Speak: Sybolism

     During our group discussion that happened a few days ago, we discussed about friendship. We talked about how important friendship it is and how it can lead to many changes upon our feelings. Her parents support is partly the cause of Melinda's struggles and how they don't care much about her feelings. The struggles that Melinda is going through might be the disappointments in life and the unhappy things that she is not able to look past. We also talked about the importance of symbolism and how it can show how Melinda is thinking.

     In the point where Heather doesn't want to be Melinda's friend anymore. We though that this has a lot of impact on Melinda herself. Heather might have another reason to break up with Melinda and we think that Heather still wants to be Melinda's friend in the inside, but in her heart, she want to fit in with the Marthas. Heather would stick a note in Melinda's locker saying, "Thanks for understanding" and give back a gift that she received. This symbolizes that Heather doesn't want to leave Melinda and make her feel regret.  She gives back a present that she has received from Melinda, so that she could make a new friends that was more better than her. Heather doesn't want Melinda to be trapped within her and she wants her to move on. In the leaving of Heather, Melinda has finally realized how important friendship is and the need of having someone to talk to and and for support. In the beginning she would think of friendship as a accessory that she could throw out, but now she feels like one of them that has been throw out. In that moment she has learned that friendship is all about care and that she will appreciate the meaning of friendship.

     We then talked about the importance of art and the meaning behind pictures and images. We thought that Melinda can express her feelings toward her paintings. Even though as might she can not describe the meaning of the picture that she has creates, Mr. Freeman is able to tell the meaning back to her and it is as she has imagined. At times, Melinda would see a image of happiness in her mind that she might want to draw, we think that she want to look towards the place where she might be able to fit in with the crowd. It can say that she has learned to put little bits of pieces of her past away and look toward the road ahead. The past can never be changed and that for the mistakes that you make, you can never change it, Melinda has learned to think this way and learning to accept them and create a new future.