Quest for Identity after a Trauma in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak

Abstract

The novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson deals with the self-oppression of a teenager Melinda Sordino due to the sexual assault she was forced to undergo. The story is read through the lens of the narrator's evolution from victim to survivor and offers a realistic view of the same. This paper aims to provide a perspective of healing where the protagonist discovers her identity post- trauma. In addition to understanding the survivors' ordeal, the paper also tries to notice the process of outgrowing a trauma beyond what meets the eye.