Speak Literary Journal Two

Speak—Literary Journal Two

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.

Part 1. Reading Response: After reading pages 24-46, respond to the following questions. Use specific examples from the text to support your answers.

1. What happens to Melinda when she attends the pep rally? Why do you think she doesn’t report the harassment to the officials?

She gets bullied—kneed in the back, her hair pulled, threatening looks and comments from other students. She doesn’t report it because she is not ready to talk about what has happened to her yet.

2. What does Melinda reveal about the preceding summer?

It is revealed that there was a party where she called the cops and was nearly arrested, and that lots of other students are angry at her about it.

3. What does Melinda paint the week after the pep rally? Why is this significant?

She paints watercolors of trees that have been hit by lightning. This is significant because it represents the way she feels about herself—like a tree that has been hit by lightning. The lightning symbolizes the traumatic event and Melinda is the tree.

4. What happens when Melinda visits Heather on Columbus Day? What do you think this reveals about Heather?

Heather gets very upset about trying to transition into Merryweather High School. She doesn’t feel accepted by anyone, and uses Melinda as an unwilling shoulder to cry on. Melinda leaves without saying goodbye after spilling nail polish on the floor. This visit emphasizes how different Melinda and Heather are and how different their home lives are.

5. How do Melinda’s parents react about her grades? How would your parents react in a similar situation?

Melinda’s parents react angrily with loud general accusations and threats instead of specific caring questions about Melinda’s grades.

6. Who are the Marthas? Why are they important to the story? Are you or anyone you know a “Martha”? Explain your answer.

The Martha’s are a clan who are dedicated to school events and service. They are snobby and concerned with appearances. They are important because they are a dramatic foil, or strong contrast to Melinda’s character who is the complete opposite.

7. PREDICTION: What will happen between David Petrakis and the Social Studies teacher? Use clues from the current reading to make your prediction.

Part II. Text Examples to Support Themes: After reading pages 24-46, identify specific examples from 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: Observations-

Dysfunctional Family Life: Observations-

Part III. Author Devices: Figurative Language: For each of the following, identify whether the example is a metaphor or a simile, and list the two items being compared.

1. The pad of late passes is a pack of get-out-of-jail free cards.

Metaphor-The pad of late passes/a pack of get-out-of-jail free cards

2. When the other students at the Pep Rally look to see who called the police at Kyle Rodger’s party, Melinda says “a block of ice freezes our section of the bleachers.”

Metaphor-Melinda’s section of the bleachers at the pep rally/a block of ice

3. Dad is Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mom plays Glenn Close. Melinda is The Victim.

Metaphors-Melinda’s dad/Arnold Schwarzenegger and Melinda’s mom/Glenn Close. Melinda/The Victim

4. An animal noise rustles in my stomach.

Metaphor-Melinda’s stomach rumbling/an animal noise

5. The nail polish looks like algae on the floor.

Simile-the spilled nail polish/algae

6. Dad snorts like a bull.

Simile-Melinda’s dad/a bull

7. If Ms. Keen, Melinda’s Biology teacher would cut back on the doughnuts, she would look like a tiny grandmother doll.

Simile-Ms. Keen/a tiny grandmother doll

8. Melinda washes her face until there is nothing left of it. A slick nothing.

Metaphor-Melinda’s clean face/a slick nothing