Speak: Withhold The Truth

     In the discussion we had in class, we discussed some great changes that Melinda has gone through. She is slowly standing up for herself a step at a time. We talked about how her inner self have soon come out and that she has become more confident with herself. She then starts to care for her friend Rachel and shares the story with her about the night she got raped. Melinda starts out as a girl that wasn't able to stand up for herself and gradually changed back and learned to go beyond her past.

     We talked about how Melinda was brave enough to stand up for her own beliefs. She says, "I am willing to stand up for what I believe. No one should be forces to give speeches. I choose to stay silent." (Anderson 156). We though that at this moment, she has started to be more confident. Even though she didn't speak up, this was the first step to speaking up. David then says to her that she can't make a difference when she can't speak up for herself. I agree with David and her statement and we discussed that when you don't speak up, you won't be able to win. To gain your rights, you have to let your voice out and lets others know. This is something that Melinda is still missing.

     As we keep discussing, we talk about her relationships with Rachel. We discussed how Melinda wants to protect Rachel to the upcoming events with Andy. Melinda doesn't want Rachel to be like her and get raped without knowing what to do afterwords. Melinda develops a second personality that tells her whether she should help her ex-friend Rachel or just let her be. I think that her real personality has come up. We talked about how Rachel was the first one she told her story to. This determines how important Melinda think of Rachel and that even though Rachel isn't her friend anymore, she doesn't want her to go through a time of silence.

     We also talked about how Melinda's paintings represent her life and the trees that she draws. One day, Mr.Freeman would say that her tree is ordinary and average and tells her that nothing is perfect. Well we thought that Mr.Freeman was trying to tell Melinda that she is more than a ordinary girl and she could do much more than what is beneath her. He wants her to show her true personality out and think that she is much better than what she thinks she is; expressing herself. We also talked about how she has learned to cover up her mistakes and move on. This is when she realized that her past in not important anymore and she will start a new life and start over again.

     There are lots of topics that we discusses about, and there is too much to write in just one blog. I think that this book really spoke up to me and I had a wonderful time reading it.