Theme of Overcoming Obstacles in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderon Essay Example

"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it" (Molière). To discuss overcoming obstacles using Speak by Laurie Halse Anderon. The first argument is that Melinda must speak up to overcome the conflicts she experiences. Heather is one character Melinda encounters conflict within the novel. Following this, Melinda has to overcome her trauma as she deals with the people in her life. Lastly, many symbols showcase Melinda's lack of identity and her need to overcome these obstacles. To develop a strong identity, one must overcome the obstacles in one’s life.

Melinda must speak up to overcome the conflicts she experiences. Heather is one character Melinda encounters conflict within the novel. Heather comes to Melinda’s house uninvited and begs for her help. Heather presumes that Melinda would agree and attempts to make Melinda redecorate her room. Melinda does not let Heather use her again. Melinda speaks against Heather stating, "that [is] not what I mean, I mean no, I won’t help you" (Anderson 179). Melinda shows her growth when she says no to Heather. That takes the courage out of Melinda. Considering Melinda barely speaks to anyone. Melinda realizes that she needs to use her voice. Since using her voice, she has been  able to overcome her conflict with Heather. Without Heather, Melinda could find her own identity. Not what Heather wanted her to be. Secondly, Andy is an important character, Melinda experiences conflict during the book. Melinda is in her closet at school, taking down her poster and some sculptures. Andy blames Melindas for why Rachel broke up with him, then tries hurting her again. Melinda finds her voice and "screams… [she] screams loud enough to make the whole school crumble" (194). That is a good change in how Melinda acts when near Andy. Melinda fights against Andy when he tries to rape her again. She speaks up, yells, and pushes him away. Melinda grows and learns to use her voice. Doing this helps Melinda escape Andy. Since the lacrosse team and Nicole found her. Even without the lacrosse team’s help, Melinda was still able to fight back. She even grabbed a piece of shattered glass and held it against his neck. To conclude, by using her voice, Melinda was able to overcome the conflicts she encountered and grow. 

Melinda has to overcome her trauma as she deals with the people in her life. Andy is a character that affects Melinda drastically. Melinda is in Mr. Freeman's classroom and is adding her final touches to the tree. Melinda accepts that "IT happened," and she "can grow" (198). Melinda overcame the trauma of Andy and her rape when she admitted it. Melinda realizes it was not her fault. Melinda's guilt of not telling people and just the rape, in general, was holding her back. Without the baggage of it, she can overcome it and grow. Next, Rachel represents a character that Melinda overcomes. Melinda is in her closet. Melinda notices the poster of Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou encourages Melinda to tell Rachel about Andy. Melinda understands she "need[s] to do something about Rachel" or at least she has "to try" (152). Rachel has caused Melinda trauma. When Melinda gathers up courage, she tells Rachel about what Andy did to her. Melinda learns that even though Rachel treats Melinda unfairly, she does not want to see her hurt like she was. Melinda is growing into a mature woman. By Melinda overcoming the trauma she faces with the people in her life, she can improve.

Many symbols showcase Melinda's lack of identity and her need to overcome these obstacles. Melinda’s room symbolizes a lack of identity. Melinda is in her room and notices that her room is more of her past self. Melinda believes that her "room belongs to an alien" (15). Melinda’s room symbolizes her past self. The quote is saying that her room has no identity. It does not show who Melinda is because, at this point, Melinda does not know who she is. The room is pieces of her old friends and happier self. Since Melinda has lost all of her friends, the room does not feel like her room anymore. Melinda has a lack of an identity at this point in her life. Furthermore, mirrors showcase Melinda’s self-loathing. Melinda is in her room and is looking at her reflection. Melinda feels like her "mouth belongs to someone else, someone [she] does [not even know" (17). The mirror symbolizes Melinda’s self-loathing. She points out all her flaws when she looks at her reflection. She hates how she looks. Melinda is insecure about her appearance and herself. Melinda has a lack of identity in her mind. She also now believes her appearance does not belong to her. Melinda needs to overcome this to develop a strong identity. 

One needs to overcome challenges in one's life to establish a strong identity. First of all, to resolve the conflicts she faces, Melinda should first speak up. Then, while Melinda deals with the individuals throughout her life, she must overcome her trauma. Finally, Melinda's lack of identity is reflected in various symbols, as does her need to overcome these challenges. Anyone can overcome an obstacle with enough persistence.