Note to Shmoopers:
Rachel: "How do you know what he meant to say? I mean, did [Hawthorne] leave another book called 'Symbolism in My Books'? If he didn't then you could just be making all of this up." (49.11)Speak op...
Snow and Cold and Silence
This connects with the Scarlett Letter too. On a snowy day in Speak, Hairwoman asks the class what snow symbolizes in Hawthorne's book. Melinda thinks, "Hawthorne wanted snow to symbolize cold, tha...
Closets
We thought you might come sniffing around here for our thoughts on closets. You'll find some analysis on closets in "Setting." See you there.
Natural Wonders
Tree? It's too easy. […] I reach in for another piece of paper. […] "Ah-ah-ah," [Mr. Freeman] says. "You just chose your destiny, you can't change that (4.12).Seeds and trees create another ext...
Changing Vision
When Melinda tries to break the ice with Rachel early in the novel, both girls are looking in the mirror in the girl's bathroom. Melinda thinks, "My contact folds in half under my eyelid. Tears wel...
Melinda's Grades
Bad grades aren't always a sign that a student has suffered a trauma. In Melinda's case, it's striking because, according to Mom and Dad, she used to get good grades. Along with the host of other n...