Speak Exam Study Guide

Test Date ___________________________

CHARACTERS Melinda, David, Andy, Ivy, Heather, Rachel, Greta-Ingrid, Nicole, Melindas Mom
and Dad, Mr. Freeman, Mr. Neck, and Hairwoman, the Marthas,
Be able to: Describe their personalities and characteristics
Identify the key scenes they participate in,
Evaluate them
EVENTS Recalling, summarizing, and sequencing major events
Including, but not limited to: Melindas flashback triggered by the dissection, Melindas
Christmas present, Melindas slowly growing friendships with David and Ivy, Mr. Freeman
telling Melinda he wants to listen, Melinda hiding mirrors, Melinda looking into the hundreds
of reflections of herself in the mirror at her mothers store and then deciding to be normal,
Melindas depression (suffering social and communication skills, hygiene, grades, physical
activity, etc.), the schools changing mascots, Melindas art project (and how it helps her
express herself), Melinda slowly making positive changes (cleaning, gardening, making
friends, almost winning the tennis match, standing up to Heather), the Melinda 1 and Melinda 2
scene (and what it tells us about how she is recovering from this trauma), Melindas three
attempts of talking (the note to Rachel, writing on the bathroom wall, Rachel and Melinda in
the library), Melinda being afraid for Rachels safety, Melinda fighting back when Andy attacks
her him not being able to speak (role reversal), Melinda revisiting the place of the rape, the
dead tree being trimmed in Melindas yard (and how it connects to Melindas story)
ANALYZING ESSENTIAL MOTIFS and THEMES and THEIR SIGNIFICANCE metal,
mirrors, hunter-hunted (beast-bunny rabbit), Andys on-going transgressions and violations against
Melinda, trees, alternatives to speaking, Melindas scabbed lips and soar throat,
KEY IDEAS Melinda doesnt speak because she is not ready to tell what happened to her she does
not even recognize it as rape for most of the book; she is also afraid of peoples
reactions that they wont listen, of that they wont believe her, or that they would
blame her
Melinda spends most of her year trying to ignore what happened to her, which doesnt
help her cope at all; when she eventually realizes that this is not working for her, she
slowly starts making positive changes to recover
Melinda gets depressed as a result for not speaking out about what happened to her
this is what the book is about Melinda getting to the point where she is able to talk
about it
Because Melinda does not speak up for most of the book, she is letting Andy Evans get
away with what he did to her he holds all the power
Melinda grows and develops throughout the book, just as her tree illustrations do
LITERARY TERMS Recognizing literary devices in use
Alliteration, Allusion, Symbol, Figurative Language, Imagery, Irony, Metaphor, Personification,
Simile, Voice / Tone, Organization
THINGS WE HAVE DONE IN CLASS TO REVIEW:
The 1-2-3-4 Draw a line; the storyboard; the Literary Devices worksheet; Bingo!; Flyswatter; the
crossword puzzle; the Character Impressions sheet; the K-W-L; the Summarizing and Sequencing
sentences strips into the book; (Carousel); brainstorming and essay writing;