Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Favorite Speak quote

"My tree is definitely breathing; little shallow breaths like it just shot up through the ground this morning. This one is not perfectly symmetrical. The bark is rough. I try to make it look as if initials had been carved in it a long time ago. One of the lower branches is sick. If this tree really lives someplace, that branch better drop soon, so it doesn't kill the whole thing. Roots knob out of the ground and the crown reaches for the sun, tall and healthy. The new growth is the best part." page 196 I chose this quote from the book Speak because I think this final tree in Melinda's art project shows us how far she has come in many ways, not just art. If you think about it, Melinda's tree has both "dead" parts, but also "new growth," which is also a great way to describe Melinda herself. Though her memory of that terrible night will always stay with her, and her awful memories of her f reshman year, too, there is a lot of hope within her and things are starting to "bloom" for her, in a sense. I like that she also recognizes the roughness and texture of the tree, just like she is beginning to understand the way life has its ups and downs.

7 comments:

cristal said...

I think that tree that u post it really shows that she changed her life around and so did she herself ass in her outside.The tree she yous to draw it will always look dead and scared.

cristal said...

I think that tree really shows that she grew out of her old self.Melinda had change her self and her life around.

AnthonyBC said...

I agree. That quote does show that Melinda grows up and matures and realizes that life isnt so scary or depressing if you just look on the positive and happy side of life, to set goals, to "bloom" and to have a successful future and a happy life with family and friends. I also think that she finds out that what she went through, even though it might not be little, can eventually go away if you dont feed the thoughts and emotions as much.

KillzoneSniper14 said...

THAT sucks for Melinda, freshman year is suppost 2 be the funnest year. hopefully she makes friends in 10th grade .

LindaBestie said...

That's a good quote in the book. I guess I didn't pass by it as well as you did. The explanation of the quote you chose was nice and very very true. It's true that the tree resembles Melinda a lot. It is also true that the night Melinda has been through would probably never leave her memories, but we know that she'll get by it. It use to haunt her, basically throughout her freshman year, but as we can see at the end of the story, it shall not haunt her anymore.

Nataliee' said...

I think this quote explains so much that melinda is feeling inside. something that no one can not understand.

Zelda Girl said...

What would happen if the tree wasn`t the project that Melinda picked but, instead she picked The clown that one of the students picked.... I thought it was a good quote in the book and it really explains about Melinda a lot...