As a coming of age novel, Speak has a strong focus on adolescence and the problems and desires associated with it. Despite Melinda's unusually traumatic experiences, almost every reader can connect to the world she lives in. Melinda lists the cliques that the ninth grade class has broken into: "Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, the Marthas, Suffering Artists, Thespians, Goths, Shredders" , familiar high school groups. Many readers will also understand Melinda's feeling of adolescent social isolation. Her negative reactions to certain aspects of the school day, such as gym class("Gym class should be illegal. It is humiliating" ) and lunch ("Nothing good ever happens at lunch. The cafeteria is a giant sound stage where they film daily segments of Teenage Humiliation Rituals. And it smells gross" ), are not unique to someone suffering from post-traumatic stress. Furthermore, Melinda exhibits a typical adolescentreaction to authority figures and rejects them by giving them ridiculous nicknames. …show more content…
During the summer, a terrible incident occurred at a party, after which Melinda had called the police. The other kids thought she was just trying to ruin the party. Neither they nor the police--nor even Melinda's parents--would listen to her, to learn why she had called. So Melinda decides that since no one will listen to her, she will just stop talking.There is not one main idea, or theme, of the book; there are several. One theme is alienation/isolation. Melinda is alienated from the other kids in her school, and she isolates herself even more. Another theme is secrecy. The thing that is hardest for Melinda to speak about is the secret that she keeps after the party. Read the eNotes section on themes for more.Visit the links below for more