Name : Ayu Nuri Fransiska

NIM : 16020154018

Class : Academic Speaking

Topic:

The Analysis of Melinda`s Characterization as Reflected in The Novel of Speak

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb . Thank you for coming to this presentation.  I am glad to

see you all. In this opportunity, I would like to present the analysis result of Melinda`s
characterization as reflected in the novel of speak.

First of all, I will explain to you about the detail meaning between character and
characterization itself. In each term of them are quietly different. Gill states in his book stated
that character is generally known as a person in a literary work besides characterization is the
way in which a character is created (127). Therefore, character is only the figure person in
story world that created by the author, however characterization will come to complete it with
the background character, physically description, and even how they think and act in the text.

In this novel, the main character refers to Melinda Sordino and I want to tell you the
background of her problem. In the beginning of the story, we will know that Melinda is a
ninth grade freshman at Merry Weather High School in New York. She actually has many
best friends before. It can be proven when she and her closest friends attend the night party in
the last summer holiday with the seniors and beers. She has lost control and drinks too much.
When she walks outside for getting some fresh air, she meets her attractive senior, Andy
Evans. He successfully makes Melinda to dance and kiss him. Then he also pushes Melinda
to the ground for raping her. According to Litchat website, Melinda gets traumatic by a rape
that occurred at the hands of upperclassman, Andy Evans, at the summer party. Because of
Melinda`s shockness on what Andy does to her, she directly dials 911 without telling her
friends about her problem and the police comes to stop that party. In that time, the entire
school assume that Melinda broke that party and they start to separate her. In that case, Grade
Saver website says that Melinda has less friends and get mad from all of her friends when she
arrives on her first day in ninth grade.

After her problem background, the next is about Melinda`s mental problem.
According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest, National, Network), the nation`s largest anti-
sexual violence, the term “sexual violence’ is an all encompassing, non legal term, that refers
to crime like sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse. That’s why Melinda`s mental problem is
caused by sexual violence which Melinda does not want to accept the rape by her senior. This
term can give the effect for its victims mental. In this novel, Melinda gets two effects that
strongly depict to her, like being an introvert and depressed. Based on Jung`s theory,
Introverts are more comfortable living alone and keeping their social circle limited. This can
be shown after Andy rapes Melinda, she tells that prefer watching cartoons alone than having
time in the crowded place for spending her rest holiday (page 4). Besides, she also thinks that
telling her problem about sexual abuse will make her ashamed and decides to be silent on it.
Then, according to WHO (World health Organization), people with depression normally have
several of the following: a loss of energy, a change in appetite, sleeping more or less, anxiety
and feeling hopeless. As a traumatized adolescent girl who has been sexually assaulted,
Melinda is continually biting her lips which is manifestation of her stressed and anxiety (page
17). Besides, her eyes is drawn like two muddy circle eyes which means she could not sleep
well all the time because of her problem.

In brief, the characterization which depict for Melinda is a traumatic girl of raped
incident by her senior at summer party and it makes her become stressed and depressed in her
life. Luckily, even she cannot speak up for telling her problem, her art teacher can be able to
help her to speak up through releasing the entire problem with drawing creatively.

Reference
First Body :
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/speak/characters/melinda-sordino
https://www.gradesaver.com/speak/study-guide/summary
https://study.com/academy/lesson/speak-by-laurie-halse-anderson-book-summary.html

Second Body :
https://www.rainn.org/types-sexual-violence
http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/en/
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-physical-description-character-melinda-speak-
318011