Melinda's Mom

Mom -- what does that word mean to you? To most daughters, and even some sons, it would be someone they tell everything to, someone they can trust, and someone who is their 'best friend'. To me, and Melinda the main character in Speak, it is just a person living in our house with us who may or may not say anything to us, but it's like we know they love us but just can't show it. Melinda's mom is a lot like any other kids parents, whether it is their mom or their dad. I think the author made this character to try and connect better with their audience. 

Melinda's mom always feels like Melinda is 'trying to pull something.' Well, let's be honest here -- how many kids have ever tried to pull something over on there parents, or hide something from them? I know for a fact we have all done it whether your the 'perfect' kid, or not. I know when I try and pull stuff it usually turns into a whole big argument about why I don't want to tell my mom things. Which to me seems like what Melinda is going through too. But, her mom doesn't only do that, she argues with her husband a lot which I never really understood, but to me it looks like family problems, just in not a really big way. 

Her mom also seems like she is trying to force happiness, all of the time. Like during Halloween, when she opened the door to hand out candy you could tell that she wasn't thrilled about what was going on. She also smokes, which so do both of my parents, and I feel like that is something people do when they are upset or stressed. Which to me is kind of like unhappy. I feel like Melinda's mom, may get some if not most of her stress from either Melinda, or her job. I feel like these are the reasons, because she is constantly thinking about work, and she had to go into work on Thanksgiving, which is what really sucks about working retail, even for your family. My dad used to work in retail, and he would have to work every holiday which really sucked because we had to enjoy it without him. I also feel like Melinda could be part of her stress, because she is trying so hard to connect with her, but it just isn't working and it is making her frustrated, which must be how most parents feel when they are trying to get through to their kids and it just isn't working. 

Most kids have at least one parent like this, if not both parents, and if you don't have a parent like this your lucky. My parents aren't always like this, but they both have their moments. But, you also have to take the ups with the downs, and if you expect your life to be perfect, you better keep dreaming. 

Butterfly

Author's Note: I usually don't write author's notes because I believe that what I write should be able to tell you it's story on it's own, and not need support from an author's note. But, this one needed a little bit of explaining. In Language Arts class, we went down to the library and looked at all of the art projects. Mrs. Reagles told us to find a piece that spoke to us. Surprisingly I found my best friends art piece the one that spoke to me the most. It was a butterfly in a hand, and it was just so simple that it got me thinking about how simply things can be, if you just let them be and stop worrying. I hope you enjoy this piece!

It's the simpleness of holding a butterfly in your hand that can make you think of so many things.

It makes me think of everything I was in life before now.

Where I used to be, to what I am now; how simple things were.

It's simple, because everything doesn't have to be elaborate.

It's simple, to the point where it tells a story all on its own.

It's simple, to the point where everything about it is simple.

The story is simple.

The piece is simple.

So, why can't everything just be as simple. 

Analysis on Speak Movie to Book

Throughout both the movie and the book, the author and the director, both did a great job trying to get the point across. But, some of the scenes that were in the book and not in the movie really bothered me. There were some key scenes in the book that helped you better understand the whole message. In the beginning of the movie they added a scene in that wasn't in the book. This really bothered me because I partly understood why they put it in there, but on the other hand I also was very confused at why they would have added that. I think I liked the beginning of the book Speak a lot better than the beginning of the movie. I think this is because the book was just more explanatory than the movie, and even though you got the point in the movie in the book you get it even more. 

Also, I wanted to see Melinda do the mirror thing at the beginning of the book, where she put the mirror in her closet. I feel like this was a very important part of the book that wasn't shown in the movie. But, in the movie she is actually looking herself in the mirror and then her mom comes in the room which is something that I didn't really like. Another thing I really wanted to see too, was that she never did the basketball free throws, I don't know why this bothered me so much but it did. It almost felt to me like something they just didn't think was that important but actually was. These were some things that really bothered me between the movie and the book that was almost aggravating at points, when they didn't show the things I wanted them to.