Speak

Speak

Valerie R. Vestal, MSN, RN

Speak is based on the novel Speak by Laurie Hause Anderson about a young girl who suffers a traumatic event and decides to become mute. The movie describes her struggles and isolation from her peers. I choose to watch the movie to be able to use it as a teaching tool for patients who have been victimized and sexually assaulted. The movie provides an opportunity to investigate hidden meaning and   symbolism.  One of my favorite examples of the use of symbolism is when Melinda says “ Why can’t people just say what they need to say? She is referring to  Hawthorne’s symbolism. What is he afraid of would they put a Scarlett letter on his chest in which S means straight forward. The story also has several significant examples of adults who are uncomfortable with other people who have opinions and speak out. The film also explores art as a tool to communicate ones thoughts and inner feelings.  The movie provides a lot of material for facilitators and health care professionals, but can be a bit slow at times.  Material is suited for a life time movie.

Discussion Questions

What is the significance of the title speak? The significance of the title” Speak” is that much of Melinda’s emotional distress is a result of her inability to speak up for herself. She finally gains some inner peace and resolution when she is able to share the incidence of the rape.

1.       Was the main character in the film raped? Yes, Melinda was raped. She struggles to get away from the senior and he doesn’t release her. He tries to persuade her to be quiet.

2.       What did Melinda want from the senior?  Melinda wanted to be included and to belong. The senior wanted to use the senior for his own pleasure, with little or no regard to her feelings.

3.       Ho w did the senior groom Melinda? The Senior groomed Melinda by flattering her. He told her “ your too beautiful to hide in the dark. He show her affection and loaded her with alcohol.

4.       What power differences do you see between the two characters?  The senior is aggressive, and Melinda is passive aggressive. Melinda demonstrated her passive aggressive by not speaking. The senior demonstrated his power through the aggression of rape.

5.       How was Melinda re-victimized after the offense? Melinda was re-victimized after the offense because all of her friends alienated themselves from her because they didn’t understand the reason she called the police.

Trees

1.       What might Melinda’s drawing of a tree look like? I imaged Melinda’s tree would be a tree in winter. In winter trees are barren and unprotected from the harshness of the weather.  Trees with out leaves are also naked. He striped her naked. Melinda initially told her teacher her tree would be firewood. Get it she asked? My thoughts on the meaning of her tree being firewood is that

2.       Melinda’s art teacher tells Melinda, if something is eating you, you have to find a way to use it. Melinda is finally painting a picture of a tree, it has a broken branch. Why is this important?  Melinda painting a picture of a tree with a broken branch is important because after she is victimized and feels like an outcast she refuses to talk. Her artwork is a way for her to express the brokenness she feels.

3.        How do Melinda’s drawings of trees change throughout the movie? What does the change of tree of the tree symbolize? Melinda’s tree initially symbolizes death. Most often trees are symbolic of life, but Melinda initially draws dead trees because she feels as if she is dying inside by hiding the details of her rape. Once she begins to open up she heals and her trees begin to demonstrate life. She regains life by opening up.

Speak

1.       Name three changes you see in Melinda’s lilfe as a result of what happened to her.

a.       Her grades dropped

b.      She lost her friends

c.       She became depressed

2.       Melinda wrote a paper about people speaking out. The consequence was that they went to jail. What might Melinda be afraid of is she spoke out. Melinda could be afraid no one would believe her. She could also be afraid people would think it was her fault.

3.       How was Melinda finally able to express herself? Melinda was finally able to express herself through art.

The Closet

1.       Melinda used the closet as her safe place at school. What might Melinda being in the closet represent? The janitor closet which Melinda hides in can be seen as a symbol of her own mind. A hiding place that she feels relatively safe in.

2.       Melinda brings the art teacher into the closet. What is she really bringing him in to? When Melinda brings the art teacher into the closet she is bringing him into her private world. She has been guarded up until this point.

3.       When Andy comes into Melinda’s closet what is he doing? When Andy comes into Melinda’s closet he is trying to intimidate her and hurt her for opening up about the rape.

4.       The light comes on in the closet as it opened by people coming to save Melinda. What happens her for her? Her peers eyes are opened to the truth and the rape

The Scarlett Letter

1. The Scarlett Letter is a story about a woman who becomes pregnant by a minister in the community whom she is not married to. She must wear a red letter A on her sweater for the rest of her life. What do you think this was like for the woman in the story? I would suspect it is humiliating.

2.How might Melinda see herself as similar to the woman in the story? Melinda could see herself as labeled like the woman in the Scarlett letter.