Communication
Thoughts fill my head but when I try to speak, nothing seems to come out. Sickening silence burns through my eyes, so used to the silence from friend and foe alike. No reason to break this quiet haven, for no people around to trust in. I block myself from the world around me, too afraid to speak out. This is Melinda, who is isolated from the world around her. Speaking, writing, and artwork are the three significant ways Melinda communicates in the book "Speak."
One form of communication is art. Communicating through art was the only way Melinda could say how she was feeling. On the first day of art class, she was given the only project for the entire year and what she drew from a globe depended on what she would draw all year. When she picked out a piece of paper that said “tree;” she thought it was too easy. For this was now her destiny in art. Melinda has trouble finding a way to draw her trees, but when she does, they are sad and show how she feels. On page 78 in the second paragraph, was where you find out how her trees expressed how she feels. “There’s a tree in the front of my house just like it. I can feel the wind blow and hear the mockingbird whistle on the way back to her nest. But when I try to carve it, it looks like a dead tree, toothpicks, a child’s drawing.” She seems to be lifeless, just like her trees. “I want to make a memorial for our turkey. Never has a bird been so tortured to provide such lousy dinner. I dig the bones out of the trash and bring them to art class. Mr. Freeman is thrilled.” This passage from the book “Speak”, represents Melinda’s first idea in art, although it doesn’t deal with trees, she has begun to express herself, it was on page 61 in the section “Wishbone.” To show this she made a memorial for the Thanksgiving turkey that was ruined, which shows what dreadful holiday she had with her family.
Although art is a very important way for Melinda to communicate, speaking is even more significant to her. Since she is a girl who never speaks and is afraid to talk about what happened one summer night at a party. Even though she doesn’t talk at school you would think that her parents should know what has happened to her. I believe that she is afraid to speak out for herself and since she doesn’t have a true friend there is nobody for her to rely on. On page 165 there is a section called “Real Spring.” While reading this section you will see how she doesn’t really respond to what her father says to her. For example her dad said, “That’s a lot work.” Then Melinda doesn’t respond and her dad says, “I’ll get some leaf bags at the store.” Again there is no response from Melinda. This conversation goes on without her talking and it seems her dad is speaking to nobody. There was one time that occurred where words truly hurt Melinda, when Heather didn't want to be her friend anymore, which was on page 104 in the section “Lunch Doom.” “This is really awkward. I mean how do you say something like this? I mean, we kind of paired up at the beginning of the year when I was new and didn’t know anyone and that was really, really sweet of you, but I think it’s time for us both to admit that we just are very different,” says Heather. Then Melinda said “you mean we’re not friends anymore?” This was a conversation of a lost friendship, a person not supportive of another that is having a hard time. No wonder Melinda hated talking, if she lost the only partial friend she had in a conversation that she actually responded in.
Even though speaking represents the book and Melinda, writing is how her family communicates by leaving notes that say what was for supper or what was going on that night. It truly seems they avoided each other and that was how they could avoid the problems they were all going through having, especially her parents always arguing. When notes are written they can be very powerful since Melinda was left a note on her locker from Heather, her former friend. It said “thanks for understanding. You're the sweetest!" Concealed inside this note was their friendship necklace, the loss of her only friend. Since Rachel/Rachelle and Melinda weren’t very good friends, it was hard for her to get Rachel/Rachelle to talk. Once she finally got a conversation going they were yelled at for talking, which they ended up writing back and forth on a piece of paper. They talked about what happened during the party that was in the summer. This ended up changing everything, which made writing have such an important role in her freedom and Rachel/Rachelle’s safety.
In the book "Speak", communicating through talking, composing, and artwork are very evident. Thoughts fill Melinda’s head, but when she attempts to speak nothing seems to want to come out. All the silence fills her head leaving a burning sensation. It was all too much to handle. Never keep bullying, harassing, or any other type of rude behavior hidden up inside you. Always tell someone; otherwise you may become very distant.
The First Snow Fall
One chilly morning in the beginning of December, I look out the window and see little white flurries falling from the sky. Like sprinkles being dropped on to a freshly frosted Christmas cookie. I walk outside and they land in my hair melting almost immediately. What a beautiful sight to see; the flakes landing on the ground making a light layer of snow all around like a dusting of fine sugar. Our first fall of the season won't stay but you will see it hidden in the grass like the left over cookie crumbs on the kitchen table. Light flurries fall all day as the sun sparkles off the snow making the ground all around bright and cheerful. All the fun fall times have passed and now the snowball fights and snowmen building begin. The day is so beautiful with all the trees starting to hold onto the freshly fallen snow. White is everywhere you go and everywhere you look; once you see that you know it is now December, the beginning of winter.
