True Colors

Authors Note: This piece is a non- fiction 5 paragraph essay off of the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and how friends may leave and can show their true colors.

Some friends might stay forever, and some may leave and never come back. Throughout the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson one of the main themes are true friendship because Melinda notices who her real friends are and their true colors. Melinda is now known as an outcast after that one summer night that ruined her whole reputation. After she had been assaulted by Andy Evans at the biggest party with most of the school there, she called the police. Little did she know that that could turn out to be Melinda’s biggest mistake of her life. Not only did she get raped, she busted the entire party that included her old best friends and now... everyone hates her.

Above all, people change, and sometimes friends change. During middle school and high school years teens don’t know who they really are and who they want to be friends with. Melinda’s situation relates to the book Shug by Jenny Han. The novel Shug, is about a teenage girl named Annemarie who has had the biggest crush on her best friend Mark since they were little kids. Her other friend which is a girl had recently left Annemarie because she found a new boy friend. Annemarie caught Mark talking trash behind her back to his new girl friend, which resulted in losing both of her friends. Melinda’s problem is exactly like Annemarie’s: both of their closest friends had turned on them and had been absorbed by other people, for both situations a relationship.

Although there are many quotes that have to do with friendship from the novel Speak, the one that stuck out most to me is “I need a friend. I need a friend, period. Not a true friend, nothing close or share clothes or sleepover giggle giggle yak yak. Just a pseudo- friend, disposable friend. Friend as accessory.” This quote really expresses Melinda’s loneliness and what she would do to at least have someone to accept her for who she is. When the quote states ”nothing close or share clothes or sleepover..” she is preaching that she doesn’t want close friends again, so they won’t hurt her like Rachel and the other Plain Janes did. She just wants a friend to share her feelings with so she won’t be alone.

However, most of the time close friends won’t stay angry at each other forever. For example Melinda and Rachel and the rest of the clan reunite in the end of Speak after they find Andy trying to assault Melinda again in the closet. Rachel finally dumps Andy and retrieves back to Melinda. Friends fight all the time and the arguments usually don’t last a life time. Friends come and go but your true ones will always come back.

In conclusion, friends change and some may leave you but they usually always come back in the end. True friendship is known as one of the biggest themes in the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. You can see someone’s true colors when they leave you for someone else.

Do Not Open

Authors Note: This creative piece is a journal entry from the main character from the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

The Party (a.k.a the worst night ever)
Dear Journal,

So tonight was the “Big Party” I was so excited about before, it was…not so fun. Here’s how it went. Andy and I were dancing and we started making out, It was amazing I actually felt like I was living. I was so excited to enter high school with a real boy friend; I thought Rachel would be jealous. But then he asked me if I wanted to do it, but I refused, then he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride, I decided yes, I thought to myself what could really happen? Well tonight was the night that I got raped, by Andy Evans. I needed to call the police, but that turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life. I busted the whole party with everyone there, even my best friends. I’m scared, what if everyone hates me forever? Well write you back soon to tell you how the first day of high school goes.
Melinda

First day of high school
Dear Journal,
I wore a skirt that I hate and everyone hates me except for a new girl Heather. She's really annoying, she's a wannabe of The Martha's but I just pretend to be nice to her. My teachers are weird….really weird, except for my art teacher Mr. Freeman he's pretty cool I guess. All the Plain Janes have been absorbed into different groups, but then there's me.
Melinda
Rachel and Andy

Dear Journal,
Rachel and Andy are dating and I hate them both. Well I don’t necessarily hate Rachel all that much, but Andy is a whole different story. I wish I had the voice to tell Rachel what Andy did to me, but I can’t, not yet.
Melinda

Depression
Dear Journal,
Heather left me for The Martha’s but I honestly don’t really care. I have no friends, I’m kind of failing school and I skip it sometimes.
Melinda.

I Tried
Dear Journal,
Today I tried to tell Rachel about the assault with Andy, obviously she didn’t believe me and she thought I was some type of physco…cool. Rachel asked Andy if we knew each other and he said no, they both think I’m jealous of their relationship, ew.
Melinda

Relief
Dear Journal,
I am no longer an outcast. Andy got caught trying to rape me again in the closet I said no, I actually stood up to him, I am so proud of myself. In addition Rachel believes me and thankfully dumped him...I think my friends and I are back to being the Plain Janes again. I feel actually happy again, people are right; you do have to speak up in order to be heard.
Melinda

It's Your Choice

Authors Note: This piece is based off the quote that I found and I will be relating other quotes and characters to it.

Someone once said “We can choose to see life as a series of trials and tribulations, or we can choose to see life as an accumulation of treasures”, this saying expresses to us that we can see life in two different series, either positive or negative. Some people choose to see life in terribly while others choose to see it in a blissful way. If you ever feel blue you can just look at all the good things in life and see how great life truly is.

However, the term half empty or half full relates to this quote, it’s pretty much like life. You can either imagine the cup half empty, seeing life in an unsatisfying way, or you can see it half full, admiring the excellence of life. Whenever I’m indignant, I scream “I hate my life!”, my dad always makes a notifying point, he always preaches “You have a great life, you have a loving family, friends, and food to eat” Every single time he says that, I look at the things in my life that most people don’t have and suddenly I feel thankful.

For instance, I look at the news as rarely as Haley's comet comes past earth. But when I do watch the news I see a ton of terrifying things that happen to the less fortunate. I take a step back and realize that I’m lucky I have a safe and outstanding life. There is a quote by Marcus Aurelius which states “Our life is what our thoughts make it”. If you believe your life is terrible, it will be because that’s what you think of it. Most of the time people that are thinking they have an atrocious life are usually depressed.

In addition, the characters from Winnie the Pooh somehow relate to this quote. Eeyore is the kind of guy that is always grumpy and cheerlessly. On the other hand Tigger is always blissful and excited. Eeyore chooses to be like that yet he doesn’t actually have poor life. If Eeyore chose to have a good life he could, he has a bunch of cheerful friends but he chooses to be alone; his feelings are overpowering his life.

In conclusion, look at the good things in your life whenever you are feeling depressed and you will most likely feel better. Everyone can have a stupendous life if they chose to; it just depends if you can look at the extraordinary things about life. This anonymous saying shows us that there are two different series in life; everyone gets to choose which one they want to live in. Your emotions will overcome you and your life but it all depends on how your thoughts flow.

Express Yourself

Authors Note: This piece is about the quote “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” from the book “Speak”.


Some people are considered an outcast, and others are either popular or on the edge to becoming popular. But Melinda from the novel “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson is different, everyone hates her. One little accident can change a girl’s world forever. Melinda crashed a party that had almost the school there, and now everyone despises her. Her old best friends joined off into different groups and Melinda has no one, she’s an outcast.

The quote “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time” spoken by Melinda is trying to explain to us that if you don’t express yourself or how you feel no one will notice you. For example, when Melinda enters high school she is too scared to speak up, she sits alone because she’s too scared to make an effort. Inside of that quote when she says “…they die one piece at a time” Melinda is talking about herself, she thinks she made a mistake and that she’s dying inside, no one will even notice you if you don’t speak up and express yourself.

This quote relates to my life, I had to pronounce myself when I came to a new school. The best way to show yourself is to be yourself, you never want to act like someone that you’re not. When I came to Pewaukee I just started to talk to people, the best way to make friends is talking then people started to notice you. That’s the thing with Melinda; she was to quiet to show people that she is there, that she exists. Maybe if she would have spoken up she wouldn’t be an outcast, then maybe people would accept her for who she is.

In conclusion, some people just don’t fit in, and those are the people that are too intimidated to show themselves out to the world. Melinda needs to have a voice and express herself just like I did when I first came to school. Expressing yourself is the only way you will get noticed.

Melinda

Authors Note: This short piece is for my speech and for my goals. It is character development based on the character Melinda from the book we are reading "Speak".

Have you ever felt like the whole world is against you, like you did something wrong even though you know it was the right thing to do? In the novel "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a teenage girl just entering high school. She used to have a numerous amount of friends until the incident happened; she busted a party. Would you have the guts to do that, even if you knew what the outcome would be?

That party had almost the whole school there, but now everyone hates her including most of the teachers except for her art teacher. The clan she belonged to the year before, the Plain Janes, has split and been absorbed by other groups, but Melinda is alone. She lost everyone.

Melinda is a unique, brave, down to earth girl that has her own opinion on everything, but she is also known as an outcast that blames herself for busting most of her friends. She knows that she is different from everyone else, from when she says “I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don’t have anyone to sit with. I am Outcast.”

Melinda reminds me of Bella from Twilight, Bella is preserved quiet and at first an outcast exactly like Melinda. In the first book when Bella enters high school everyone thinks she's weird and quiet just like how everyone hates Melinda on the first day.