Speak

After Melinda is traumatized by being raped, she loses her voice almost completely. She cannot bring herself to speak, describing a ball in her throat that forms whenever she tries. Melinda’s inability to speak impairs her ability to enjoy her life and connect with peers, teachers, and her parents. It also prevents her from speaking up for herself in moments of need. Melinda’s silence serves as a symbol of her isolation from the world. She slowly finds her voice through artistic expression and vindicates herself when she reveals the truth about Andy and her experience.

Melinda’s silence is a symptom of her trauma. When she was raped, she could not call out for help and froze. This complete and utter silence follows her throughout the year as she constantly relives the moment. She feels like she is being eaten alive from the inside by her secret, but at the same time, she cannot bring herself to tell anyone. It completely controls her until she starts to rise above it. In the book, Melinda places a poster of Maya Angelou over the mirror in her closet at school. Anderson’s choice of Angelou is fitting because Angelou was raped at age eight by her mother’s boyfriend and stopped speaking for five years after her revelation led her uncles to kill the rapist.