What is Melinda's physical description in Speak?

The first physical description of Melinda emphasizes her lips, which are in bad condition because she is continually biting them. As a traumatized adolescent girl who has been sexually assaulted, Melinda's constant lip biting is a manifestation of her stress and anxiety. Melinda describes her mouth by saying,

"I can't stop biting my lips. It looks like my mouth belongs to someone else, someone I don't even know" (Anderson, 17).

In the section entitled "Hall of Mirrors," Melinda goes shopping for clothes and gives minor descriptions of her physical appearance. The reader discovers that Melinda is not comfortable with her shoe size or weight. Upon entering the store, Melinda says,

"I need a size ten, as much as it kills me to admit that. Everything I own is an eight or a small. I look at my canoe feet and my wet, obnoxious anklebones" (Anderson, 123).

Melinda then offers a brief description of her facial features by saying,

"...I'm supposed to be grateful for a face full of zits, hair in embarrassing places, and feet that grow an inch a night" (Anderson, 124).

When Melinda enters the dressing room, she looks at her reflection in a three-way mirror. Melinda once again describes her physical appearance by saying,

"I hook my hair behind my ears. I should have washed it. My face is dirty. I lean into the mirror. Eyes after eyes after eyes stare back at me. Am I in there somewhere? A thousand eyes blink. No makeup. Dark circles. I pull the side flaps of the mirror in closer, folding myself into the looking glass and blocking out the rest of the store" (Anderson, 124).

Ever since Melinda was raped, she begins wearing baggy clothes and her appearance reflects her inner turmoil. Melinda once again gives a vivid description of her lips by saying,

"I push my ragged mouth against the mirror. A thousand bleeding, crusted lips push back" (Anderson, 125).

Melinda's crusted, bloody lips emphasize the fact that she refuses to speak about being raped and does not talk about her negative emotions. Instead of discussing her issues, Melinda attempts to repress her negative feelings, and it begins to affect her physical appearance.

We are aware from early in the text that Melinda bites her lip, but her first description of herself in the mirror probably tells the reader more about her internal state of mind than her true physical appearance-

Two muddy-circle eyes under black-dash eyebrows, piggy-nose nostrils, and a chewed-up horror of a mouth.

As the social isolation stifles Melinda, her mental torture becomes physical as she finds she struggles to speak-

It's getting harder to talk. My throat is always sore, my lips raw. When I wake up in the morning, my jaws are clenched so tight I have a headache.

Melinda is very conscious of her growing body and views the process extremely negatively-

I need a size ten, as much as it kills me to admit that Everything I own is an eight or a small. I look at my canoe feet and my wet, obnoxious anklebones. Aren’t girls supposed to stop growing at this age?

She realises once she faces the trauma of the summer before, that she can grow, move on and become a woman as she has the strength to acknowledge the past and let it go-

It wasn’t my fault. He hurt me. It wasn’t my fault. And I’m not going to let it kill me. I can grow.

What are some characteristics of Melinda in Speak?

Melinda Sordino, the narrator of Laurie Halse Anderson's novel Speak, is a 14-year-old rape survivor who is deeply confused about how to process her trauma and how to protect other women from her assaulter.

As the novel's title suggests, Melinda loses and regains her voice throughout the book. A sexual assault in itself silences its victim, refusing to hear the victim's "no." Melinda's assault continues to silence her even after the event itself is over, and Melinda speaks only when she thinks it's important. Her self-silencing reflects a lot of her complicated emotions: her shame, her alienation from her peers, her self-harming, and even her confusion about whether she was raped at all. In Melinda's quietness, we see a lot of the uncertainty that is a trademark of adolescence; Melinda's own uncertainty is amplified because of her horrific encounter with Andy and the shadow it casts over her first year of high school.

Of course, while Speak grapples with Melinda's silence, it also sees Melinda finding her voice. On the day she stays home sick from school, she watches talk shows and imagines what the hosts would say to her if she were to appear on the show and tell her story. Oprah and others help Melinda work through her confusion and uncertainty and ultimately help her reclaim her "voice." When Melinda's ex-best friend Rachel Bruin begins to date Andy, Melinda uses her voice to speak up and warn Rachel about the type of person Andy is. Despite the fact that Rachel has been cruel to Melinda throughout the book, Melinda still prioritizes Rachel's safety and well-being over the harm Rachel has caused. Thus, we see Melinda's deep sense of rightness, truth, and loyalty.

Melinda is a complex character dealing with psychological trauma during an already-turbulent period of any person's life. Ultimately, we are left with the impression of Melinda as a strong young woman: a person who is resilient and thoughtful and who uses her voice to speak up even when she'd prefer to stay silent.

Melinda is quiet to the point of being mute, shy to the point of being asocial, and withdrawn to such an extent that she no longer feels any meaningful connection to the world around her. Melinda feels like a misfit, like someone who doesn't belong anywhere, whether it's at school or at home. All of these personal characteristics are a direct consequence of the appalling sexual assault that she suffered which has prevented her from leading a normal life ever since.

Despite her chronic inability to engage with the outside world, Melinda is still possessed of a rich interior life. She has a highly developed aesthetic sensibility and finds expression in her painting. Art provides Melinda with a welcome escape: a sanctuary from a harsh, unforgiving world. It is through art, and only through art, that Melinda is able to express her innermost thoughts and feelings. Melinda is a highly intelligent, articulate girl but because of her deep trauma is unable to reveal her true self to others in the conventional manner—that is to say through words. Art therefore provides her with an outlet through which she can show everyone just who the real Melinda is beneath the reserved, awkward exterior.

Melinda is a traumatized adolescent entering high school who struggles to assimilate into her school's various social groups. Melinda is an intelligent, artistic girl whose true personality fails to fully develop after she is raped at a party that takes place before her freshman year. Melinda is portrayed as a rather sarcastic, cynical, unenthused student who absolutely hates school. The only class Melinda enjoys is art, where she struggles to create a meaningful project. Melinda is also depicted as a reclusive person and spends most of her time alone in the empty janitor's closet at school. She is also an introspective, insightful individual who pays close attention to her surroundings and attempts to sort out her difficult feelings following her traumatic assault. Towards the end of the novel, Melinda depicts her courage and reserve by challenging Andy Evans and finally accepting herself.

Quite simply, Melinda is a fourteen-year-old high school student whose life is dominated by the silence she creates for herself.  She is miserable in her school life and as a result of being ostracised, she publicly appears mute.  Ironically, Melinda has incredible "people-watching" skills that she reveals through her inner monologue.  Through this monologue, the reader finds Melinda to be all encompassing:  serious, intelligent, humorous, and cynical.  Despite all of these endearing qualities, Melinda remains misunderstood.  In my opinion, Melinda is also brave.  It takes a very special girl to call the authorities when friends and acquaintances are drinking illegally.  Her involvement in the illegal activity simply magnifies her bravery (not to mention the fact that Melinda was raped).  Unfortunately, Melinda becomes obsessed with what others think of her; however, she ultimately triumphs through the vindication of helping others through sharing her own experience.  Furthermore, what English teacher wouldn't adore a character who relates to Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter!

A good answer to your question is to list one characteristic of Melinda in the first school quarter and one of her traits from the last quarter.  During the first and second quarters of the school year, Melinda is certainly reclusive. She has withdrawn from others, even her own family.  This characteristic is a direct result of Melinda's rape.  The author infers that before the attack, Melinda was quite social--she has several "good" friends and is excited about attending social events like the party.

Throughout the entire book, but especially during the last quarter, Melinda is witty and sarcastic.  I think that what draws many readers to her character is her ironic sense of humor and her witty observations of her teachers and peers.  These characteristics are partly what helps Melinda survive and eventually overcome her rape and ensuing isolation.

In many respects, the answer to this is dependent on how the reader perceives Melinda throughout the course of the novel. I have my own feelings about the protagonist, but I think you will have to develop your own understanding of her and the characteristics or traits that help to define her.  Perhaps, you could compare how Melinda was before the attack and then afterwards.  In noticing the difference, this might provide some characteristics for you.  Another scenario where her characteristics develop would be in how she views her peers after the attack.  What is she like?  In what does she believe?  How does she perceive her social order?  Answering these questions might give you some other characteristics or traits about Melinda.

What is Melinda's age in Speak?

Melinda Sordino is the fourteen-year-old protagonist of Laurie Halse Anderson's young adult novel Speak. The story opens on Melinda's first day of high school, which she detests. Intelligent, quick-witted, and perceptive—but also quiet and reserved—Melinda has trouble connecting with other people after a traumatic experience over the summer.

It is eventually revealed that Melinda was raped by Andy Evans, a high-school senior, during a party that occurred the summer before she started ninth grade. Afterwards, Melinda became infamous for calling the cops on the party, though no one knows the real reason why she called 911. Melinda doesn't tell anyone about her horrible experience and closes herself off, leading many of her classmates to believe she's weird and antisocial. As time passes, Melinda finds it increasingly difficult to speak at all. She puts all of her energy into her art, which becomes a nonverbal way for her to explore and communicate her painful emotions.

Melinda's age is significant because it adds vulnerability to her character and shows the unique impact trauma can have on adolescent's mental and emotional growth. As a fourteen-year-old, Melinda finds herself in the space between childhood and adulthood and generally unsure of where she fits in. She desperately needs someone to confide in about the assault, yet her parents (and most of the adults in her life) don't take her seriously, leaving her feeling even more isolated. As a result of her age, Melinda's serious depression and anxiety is dismissed as typical teenage angst, and Mr. Freeman is the only adult who seems to sense that Melinda is dealing with a serious issue. Melinda's trauma is also compounded by the anxiety of starting high school, a time of major transition (and stress) for most teenagers.