"What Doesn't Kill You Only Makes You Stronger"

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"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" (Anderson 197). This quote sealed the deal for me with this book. In just a couple of sentences it represents strength, growth, and a survivor. What I love about Speak is that the information discussed in this book isn't limited to a "type" of person, and that any person from any race, age, gender, or background can relate to it in some sort of way. The novel Speak has so many themes within it that it almost becomes overwhelming when deciding which one to focus on, but I've decided that I will focus on guilt.  
Throughout the story Melinda struggles with guilt internally and externally. From the external point of view Melinda is blamed from her peers for calling the cops to a party over the summer, and so when school starts back no one will have dealings with her because of this. Melinda loses all of her old friends, and is mistreated by the remainder of her peers. In the chapter title "Devils Destroy" it describes a part of the story where there is a pep rally taking place at the high school, and Melinda is bullied by the other students once they identify her as being the girl who call the cops. Being that these mean things continued to happen to Melinda she eventually started to turn the blame on herself as well. 
This is where the internal guilt comes into recognition, and Melinda starts to blame herself for being rape. Melinda starts to think about what she could've did different on that night such as not drink, wondering if she led Andy on in any kind of way, and simply just thinking back to if she actually said the word "no" when Andy attacked her. Melinda not only begins to blame herself for this tragic event, but she then starts to blame everyone else as well besides Andy. Melinda blames her parents for not noticing anything to be wrong, she blames her friends for not asking about what happened that night, and also blames the teachers for not forcing her to speak on this bad thing that happened to her over the summer. I think we all have connected personally with the feeling of guilt. I believe that sometimes we tend to care more about what others think of us instead of putting ourselves first so we kind of just deal with things even if it isn't true just because we want to keep the peace or not look a certain way, but luckily by the end of the story Melinda then realizes that it isn't anyone's fault other than Andy. 
Melinda gains strength to overcome this struggle that she's been holding in, and makes the decision to start speaking on it so that she can prevent it from happening to someone else. Melinda realizes that if she keeps this secret bottled up inside that it was going to eventually kill her and possibly other girls that Andy would've gotten a hold to. Melinda values her life much more than Andy's, so she takes the steps to speak on it which allowed her to grow from it and come out stronger than ever.  
This novel relates with adolescence development because it sums up every issue that teens struggle with in everyday life whether it being about bullies, being an outcast, or holding in a secret that a teen may feel nobody cares about. It also influences adolescents to pay attention to the signs of depression, or to someone who may be dealing with an issue and may need support to get through it. Speak inspires any individual to stand up for what is right, and to bring light to real situations that really do happen no matter how much mainstream sources may try to avoid it or shy away from it. Speak gives individuals who have struggled with pain hope to light being at the end of a dark tunnel because after all what doesn’t kill only makes you stronger. 

Comments

  1. chelseaSeptember 18, 2017 at 7:50 AM

    I agree this book can teach teens the signs of someone going through something tough especially something like rape. I wish there were more text quotes to support your evidence. And I also agree the media shys away from tough subjects.

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