Reaction to Speak

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Speak was not my favorite book to read, simply because the plot took awhile to advance. However, I think that the prolonging of getting to the main part of the story was a projection of Melinda, and her slow road to self-recovery. The main turning point of the story was definitely when she came to the realization that she has to grow from this horrible event, "It wasn't my fault. He hurt me. It wasn't my fault. And I'm not going to let it kill me. I can grow." (149). One aspect of Speak is that I particularly loved was that it covered a touchy topic but in a way that it didn't over stimulate the reader or provide grotesque imagery. It promoted rape-awareness, without generalizing the victim or charging the victim with a certain stigma. Granted, Melinda does possess certain qualities, but they are qualities to be expected from someone who had endured the type of trauma that she had. 

I think that this book should most definitely be taught in public schools on the high school level because this book is about high school students going through things that many high schoolers go through. Such as finding one's social circle, establishing a loose sense of self, and the finding of one's voice. It's easy to relate to the story, even if the reader cant necessarily empathize with Melinda regarding what she had gone through. I think that this book could really help young students everywhere because rape culture is something that adolescents need to be knowledgeable about and isn't talked about enough. So, this book can teach adolescents more about rape culture and maybe ways that they can handle those type of situations. 

Comments

  1. chelseaSeptember 18, 2017 at 7:45 AM

    Chelsea chan--- I agree that this book can be slow paced at times. Since it is through out an entire school year, we get dragged along as well. It does have momentum in the right places to add effect on the reader's emotions. I also agree rape culture isn't discussed enough with teens. As the world gets darker and worse, the youngsters need to be more aware of the dangers out there.

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  2. Taylor SimmonsSeptember 18, 2017 at 10:29 AM

    Victoria,

    I agree that it does take a while for the plot to advance. As I was reading I was thinking that although we know Melinda was raped, I just felt it took so long for the rape to actually be mentioned in the story. I also agree that this should be taught in public cultures because it is too often that rape gets swept under the rug so teaching this book or other books that cover this topic would be great in public schools.

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  3. UnknownSeptember 18, 2017 at 12:50 PM

    Victoria,
    I love your honesty about your reaction to the book. I could understand where you are coming from about the plot taking a while to unravel. I loved that part of the book when she realized that it wasn't her fault. As the readers, I felt like we were relieved to finally hear her say that and quit beating herself up about it. What she went through wasn't easy, but finally speaking up allowed her to realize that she wasn't at fault and also helped her move on. I agree that this is a great book to be taught in public schools because it is a topic that that I believe students would be ashamed to share if it happened to them. They have to understand that this is a real issue and it is safe to share it with a counselor or a teacher.

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  4. K.MSeptember 18, 2017 at 7:16 PM

    Victoria,

    The book does drag at some points regarding the main plot of her dealing with her trauma, but i feel that is a natural reflection of the process she is going through. It would be more unrealistic for her to immediately be able to deal with something so awful, wouldn't it? the text reflects her slow progression towards healing by also going forward in a similar pace.

    This book is a definite must for students to be taught, though perhaps only at a high-school level, as below that it may be slightly too advanced a concept to grasp. teens need more examples to look at so they can normalize and internalize their experiences as valid and okay to be having and to deal with.

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  5. UnknownSeptember 18, 2017 at 8:01 PM

    Victoria,
    I agree that the book did take a while to advance. I love how even though you did not enjoy the book's layout, you still think it should be taught in schools. I couldn't agree more.

    ReplyDelete

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