Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Provided
for all 9th grade students
Theme: The Hero’s Journey
Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute...
A Comment About Censorship by Laurie Halse Anderson
Author of Speak
These are scary days in which to raise teenagers. I know. I have four of
them. Part of the problem is that we have a generation that has been exposed
to unprecedented amounts of sexual behavior in the media and on the Internet.
They see it, they talk about it, their hormones react, and a lot of kids
wind up in painful situations.
Literature is the safe and traditional vehicle through which we learn about
the world and pass values from one generation to the next. Books save lives.
Contemporary young adult literature surprises some people, because it is an
accurate reflection of the way today’s teenagers talk, think, and behave. But
these books must be honest in order to connect to the teen reader. America’s
teens are desperate for responsible, trustworthy adults to create situations
in which they can discuss the issues that are of the highest concern for them.
Reading and discussing books is one of the most effective ways to get teens
to think through and learn about the challenges of adolescence.
Most of the censorship I see is fear-driven. I respect that. The world is a
very scary place. It is a terrifying place in which to raise children, and
in particular, teenagers. It is human nature to nurture and protect children
as they grow into adulthood. But censoring books that deal with difficult adolescent
issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the
darkness and makes them vulnerable.
Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot
afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them. They need us to be
brave enough to give them great books so they can learn how to grow up into
the men and woman we want them to be.
Page numbers that connect to the questions are in
parenthesis ( ).
Questions adapted from http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/cyberenglish9/Speak/speak.htm
1. Is this a book about making intelligent decisions?
A. List three decisions that Melinda makes in the book.
B. Tell why you think she made the decisions and explain the consequences
of the decisions. Were there any consequences of her decisions that she could
not have reasonably expected?
2. Is this a book about friendships? Cliques? Who are Melinda's friends?
How do her friendships change? Why do they change?
A. (82) Why is it that people sometimes "like us" more when they
can get something out of us? Are the Marthas good friends to Heather? Why
or why not?
B. (159) David is a true friend to Melinda, but he tells her something she
may not want to hear. He says that people have to speak up for their rights,
referring to the “suffragettes.” What should his words mean to her?
3. How would you describe Mr. Freeman? What qualities does he possess that
make him a good teacher? Have you ever known any teacher similar to Mr. Freeman?
A. (118) Mr. Freeman tells his class, "You must walk alone to find
your soul." What does this mean? Is it true? What is a soul?
B. (122) Mr. Freeman also says that "art is about making mistakes and
learning from them." What else is like this? Explain.
C. (153) Mr. Freeman, again! He tells Melinda that "nothing is perfect.
Flaws are interesting." He's literally talking about a drawing of tree,
but what do you think he really means?
D. (109) Melinda wishes her science teacher would teach them about love and
betrayal instead of about the birds and the bees. Where do we learn about
things like that? Can we learn about love from a book? Explain?
4. Is this a book about life
in a high school?
A. In what ways is Merryweather High School similar to Marshfield High School?
B. In what ways is it different?
C. (23) What clubs, sports, or activities are you involved in? Is it true
that 9th graders "hang back" and don't join groups? Why?
5. How would you characterize Melinda's relationship with her family?
A. (14) How does communication break down in Melinda's family?
B. What could each person do to improve it? If you were a parent, how would
communication with your children?
6. In what ways do you conform to what is expected of you? In what ways
do you rebel against what is expected of you?
A. (20) Why do we sometimes not like people who are really good at things,
like sports, music, art, or school? Is this fair?
B. Are adults like this?
7. Melinda demonstrates many of the symptoms of clinical depression. What
behaviors does she manifest that would cause you concern if you were her
friend or teacher?
A. What would you do to help her?
B. (32) Are we sometimes different people on the outside than we are on the
inside? How? Why is this true, do you think?
8. (54) Who is a "real" American?
A. What do you think of Mr. Neck's opinion?
B. Going by his definition, are some of you not really Americans? How does
that seem to you?
9. (83) What should we value in other people?
A. What qualities are important in a person?
B. What do you usually notice first about someone? Does that matter or not?
10. (99) Was being a child better than being a teenager? In what ways?
A. In what ways is it better to be older?
B. Why is it hard to be in-between childhood and adulthood?
11. (187) Melinda's father explains to her that the arborists are cutting off
disease and damage to make it possible for the tree to grow again. How can
the pruning of the tree be compared to Melinda's life?
*Note: Portions of some descriptions, and in some cases, entire descriptions taken from Amazon.com and / or ReadingGroupGuides.com and Globalliteracyproject.com
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