At first, it seems like this is a straightforward question. As other Educators have already laid out, there appears to be a series of events that have to take place for Speak to make sense. Without the assault at the party, the cops, Melinda’s truancy, and the attempted assault in the janitor’s closet, Speak would not be what it is. It would be a different book. That’s why you could claim that all of those events are major. The structure of Melinda’s journey relies on them.
However, there might be a subjective way to think about major events in Speak. “Major” might mean something like “moving” or “meaningful.” Meaning is not so objective. In this light, the “major events” are a personal choice and dependent upon the reader.
Maybe a reader is particularly riveted by Melinda’s lab partner. In this case, her relationship with David might constitute a major event. Perhaps another reader is fond of art. In this instance, Melinda’s discovery of Picasso might constitute a...
(The entire section contains 4 answers and 975 words.)
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