Speak essay

Hiding away in a janitor’s closet is one way Melinda can be herself. With every new drawing she comes into contact with what she is good at and her inner self. Her turkey-bone sculpture, her millions of drawings of trees, her scented jars that never got rid of the cleaner’s scent. This was the place where she could be alone and confess her thoughts to herself, because there was nobody else there. The closet is the very image of seclusion itself. She is in shock from what happened to her during that party, and she needs to admit to herself that it happened and she will be scarred until she accepts this and speaks out about it. This transformation would never start if two things hadn’t happened in her life. The first was this place of solitude, and the second was the Art teacher who taught her how to speak without words.

She finds refuge in her closet, and stays there for almost all the book. But one day, her egg cracks and she doesn’t want to be in the closet anymore. She wants to get out a bit more, and actually participate in the fun of having friends.

His name is rather fitting. Mr. Freeman is the art teacher that showed Melinda to express herself freely to others, through turkey bones and countless drawings. It is his name and that way he helps Melinda that makes me think she gave him that name. He is his own man, hindered only by the school board who is a second away from cutting art from the budget forever. Yet that doesn’t stop him from teaching his students to be free to do anything they can reach to do. But he doesn’t get to Melinda very fast. But as her grades drop lower and Andy looms nearer and nearer, she needs to figure out how to deal with this.                

 Melinda was a tough one. She was hardened by years of hardly cooperating parents, and the party incident sealed her up for a good bit. But with the influence of Mr. Freeman on her side and the safety of her closet to escape to, she decides to trust others and most importantly, trust herself.