Voice is a writers' distinctive use of language in a piece. Voice can be more determinded by diction(the word choices of the writer) and tone(the writers' attitude toward a subject). Here in the text, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, we see that this story is being told by a fourteen year old girl named Melinda, who is just entering high school with an internal conflict. You can see that the voice in the story is of a teen, for page 6 she states, My english teacher has no face, she has stringy hair that droops on her shoulders... I call her hairwomen. Only a teen would make such a name for an adult. Another example is located on page 15 when she says My room belongs to an alien. It is a postcard of who i was in fifth grade. You can also see that she is dealing with a conflict. Examples of this is located on page 3 when she tells us As we leave the last stop, i am the only person sitting alone. Then on page 8 I see a few friends-people i used to think were my friends-but they look away. This conflict is internal. She will not talk to anyone about her problem, or why her friends don't like her anymore or even tell her friends why they're acting immature and should listen to the truth. You can find parts of her not talking when she's being spoken to and she will not talk to tell her parents or adults why. On page 113 she has a meeting with the principal and her parents because she had been cutting school. They sit there in the office, they want her to speak. Her mother blows up "Why won't you say anything?" "For the love of God, open your mouth!" "This is childish, Melinda." "Say something." "You are only hurting yourself by refusing to cooperate." "I don't know why she's doing this to us." It goes on and on, and yet she sits there not talking. She later says, in her mind, I have no friends. I have nothing. I say nothing. I am nothing.
- What do you think the main difference is between a teenagers' voice and an adults' voice?
- Why do you think Melinda doesn't Speak when she is suppose to? How do you think that would affect her later on?
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