What is the significance of the title "Speak" written by Laurie Halse Anderson?

Answer 1

In the summer before her freshman year of high school, Melinda Sordino is raped at a party by a popular senior, Andy Evans. Melinda calls the police and they bust the party, but she does not report the rape. When those attending the party find out that it was Melinda who called the police, they refuse to speak to her and Melinda begins her freshman year as an outcast. Melinda's art teacher, Mr. Freeman, asks his students to focus on one randomly chosen topic and make it "say something" by the end of the year. Melinda is assigned the subject "tree."

Over the course of the year, Melinda works to regain some confidence and regain her former friendships. The development of her tree artwork mirrors her gradual regrowth. When one of her former friends, Rachel, begins dating Andy Evans, Melinda works up the courage to begin telling her story, if only in fragments. At the close of the novel, Andy confronts her, but this time Melinda finds the strength to defy him. "I *SAID* NO!" she yells, and this is a major turnaround point for her, as one of the issues factoring into her silence and self-blame was that she was in shock, and couldn't say no.

Answer 2

thats a good book, if ive got the right one!!! (its the one with the girls face and a new born tree)

well, i read it two years ago or something like that , so ill help as much as i can!
so, in the beging area of the book, when shes in the art room and doesnt know what to draw and then theres that story about that party and then got raped i believe by this one guy and then later on he shoves her in the closet and then she screams for help and then hes caught and then when she does her drawing of the young tree...i believe its spose to represent a new beginning, a rebirth type of thing because she cuold finally let it go that she was raped and all because i dotn think she told anyone about it untill "now" and so then everything was lifted off of her and she could restart her life! oh shoot, you wanted the reason for the title...well, i basically told yah i spose>? , but anyways lol, she was raped and alll so then she speaks the truth to her best friend who is/was dating him
hope it helped and made sense lol,
have a good one!

Answer 3

Well it was about the main character wanting everyone to know her secret about that night at the party, she wanted everyone to not be mad at her for calling the cops, and people to like her and understand what she went through. So speak really is a good title because that is all she wanted to do was speak out and be heard for what happened.

(I read the book, but i can't remember her name, Melody or melissa)

Answer 4

The title speak is significant because it is the one thing Melinda desperatly needs to do but can't. It is her pain and her resolve. By not speaking she is hurt because Andy goes free. When she does finally speak she feels impowered and free of the burden of her untold secret.