Rape in the Book Speak Essay - 1166 Words

Psychologists usually agree that the teenage years are among the most difficult periods in one’s life. Most teens are trying to figure out who they are, what they believe, and how they fit into the world around them. Beginning in the late 1970’s, a whole genre of fiction, referred to as coming-of-age literature, emerged and serves, at least for many teens, as believable presentations of young people learning to navigate the difficulties of their lives, often fraught with feelings of rejection, seemingly unresolvable personal turmoil, social problems, school and family issues, etc. Indeed one value of reading is to see and better understand some aspect of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book†¦show more content†¦A trait that stands out in the book is the symptom of bodily memories. In Melinda’s case, during a frog dissection in her science class, she remembers the opening up and even says, â€Å"She doesn ’t say a word. She is already dead. A scream starts in my gut – I can feel the cut, smell the dirt, feel the leaves in my hair.† (81). One of the other symptoms that Melinda has is self-harm. The first time that this is shown in the book, Melinda says this, â€Å"I open up a paper clip and scratch it across the inside of my left wrist. Pitiful. If a suicide attempt is a cry for help, then what is this? A whimper, a peep?† (87). Melinda also has a hard time talking to her parents about the rape to which she says, â€Å"How can I talk to them about that night? How can I start?† (72). Some victims recover from such a traumatic experience, while others don’t and live a lifetime of depression and must undergo intense therapy. In Melinda’s case, she finds redemption by talking to her parents and the guidance counselor, and putting her faith into her teachers, friends, and her art project at school. Because rape can affect anybody anywhere, e veryone should be aware of the circumstances, and how to deal with it. Another large part of Melinda’s life is her journey on learning how to trust, and being able to know who is trustworthy. Some of the people that need your trust the most are the people you are around the most like your teachers, parents, family, and friends. A large part of trustShow MoreRelatedRape, Violence, And Feminist Networks894 Words   |  4 Pagesa lot of discussion of rape within sociologists, criminologists, and feminist networks. In my own words, rape is someone engaging with someone else sexually without their consent. Rape is not strictly vaginal penetration, nor an exclusive heterosexual only act. If two people are in a relationship or married, there is still no justification to the perpetrator for their act. In the 21st century, although rape crimes have dropped 24.1% from 2001 to 2010, but not all rapes are reported (Eitzen, ZinnRead MoreResilience in the Book Speak Essay1156 Words à ‚  |  5 Pagesunderstand some aspects of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book because of its subject matter – rape--, is a worthwhile endeavor in any middle school classroom and offers many valuable life lessons to young teens. Resilience is a key life moral for one to learn that is essential to a successful life. It is one of the main lessons that can be extracted from the novel SPEAK. The definition of resilience is the ability to get back on the right pathRead MoreThe Effects Of Sexual Assault On Children1201 Words   |  5 Pagesrelate to this because I feel that the author captures the pains and troubles of everyday high school life with honesty and emotionally.The characters are relatable and the book is honest. This is an important book for the content and message it presents. It gives a lot of insight about troubles these victims have faced and speaks volumes about them dealing with issues. It is important for girls and they need to be aware and watchful and to also be compassionate if they know someone who has gone throughRead MoreMaya Angelous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesMaya. He does not rape her but rather masturbates on the bed while holding her close to him. Afterward, he threatens to kill Bailey if Maya ever tells anyone, but Maya, who does not understand what has happened and who actually enjoyed being held by someone, cannot understand what caused such a threat. For weeks, Mr. Freeman ignores her, and then molests her again. Again, he ignores her for weeks. Maya feels rejected and hurt, but she loses herself in other things, such as books. She wishes she wereRead MoreMen Let Me By Rebecca Solnit Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesThis book review is on the book, Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit, which was published in 2014. Rebecca Solnit writes a book of essays that interprets the silence that women hold towards men in their everyday life. Young women must know the reality that we do not live a fairy tale life where women are treated as royalty by their husband or boyfriend. Women are treated as objects in where men could play with them as if they are dolls, whom they pay attention to whenever they would like toRead More A Young Adult ( Ya ) Novel, By Laurie Halse Anderson1667 Words   |  7 Pagescould be to be a high school teenager, as they try to develop mentally and physically to find their identity. The first thing that Anderson does is evident in the beginning of the book, when she makes each chapter flow through Melinda’s time as a freshman in high school. She does this by dividing the time in the book by marking periods. Doing this allows the readers to feel like they’re in high school with Melinda, which allows the audience to better understand where they are in terms of the schoolRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1357 Words   |  6 Pagesdefinition: â€Å"the advocacy of women s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes† (Oxford dictionary). In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood explores feminism through the themes of women’s bodies as political tools, the dynamics of rape culture and the society of complacency. Margaret Atwood was born in 1939, at the beginning of WWII, growing up in a time of fear. In the autumn of 1984, when she began writing The Handmaid’s Tale, she was living in West Berlin. The Berlin Wall hadRead MoreThe Stereotypical Gender Ring : Bella Swan s Indifference Vs. Rosalie Hale s Proactivity932 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch project I have decided to choose a character from a popular book series, Twilight which was written by Stephenie Meyer. The forbidden love story between a plain human girl and a gorgeous vampire boy sparked the hearts of millions, but the singular character I’m conducting my research on is Rosalie Hale. While Bella Swan, the main character is passive, Rosalie Hale is proactive. This is shown through her avengement of her brutal rape, rescuing her later husband, and speaking her mind frequentlyRead MoreSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson1149 Words   |  5 Pagesseemingly unresolvable personal turmoil, social problems, school and family issue s, etc. Indeed one value of reading is to see and better understand some aspect of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book because of its subject mater – rape --, is a worthwhile endeavor in any middle school classroom and offers many valuable life lessons to young teens. One of the many lessons, and Melinda’s main focus at school, is art. Art is not only a hobby, butRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini929 Words   |  4 Pages The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a tragic tale of guilt and redemption. The book details the life of Amir as he wrestles with the guilt of seeing Hassan raped, and later redeems himself by helping Hassan’s son Sohrab cope with extreme abuse at the hands of Assef. While some would argue the main theme of the book is redemption, I believe that the theme is simple: the past does define us, but it is through the past that we find ultimate significance. Clearly through the journey of Amir, Hosseini