Growing

In Laurie Anderson's Speak Melinda is constantly using a tree for her art project, but she cannot convert it into a good feeling. With her inabilaty to grow Melinda has a tough time trying to fit in with the other High Schoolers. With no friends and nobody who cares about her how can she grow?

Melinda starts off as a happy 8th grader with great friends and a happy life, everything starts off romantically and excellent, but then it all flips. Melinda is now at the bottom of the trench. All of her friends have abandoned her and nobody will speak to her. Now she is the girl who crashed the big party, but then she meets Mr. Freeman who lets her express her feelings through art.

Mr. Freeman started off the year, by having everyone pick an object out of a hat that they had to draw in every piece for the rest of the year. When it was Melinda's turn she picked out a tree. Throughout the year Melinda struggled to put her tree into a happy state. She could not put leaves on her tree, without any leaves on a tree it leaves it in a depressing state. With no leaves on her trees it clearly represents her. Melinda is a person who has no leaves, no personality, no friends, and no room to grow.

Melinda's room is supposed to be home to a 5th grader. This is Proof that her trees also represent her. It clearly represents her inability to grow as a person. I believe that Melinda felt dead inside like dried out falling leaves, but remains still clinging on to the branches of a tree, still hanging onto reality.

When you look at how closely a tree represents her it makes sence how messed up her life is. When you look at a dead tree almost no one would like to have it in their yard, so why would someone want some broken down, dried up girl as a friend? If Melinda wants to be more social, and have friends she has to realize where she is in life and grow from there.