Speak—Literary Journal Six
Name______
As you read the novel Speak, you will keep a literary journal. For each section entry, you will: 1.complete a reading response 2. provide text examples to support emerging themes and 3. identify author devices such as figurative language. Be sure to look over the Literary Journal Rubric to familiarize yourself with the criteria for each part of the journal entry. Type your answers in complete sentences into this document and then submit to the dropbox. Please type your name on the line above.
Part 1. Reading Response: After reading pages 116-137, respond to the following questions. Use specific examples from the text to support your answers.
1. What consequence comes out of the conference with Melinda’s parents? Why is this the most damaging consequence that could have been chosen?
She ends up in in school detention. It is the most damaging consequence because Andy Evans is also in detention.
2. Describe the interaction between Mr. Freeman and Melinda during the ride to Melinda’s mother’s store. What are two reasons that this interaction is significant to the story?
Mr. Freeman encourages Melinda to talk to him anytime, and lets her know that he would like to hear what she has to say. This is significant because he plants a seed in her mind as a trusted adult. He also says things to her about how she is a good kid, and how she should not worry about small mistakes which helps her start to realize that she doesn’t have to feel so shameful or bad about herself in general.
3. Describe Melinda’s physical appearance as she views herself in the three way mirror. How does her outside appearance reflect her mental state of mind?
She sees her dirty face, cracked lips, and lack of make-up. The three way mirror also splits her body as though it were in pieces, or broken which is how she feels inside.
4. Even though David Petrakis is Melinda’s “hero,” she refuses his offer to go to his house after the ball game. Why does she refuse?
This incident emphasizes the utter lack of trust Melinda has in any boy regardless of who it is. She refuses because of her revulsion about what happened with Andy, and is transferring those feelings to all boys.
5. What happened to Melinda the night of the party? Why is she not “speaking” about it to anyone?
She was raped by Andy Evans. She is worried about what people will think of her, and fears that it was somehow her fault because she was drinking and started out wanting to be with him.
Part II. Text Examples to Support Themes: After reading pages 116-137, identify specific examples f-rom the text to support the emergence of the following themes (two examples per theme). What general observations about these issues can you make based on what is happening in Melinda’s life at this point? How are these issues affecting her? How do these issues affect teens? How do you know?
Isolation and Bullying: Observations-
1.
2
Dysfunctional Family Life: Observations-
1.
2.
Part III. Author Devices: Figurative Language: For each of the following, identify whether the example a metaphor or a simile, and list the two items being compared.
1. “It’s a classroom painted white, with uncomfortable chairs and a lamp that buzzes like an angry hive.”
Simile-the electrical hum of the lamp/an angry bee hive
2. “Dicing bodies and tables and guitars as if they were celery sticks, and rearranging them so that you have to really see them.”
Simile-bodies, tables and guitars/celery sticks
3. “Mother is the rock, I am the ocean.”
Metaphors-Melinda’s mother/a rock, Melinda/the ocean
4. “Art without emotion is like chocolate cake without sugar.”
Simile-Art without emotion/a chocolate cake without sugar
5. “I stumble from thornbush to thornbush—my mother and father who hate each other, Rachel who hates me, a school that gags on me like a hairball. And Heather.” (hint—this example has multiple metaphors, and a similie).
Metaphors-thornbushes/Melinda’s parents, Rachel, school and Heather
Simile-Melinda/a hairball
6. “The moon is asleep and I’m sitting on my porch roof like a frozen gargoyle, wondering if the sun is going to blow off the world today and sleep in.” (hint…there are two examples of personification in this quote—identify them both for 2 bonus points!)
Simile-Melinda/a frozen gargoyle
Personification-The moon is asleep, the sun is going to blow off the world and sleep in