Student Question

What are some memorable quotes from the book 'Speak'?

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Memorable quotes from Speak highlight Melinda's struggle and eventual empowerment. The line "It is easier not to say anything" reflects her silence, while "Let me tell you about it" signifies her breakthrough. Mr. Freeman, the art teacher, provides inspiring quotes like "You must walk alone to find your soul" and "Art is about making mistakes," which support her journey to self-expression and healing.

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The most memorable quotes for me have to do with Melinda's major conflict and its eventual resolution.  Many connect directly with the title.  The first is the last sentence of this quote:

It is easier not to say anything.  Shut your trap, button your lip, can it.  All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie.  Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say. (9)

Quite moving when you consider the title of the novel is Speak.  Equally moving in that regard, is the final conversation of the novel.  Again, it is the final sentence that will remain one of my favorites.

Mr. Freeman:  "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

The tears dissolve the last block of ice in my throat.  I feel the frozen stillness melt down through the inside of me, dripping shards of ice that vanish in...

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a puddle of sunlight on the stained floor.  Words float up.

Me:  "Let me tell you about it."

A phenomenal last line of the novel, most appropriately called Speak.

I maintain the following:  Want to read a great book about teenage angst?  Don't read Twilight.  Read Speak.

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There are any number of memorable quotations throughout the book. Some of Melinda descriptions are her throat, lips, and inability/lack of desire to speak certainly stand out in our minds.

However, some of my favorite quotations in Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak come from Mr. Freeman, the art teacher. In many ways, Mr. Freeman says and represents all the things Melinda wants to do and be. His optimism and "sunshine" help pull Melinda from the brink. Among his more memorable lines:

“You must walk alone to find your soul.” (p. 118)
“Art is about making mistakes.” (p. 122)
“Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting.” (p. 153)

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What are some quotes and page numbers from Speak?

I think that one of the most important quotes in Anderson's work actually comes at the end of it.  When Mr. Freeman talks to Melinda about her ordeal, she says a short line, but it is really important:   “Let me tell you about it."  Melinda being able to say to someone that she wants to talk is the primary driving force of the narrative.  From a world of silence, she has been able to emerge into a realm where her voice can be found and where she is able to "speak."  Her being able to say to someone that she wishes to share her experiences becomes vitally important and the line of "let me tell you" is indicative of this.  Another reason why this is important is because it represents how Melinda's voice is one that must be shared with others.  I think that the idea of remaining silent does nothing except to embolden the aggressors is a lesson that emerges out of the narrative.  In reclaiming her voice, Melinda has been able to develop a sense of voice, a narrative in which communication is reciprocal in that she has to be speak and be heard.  It is in this light where the closing lines of the work become so important in reaffirming both the message and Melinda's own emergence.

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