When I started reading the book Speak I was confused at first with what was going on, but as I got further into the book it started making more sense to me. I didn’t know what was going on and why Melinda was acting so strangely. The novel was really good; it discusses serious issues that are happening in our society today. Rape and bullying have been a big problem in high schools and colleges and both topics are not discussed very much. Both topics scare people. I was scared when I was being bullied, I didn’t know what to do. The boy who bullied me would push my head into the carpet and take my lunch. I finally had enough one-day and started crying when my mom picked me up from school and I told her what was happening. She really supported me and made me feel like none of it was my fault. Part of the problem with these issues is the parents I think. Parents don’t want to believe that their kids are bullies. An article I was reading about bullies even stated that bullies sometimes bully to get attention. It stated that some bullies don’t care about anyone else’s feelings when they are bullying while some bullies don’t really realize they are hurting feelings. Nowadays, bullying is even done through social media sites. Those can be even more harmful I think because so many more people have access to those sites and can see what other people are posting.
Andy Evans chose to rape Melinda because he wanted to feel like he had power over her. Having power over someone never makes you strong--in my opinion, it makes you weak. Rape is never ok. If a girl says no to sex then you should honor that, you should not do it. Parents are responsible for talking to boys, especially about what is ok and what is not. If a girl seems to hesitate then that should be considered a no. Rape puts someone in such a vulnerable position for the rest of his or her lives. A rape victim has to learn to trust again, to heal, to not feel blame or shame, to feel good about him or herself, or to be afraid. Coping with these feelings can really be depressing. I can understand why Melinda didn’t want to tell anyone. She didn’t know whom she could trust or if anyone would believe her. When we see something that isn’t right happening we should unite and handle the situation. She should not sit by and let bad things happen.
Andy Evans chose to rape Melinda because he wanted to feel like he had power over her. Having power over someone never makes you strong--in my opinion, it makes you weak. Rape is never ok. If a girl says no to sex then you should honor that, you should not do it. Parents are responsible for talking to boys, especially about what is ok and what is not. If a girl seems to hesitate then that should be considered a no. Rape puts someone in such a vulnerable position for the rest of his or her lives. A rape victim has to learn to trust again, to heal, to not feel blame or shame, to feel good about him or herself, or to be afraid. Coping with these feelings can really be depressing. I can understand why Melinda didn’t want to tell anyone. She didn’t know whom she could trust or if anyone would believe her. When we see something that isn’t right happening we should unite and handle the situation. She should not sit by and let bad things happen.