Speak—Literary Journal Seven
Name__________________________________________________________________________________
As you read the novel Speak, you will keep a literary journal. For each section entry, you
will: 1.complete a reading response 2. provide text examples to support emerging themes and 3.
identify author devices such as figurative language. Be sure to look over the Literary Journal
Rubric to familiarize yourself with the criteria for each part of the journal entry. Type your
answers in complete sentences into this document and then submit to the dropbox. Please type
your name on the line above.
Part 1. Reading Response: After reading pages 141-168, respond to the following questions. Use
specific examples from the text to support your answers.
1. What does Melinda learn about Rachel? How does she react? What does she finally do?
She learns that Rachel is dating Andy. She has conflicted feelings—part of her wants to protect
Rachel, and part of her wants to not care because of the way Rachel has treated her. She finally
tells Rachel.
2. What topic does Melinda choose for her Social Studies extra credit report? Explain why this does
not improve her grade. How do you feel about the teacher’s actions? Explain your answer.
She chooses the Suffragettes. She was “supposed” to deliver the report orally but she refuses, so
she gets a D on it.
3. Describe the interaction between Melinda and Andy when he finds her alone in the art room. What
do you think may have happened if Rachel had not appeared when she did? How would you have
handled the situation if you were in Melinda’s position?
Andy toys with her and she is terrified.
4. What happens when Melinda is home sick? Why is this significant?
She starts to mentally work through her shame, guilt and fear about the rape by imagining Oprah
and Sally Jessy as her counselors.
5. Explain the significance of Melinda’s work in the yard. Make a connection with Maslow’s
hierarchy.
She takes the initiative to get something done in the yard—by taking pride in the way her family’s
home looks. It is significant because it shows that she cares about making a contribution to her
family. It shows that she is seeking to move out the the safety needs level to the belongingness level
of Maslow’s Hierarchy—that she wants to start to “belong” to her family. Cleaning up the yard is
an effort to make this transition happen.
Part II. Text Examples to Support Themes: After reading pages 141-168, identify specific
examples f-rom the text to support the emergence of the following themes (two examples per theme).
What general observations about these issues can you make based on what is happening in Melinda’s life at
this point? How are these issues affecting her? How do these issues affect teens? How do you know?
Isolation and Bullying: Observations1.
2
Dysfunctional Family Life: Observations-
1.
2.
Part III. Author Devices: Figurative Language: For each of the following, identify
whether the example a metaphor or a simile, and list the two items being compared.
1. “My house is shrinking and I feel like Alice in Wonderland.” (hint—there are two
examples here)
Metaphor: her house/a shrinking house from Alice in Wonderland
Simile: Melinda/Alice in Wonderland
2. “Her voice sounds like a cold engine that won’t turn over.”
Metaphor: Ms. Keen’s voice/a cold engine that won’t turn over
3. “I tail them, always keeping two bodies between us like detectives on television.”
Simile: Melinda/a detective on television
4. “The best place to figure this out is my closet, my throne room, my foster home.”
5. “A warm moldy washcloth of a month.”
Metaphor-the month/a warm moldy washcloth
6. “He has this ice-cream voice like a kindergarten teacher.” (hint—there are two
examples here)
Metaphor-Mr. Freeman’s voice/ice cream
Simile- Mr. Freeman/a kindergarten teacher
7. “My stomach bubbles with toxic waste.”
Metaphor-The acid in Melinda’s stomach/toxic waste