Speak Character Analysis

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In the novel, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino has been tortured by “IT”, Andy Evans. She has to go through freshman year without any friends because “IT” ruins it by making her call the cops. Throughout the novel Melinda refers Andy Evans by “IT” because she had a horrid experience with him but when she refers to him more she calls him Andy Evans. When Melinda first mentions “IT” she is remembering him through a nightmare because she says “I see IT in the hallway. IT goes to Merryweather. IT is walking with the Aubrey Cheerleader. IT is my nightmare and I can’t wake up. IT sees me. IT smiles and winks. Good thing my lips stitched together or I’d throw up” (Anderson 45-46). Melinda just can not get the image of “IT” out of…show more content…
She had lost all of her friends and was hated by everyone because she had called the cops at the end of the summer party. By the end of the year she had gained most of her friends back because she had told the real story, what really happened at the party and the reason for calling the police. “I didn’t call the cops to break up the party, I write-I put the pencil down. I pick it back up again-them because some guy raped me. Under the trees. I didn’t know what to do. She watches as I carved out of the words…”(183). Rachel believes everything up to when Melinda says Andy Evans raped her because she thinks he is the nicest person ever and he would never do a thing like that but she is blinded because she is going to prom with him. Once the words seep into Rachel head her conscious takes over and she dumps Andy before prom. Once Andy was dumped he confronts Melinda saying “You have a big mouth, you know it? Rachel blew me off at the prom, giving me some bullshit story about how I raped you. You know that’s a lie. I never raped anybody. I don’t have to. You wanted it just as bad as I did. But your feelings got hurt, so you started spreading lies, and now every girl in school is talking about me like I’m some kind of pervert. You’ve been spreading that bullshit story for weeks. Whats wrongs, ugly, you jealous? Cant get a date?” (193). Andy is really a beast. He just keeps hurting Melinda till she stands up for herself by holding the piece of glass to his neck without hesitating. She just wants everything to go away. She can not take anymore bullshit by “IT”. Through the novel, Speak, Melinda had been tortured by Andy Evans. She starts calling him “IT” because he was a beast that had raped her at the end of the summer party. She then starts calling him Andy because the Martha’s bring his name up. Melinda freshman year had been the worst and did not want to be reminded of Andy so the name “IT” was introduced
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