bullying

Have you ever walked down the hallway in school and noticed someone getting pushed around or even called names? You may think the person doing the hurting is the bully, but in reality the person bullying and the people watching are bullies. In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, a girl named Melinda is bullied for being scared, and alone. In the hallways people watch. Some feel bad and some don’t. but either way, everyone’s the bully. That’s why I believe the theme of this story Is loss of innocence and overcoming difficulties.

Melinda walks everywhere with her head drooping on her chest, because she does not want to be seen or heard. She tried to hide from the world, because she is so alone. I can relate to this story in many ways. I have seen people getting bullied, and I have been bullied myself! Just because you are not the one pushing the victim around, doesn’t mean you aren’t hurting them.

Loss of innocence is the main conflict in this book, she goes to the party obligated to have a good time. Unfortunately some people thought she wanted a better time with them. This ended in a loss of innocence because she was taken advantage of, and slowly her life started heading down hill. Getting pushed around, ignored, and just people are horrible to her in general. But luckily she starts to get better, people start talking to her, until finally she tells the world of what has happened.

Finally she is able to put her sadness behind her and move on to better things, like me, she found out who her true friends were, and who weren’t. Luckily in the end for both of us, we put the bullying to rest.