Anderson's Speak: Character Analysis

Throughout our readings we have seen the lessons in young adult literature be given to an alternative character rather than through the main character. One of these examples being from Anderson’s Speak. In her book the main character’s lesson on expressing yourself are told through two particular individuals: Mr. Freeman and David Petrakis. For Mr. Freeman the lesson is told to her when she asks how to express emotion through art. He responds with telling her to “think about love, or hate, or joy, or rage” and that “when people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time” (Speak: 122). While Mr. Freeman focused on the idea and reasoning to express yourself, David looked more at the act of expressing yourself. For after Melinda complained about getting a D for her suffragette report because she did not give an oral presentation over it, David sided with the teacher stating how “you can’t speak up for your right to be silent” because that lets “the bad guys win” (Speak: 159). Yet, even though both Mr. Freeman and David presents the ideas of expressing yourself through art and speaking, Melinda brushes this off until the end of the book when she is attacked by Andy. In Mr. …show more content…
What makes it unique in comparison to Speak is that the narrative authority is given to the narrator of the story which is the main character of the story 15 years later. The lessons Gene gives us is also made in the present day, but does not apply to when he was in high school. An example of this would be his statement made before having his first flashback: “the more things stay the same, the more they changed after all” (A Separate Peace: 14). Though his message talks about how growth can occur even if the future has not changed the events that occurred, these messages are not directly associated with the flashback that make up the