Friendship
The book Speak has the many themes but the primary theme revolves around friendship. The main character, Melinda, struggles through many challenges and phases in her high school life. Throughout the year, the experience she has gone through has helped her grow and evolve in a way that changes her. Her experiences (good and bad) shape her and she becomes more of a woman because she learns and understands things that an average teenager would not normally experience until they reach college or adulthood.
The friendship theme is central to the story and Melinda has three main friends in the book, Heather, Rachel and Ivy.
The friendship theme is central to the story and Melinda has three main friends in the book, Heather, Rachel and Ivy.
Hatred
Hatred is a big part of the book Speak. Melinda experienced a lot of hatred during the school year. For example, on the first day of school, Melinda had to face pure humiliation when she tripped at lunch and all of her food went all over her clothing. Also she felt intense pain when she went through something that no other girl should go through. Especially when someone or people turn on you and do things that scar you for your entire life. Melinda isn't the only one that went through hatred. Andy and Rachel have gone through hatred as well. Andy has to face hatred from the entire school because of what he did to Melinda. Rachel has to break up with Andy and apologize to Melinda about being right about Andy.
Growing Up
Melinda had a lot of maturing in this book. She has to grow up more than anything that you can imagine. She has to learn to read between the lines about the aspects of life. Melinda had an experience that changed her high school life. From this experience she learned a lot as well as her knowledge thickened. Melinda also had a real life crisis about being the school mute. She went through being the bigger person and calling the cops and did not regret her actions that she made that night.