41 pages • 1 hour read
Laurie Halse AndersonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Throughout Shout, Anderson interrogates the role of silence versus speaking both in her own story and for survivors of sexual violence in the United States. For many survivors of sexual assault, including Anderson, speaking out about what happened to them can feel terrifying if not impossible because others may blame the victim for what happened. Many survivors don’t ever tell the truth about what was done to them, and therefore justice cannot be served.
Anderson’s protagonist in Speak, Melinda, is unable to speak after she is raped at a high school party. This plot detail is in part based off of Anderson’s memories and her inability to tell her parents what was wrong, but it also comes from Anderson’s desire to play the “interpreter” for her protagonist. The character of Melinda resonates with Anderson and her readers because many of them have experienced, or know someone who has experienced, a feeling of shame, rage, and sadness that leaves them speechless.
By Laurie Halse Anderson
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