Symbolism is an effective technique that is used to establish the central theme of perseverance. Symbolism is the use of ideas or objects to represent something more than its original meaning. She struggles to draw realistic trees, frustrated that she cant bring it to life. Near the beginning of the novel, melinda is assigned a tree as her yearlong assignment in art class. Apr 23, 2009 in speak laurie halse anderson uses symbolism in the book expression how melinda is feeling at the moment of the book. Its easier to floss with barbed wire than admit you like someone in middle. When israel conquered canaan under the leading of joshua, the olive tree was a prominent feature among the flora of the land. The practice of making an idol from the trunk of a tree is also referred to in isaiah 40. Laurie halse andersons speak is a novel that makes a definite argument. Symbols and motifs by laurie halse anderson mirrors mirrors are a reoccurring motif for melinda. Tree symbolism ancient meaning of trees the present tree. The symbolism of birds in speak the factors that helped melinda recover. Moreover, branch growth always finds ways around obstacles, and i love the tree symbolism in that.
The tree conveyed to me telepathically that it would protect my creativity until i could honor it myself. This creatures songs bring in the rain, and work his special magic. Anything you find important, you should take notes on, just as you would off. In chinese symbolism, the oak denotes masculinity but also weakness in strength, resilient to life changes and finally broken in the storm, as the opposite of willows and bamboo strong in weakness which bends flexible in the wind and.
This prezi explores the idea of using symbols in literature and in speak by laurie halse anderson. In the book the tree symbolizes that melinda is growing and changing from the start to the end of the book. Jul 21, 2017 laurie halse andersons youngadult novel speak is rich with symbolism. Speak symbols from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. How does laurie halse anderson use symbolism in the book. In the mystical beliefs of the kabbalah, the tree of life is a series of ten interconnected points on a verticallyelongated hexagon that represents parts of the infinite god that creates and maintains. The olive tree is very prominent in israel and in the writings of sacred scripture. While most kids are dealing with acne, really bad crushes, mean teachers, and jammed lockers, melinda sordino has all of these problemsplus one more.
Ahahah, he says you just chose your destiny, you cant change that anderson 12 melinda is. Today you will be learning about the symbolism laurie halse anderson uses surrounding trees. There was one point in the book when melinda was in art class and she was having trouble drawing her trees. Sanctuary introduction to tree symbolism marking period. This power point presentation contains 15 unique slides that all explore the idea of trees as a symbol for melinda in the novel speak by laurie halse anderson. All that crap you hear on tv about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Trees are one of the most prevalent symbols in the novel, appearing in almost every chapter of the book. What is the symbolism of the tree throughout speak.
The colors and images are fun and engaging for middle and high school aged students. Melindas only friend is heather, a new student, who tries to get melinda involved in her schemes to gain popularity. These majestic friends of the earth are so treasured, that since ancient times each one has been honoured with a special meaning. Essay themes and symbolism in speak by laurie halse anderson.
The book speak by laurie halse anderson is about melinda sordino, a ninthgrader in merryweather high school in syracuse, new york. I think melinda was more afraid of what people might think than her fear of what he would do to her if she spoke out against what he did to her. An example of a metaphor from the book speak education. Trees as symbols in speak by laurie halse anderson by ela ms. The speak quotes below all refer to the symbol of trees, seeds, plants, and forests. This shows her progress through her different phases of coping with what happened. In the native american culture tree is highly valued. Trees represent life and growth for the main protagonist in. As a predominantly night creature frog has strong ties to the moon. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of speak by laurie halse anderson. The apple tree is a wonderful tree in many regards.
In the book speak, by laurie halse anderson, it tells the story of melinda sordino and the personal challenges she faces after a traumatic incident during the summer before her freshman year. The tree is described in a twelfthcentury text as the largest and best of all trees, unique, grand and strong. An inexperienced young adult reader might overlook the symbols, so anderson discusses hawthorne and how he used light, dark, and the weather to show the reader how hester was feeling in the scarlet letter. Speak tells the story of melinda sordino, a high school student who stops speaking after she is raped by a classmate at a party. If he didnt then you could just be making all of this up. Meaning of trees the symbolism behind 11 common varieties. Bees bumbled through the air, so stuffed with apple they couldnt be bothered to sting me. May 22, 2015 with their striking spare shape, birch trees have yearround beauty.
The land was describes as a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey. Her final depiction of the tree is artistically successful because she allows the tree to have flaws, and this symbolizes her acceptance of her own weaknesses, and thus her ability to move past them, and love herself in spite of them. Get all the latest spiritual news, spiritual blogs from experts, spiritual videos, healing news and more on speaking tree. In biology, melinda is studying the reproductive qualities of plants, particularly apples. How does the symbol of a tree represent melindas growth. Hopefully, reporting the attacker will make it less likely he or she will hurt you, or. She is unable to speak about the rape and gradually quits talking altogether. Literary devices in speak by laurie halse anderson bartleby. Book summary over the summer, she and her friends went to a party and melinda ended up calling the police, causing her friends and everyone at the party to socially reject her. The symbol that best represents our main character, melinda, is trees.
May 10, 2008 there is a lot of symbolism in this book, and anderson goes out of her way to make the reader aware of it. Melinda and her tree come to life at the same time. Melindas rape permeates the text, with the author using a combination of simile and metaphor. Laurie anderson uses the metaphor of a scarred tree throughout the book to express this pain and deal with the aftermath. I wept for three days after that dream, moved to tears that anyone would honor my creativity, even unsophisticated as finger painting. Symbolism and symbolism in speak, by laurie halse anderson. A tree is symbolic of nurturing energies if it is a fruit bearing tree. In the beginning of the novel, melinda is assigned to draw trees for a yearlong art project. Some parts of the lesson are presenting new information. The symbol from speak by laurie halse anderson would be the tree that melinda has to do for her art project. Perhaps the best way to write this essay on symbolism is to focus on the archetypal aspects of trees and how laurie halse anderson plays on your preconceived ideas about trees symbolism in. It concerns the assault, her recovery, and eventually confession.
Second marking period, peeled and coredwombats rule. In speak by laurie halse anderson trees as symbols in speak by laurie halse anderson directions for this lesson. In the beginning of the year, melinda has a difficult time working with the tree. Laurie halse anderson, who received the margaret a. This is not coincidental, as the tree symbolizes melindas growth throughout the novel. The surprising symbolism of trees in christianity aleteia.
What does the tree symbolize in the book speak answers. To me, the dead limbs that restrain melindas growth as a person is the dead weight that nags at her from deep in her subconscious. The tree with the disease is just symbolism to show what her life. She and david petrakis, her lab partner, core their apples and the scent of apples reminds melinda of being a child and going to an apple orchard with her parents, of a time when the three of them were a happy family. When she was depressed the tree would never come out right and melinda always thought that the tree could be better and that she would finally get it right. Edwards award for her contributions to young adult literature in 2009, published her first novel, speak, in 1999. The symbol of trees, seeds, plants, and forests in speak from. Sep 30, 2012 in the book speak by laurie anderson, almost everything melinda does gives a deeper meaning. The title gives us a pretty big hint as to what this might be. It is great at producing fruit in many of the seasons, depending on what kind of apple tree it is. Free essays on symbolism in speak by laurie halse anderson. One time when i was little, my parents took me to an orchard, daddy set me high in an apple tree. Some of the many ways she uses symbolization include the dissection of the frog in biology, the way melinda draws her trees and when she rakes the. Birds appear multiple times in the text of speak the most memorable of these appearances, of course, being the doomed turkey that melinda s mother attempts to cook on christmas.
Speak by laurie halse anderson quotes flashcards quizlet. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by laurie halse anderson that tells the story of high school freshman melinda sordino. There are many other examples in the book of the role of trees in the mythology of many cultures brosse, 1989. I feel as if the pruning of the tree can be related to many aspects of melindas life throughout the book. This study guide consists of approximately 53 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of speak. Melinda is in charge of making the first slice down the frogs abdomen and as she does so, she has a flashback to the night of her attack, causing her to faint. Symbolism in speak by laurie halse anderson freebooksummary. Speak softly, lest someone think you are merely calling for attention. Second marking period, dead frogsnaming the monster. However, at the beginning of speak, melinda paints her trees that have been hit by lightning and are nearly dead, but not totally. And i believe that the tree symbolizes the struggle of a teen girl trying to make what she has to say matter and the only way to do that is to get strong grow roots, get noticed grow limbs, and speak up. They may all seem like normal everyday things but sometimes its essential to read between the lines.
As the narrative progresses, melindas attempts to draw a tree come to symbolize her ability to move read full symbol analysis birds appear multiple times in the text of speak the most memorable of these appearances, of course, being. The storyline of the book speak by laurie halse anderson is about a sexual assault victim named melinda. Celtic tradition speaks that the oak tree is dedicated to the creator, and is considered a sacred tree. Trees have the power to symbolise, inspire and express our deepest feelings of love, gratitude, protection and happiness. Apple trees can provide their own symbolism as well. How does the symbol of a tree represent melindas growth and. In short, the novel argues that if you are a victim of a sexual assault, you will need to speak about it in order to heal. Outer tree bark protects the whole from potentially harsh cruelties of the world while on the inside there is an intricate system of circulation and energetic flow. Learn about the different symbols such as rabbits in speak and how they contribute to the plot of the book. We can look to native american traditions for further tree meaning and symbolism.
Speak humbly of yourself, lest someone mistake your highest truth for boast. Trees are symbols used throughout the text giving examples of melindas current state of mind. Eitz chaim is a hebrew term that translates literally as tree of life and is used to describe the jewish holy book, the torah itself. What are some examples of symbolism in the book speak.
These trees speak profound spiritual lessons to us all. At the end of the book melinda was happy again and her tree came out perfect and. Speak openly, lest someone think you have something to hide. In laurie halse andersons speak, melindas tree project is used to represent her growth at the end of the book. Oldgrowth elms are traditionally found on college campuses. From the outside, she might have looked like an ordinary girl, but inside she held a secret that had withdrawn her to a life of silence and melancholy. Anderson uses symbolism to illustrate melindas struggle and her eventual emotional growth as she begins to move. It is a joyous celebration of earths nurturing, cleansing and. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Speak study guide contains a biography of laurie halse anderson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
See, for instance, the yggdrasil ash tree fraxinus excelsior. Aug 19, 20 symbolism is all about what you make of it. Jan 25, 2018 the tree can be seen as a symbol of order as it converges into the one, but it can also be seen as order as it separates into the many. From a shamanic perspective frog is a walker between two worlds water and earth. In laurie halse andersons book, speak, she uses an assortment of symbolism throughout the book.
In the book speak by laurie anderson, almost everything melinda does gives a deeper meaning. The symbol of trees, seeds, plants, and forests in speak. As the narrative progresses, melindas attempts to draw a. Verses 14 and 15 speak of worthless idols and images that are only objects of mockery. A tree is a symbol of antiquity and immense and enduring strength. Thank you for your magical properties, and helping me make this connection. Melindas tree art progresses throughout the novel because at the start of the year she would always try to draw the tree onto paper, flat and twodimensional, but towards the middle of the novel she begins trying to sculpt a tree out of a linoleum wood block.
Now, i havent read speak in a while, so i cant think of any of the specific examples. Both isaiah and jeremiah declare the futility and absurdity of making and worshiping idols. All of the art that the author describes is symbolism for her feelings. As readers, the idea of a nearly dead tree should be an. Melinda spends the entire school year trying to turn the image of a tree into art, which involves thinking about the tree in different. Jun 01, 2011 the tree with the disease is just symbolism to show what her life for the past year as a freshman. In the novel speak by laurie halse anderson, melinda is given the task of working with a tree as her object for the year in mr. The novel deals with the aftermath of melindas rape and the obstacles she encounters while trying to. It was like falling up into a storybook, yummy and red and leaf and the branch not shaking a bit. Tree as a symbol in speak by sarah merecicky on prezi.