track coach would draft me for varsity if he were around” (Anderson 8).
She was humiliated and now this caused her to act shy and have no friends. As you can see, Melinda used to be very shy but some things caused her to change. Many people and big events happened throughout the book and Melinda reacted negatively at first but then began to change.
Melinda was taking art and she had to make a tree project and she couldn’t get it right. Melinda thought, “My tree is hopeless. It isn’t art,” (Anderson 152).
Ivy in her class encouraged her and helped her out. Ivy also felt bad for Melinda because when Melinda threw out her art project Ivy frowned and went to talk to her. Ivy was one of the few people who were nice to her and cared about her. This made Melinda realize she is actually capable of making friends and people will like her for who she really is. She became less shy around Ivy but still she was somewhat self-conscious.
Rachel, Melinda’s old best friend, was going to the dance with Andy Evans. Melinda tried to tell Rachel that Andy was bad news and that he raped her but she thought Melinda was making it up because she was jealous. Melinda was just trying to warn Rachel about Andy and now that Rachel thought she was a liar Melinda wants to prove that she is telling the truth. Melinda wants to show Rachel and the world that she didn’t call the police on the party, but because she was raped. Melinda was getting tired of being blamed and called a liar so she began to change.
Melinda doesn’t like to speak in front of large amounts of people so when she had to present her essay she wrote it on the board and had the class read it while the teacher sent her to MISS for not talking. Most people who go to MISS go there for talking too much but because Melinda didn’t talk she was sent there. Her good friend David told her she should stand up for herself to the teacher but Melinda didn’t want to stand up for herself. Melinda was too shy to stand up for herself until she wanted to listen to David and stand up for herself.
The Term Paper on People v. Scott Peterson
On April 23, 2003, a case of murder on two counts was lodged in Stanislaus County Superior Court of California against Scott Peterson for killing his wife, Laci Denise Peterson a 27-year-old wife who was eight months pregnant Laci Peterson disappeared on Christmas Eve, prompting a nationwide search. The bodies of the Modesto, California woman and her unborn child were found four months later, ...
David also asked Melinda to go to a party with him but Melinda said no because she was shy but she really did want to go. She didn’t want to be humiliated again so she ended up not going and being bored at home. One small thing that had big effects on Melinda was when a big tree was getting cut down in her yard and she felt bad for the tree. She looked at the man chain sawing it down and it looked like he didn’t even care that he was killing something. Melinda heard someone say the tree is dying and there is nothing to say or do, but she disagreed, she thought it could be saved in a way.
This made her think about her life and look at it as a whole and realize what she should do with her life. Melinda was no longer shy, she is very confident. Rachel went to the dance with Andy and he gave hints that he was trying to rape her. Rachel left him and danced with someone else for the night. Rachel believed that Melinda was raped and Rachel is very sorry that she didn’t listen when Melinda tried to tell her. This makes Melinda happy that someone knows the truth and that someone finally just believes her. Andy Evans also locked her in a closet and almost raped her again but Melinda fought back and stood up to him.
She won the battle and now everyone hates Andy and appreciates Melinda. Melinda believes in herself now that she has people on her side. Melinda finally finishes her art project and gets and A+ on it. She is so proud and feels like she accomplished something. This made her very confident in her artwork but it also made her feel confident in school and throughout life. In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson the main character Melinda learns many things. Melinda used to be shy but now because of big events and different people she is confident.
Because of the rape situation, Melinda was very shy and self-conscious. People like Ivy and Heather helped her to get through it even though they may not have realized. Melinda also began to realize who she is. She became confident and learned to stand up for herself. As you can see, it is better to express your feelings than to keep it a secret. Even if it’s a secret that’s so hard to show, you will be better off if you are open to the world. If you keep all of your feelings inside then you will end up like Melinda used to be.
The Essay on Acquaintance Rape
When I started college, husband was very concerned about my security on campus. He warned me not to walk alone at night, not to talk to anyone I didn't recognize, and to be very aware of my surroundings. This is good advice for anyone. Many women are afraid of the person in the shadows awaiting their unsuspecting victim. In most campus rape cases, a stranger is not involved. I was surprised to ...
