The novel “Speak” is about the story of Melinda who was going through a difficult time in her life. Melinda had to find out who she was after being raped and going to high school alone. Melinda didn't want to discuss anything with anyone, and this is represented in many symbols included in the story. According to Melinda the symbolism is “like a code that breaks into her head and finds the key to her secrets”. Melinda made comments about herself and how she related to the symbolism in her eyes. Melinda stated that if it were a letter like the Scarlet letter, it would be an S. “S for silent, for stupid, for scared. S for silly. Out of shame." It is important to understand Melinda for who she thinks she is and the importance of relating this to other symbols. My goal is to discover what I believe the closet represents in the novel “Speak” and how it relates to Melinda's growth as an individual during high school. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Melinda first comes across the closet while trying to escape from Mr. Neck. Melinda didn't do her homework and tried to avoid it at all costs. He ended up walking through the senior wing of the high school, where none of the freshmen usually go. That's when Melinda says she found "an old janitor's closet that smells like acid sponges." This statement allowed me to understand that this closet was abandoned, and no one even cared that it was there anymore. Just like Melinda, she didn't want anyone to know what happened and wanted to be left alone. He wanted a place that was his and that no one knew about. He wanted a place where he could truly hide from reality. Everything in the room was broken, old or no one thought it was important. These items included a “stained armchair,” an “old-fashioned desk,” “a collection of mops and brooms,” “a broken mirror,” “a sink full of dead cockroaches laced with cobwebs,” and “faucets… so rusty that don't turn.” All these objects were simply forgotten, just as Melinda wanted to forget what happened to her that night at the party. I thought it was interesting how they stated the “dead cockroaches woven together with the cobwebs” because it almost lines up with Melinda's thoughts running through her head. She's the only one who knows what happened and doesn't know how to really deal with it. It's almost like her thoughts are all mixed up in a ball and can't be made clear. She thinks it's best to keep them to herself and that no one else will understand what she's been through. This really relates to what the closet represents to her and the fact that it's “abandoned: it has no purpose, no name. It's the perfect place for me." Melinda really seems like there's really no purpose or anything she does that would make herself useful to anyone again. This is a place where he can think all his thoughts without others knowing what he is thinking or about the traumatizing event that occurred. Melinda says that “my closet is a beautiful thing, a quiet place that helps me keep these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them.” This makes me think that in his head the closet was his place, his safe place, that no one knew about. It was a place where she could run and trust herself that she wouldn't accidentally say something about the events of the party. Another passage from this same section of "Speak" was when she covered the mirror with a poster of Maya Angelou (Anderson 50). I felt this was an important aspect of the closet because he didn't want to see who it was. Maya Angelou almost seemed like someone to look up to oremulate. Melinda could have also used this photo of Maya Angelou as an idea that she wasn't alone. Maya Angelou was someone who was always there for her and didn't judge her no matter what she had to say. It was almost as if Melinda felt safe in this closet and now had someone with her, Maya Angelou, making her feel like someone had her best interest at heart. Melinda states: "I want to leave, move away, teleport to another galaxy". I wonder if this is what Melinda is trying to do with the wardrobe. This could be an area that allows her to escape reality or at least prevent other individuals from learning what really happened. No matter how much she tries to escape what is happening, it continues to haunt her by watching "scary films being projected inside [her] eyelids." This passage reminds us of that, no matter how much Melinda tries to escape her reality; will always come back if not addressed head on. As in the passage above, every time she closes her eyes, she is continually reminded of that night. Melinda ends up receiving a Valentine's Day card that was sent to her locker. She hoped it was from David, her lab partner, but it ended up being Heather's. She felt "stupid" for believing anyone would "like the inner girl" she thinks she is. She went into the closet, fell into the brown chair and began biting her wrist and crying like a little girl. He also began “banging his head against the cinder block wall.” Melinda began to feel like she had a connection with someone and that they were really starting to appreciate her for who she was on the inside. Her emotions ended up getting the better of her and she ended up making multiple attempts to harm herself. This really shows that he wants to have a connection with others and be important in someone's life. Melinda is really moving from a place where she wants to be alone to a place where she really wants someone to care. She wants to find that one person who wants to know what happened, and who cares enough to still like her after knowing the truth. After school, Melinda goes to her closet instead of taking the bus home because she doesn't. I want to deal with everyone He ends up turning to his Mayan poster, the cubist tree, and his turkey bone sculpture, which are all things he loves. This closet is becoming more like home than its actual home. Melinda states that "I feel safer in my little haven" as she falls asleep in her closet. He appears to be struggling with insomnia at home, which may be a sign of depression. Melinda does not have a good family or school life. This is his true place of escape. Melinda is starting to try to figure out whether she should tell Rachel what happened so that the same thing doesn't happen to her. Going to the closet to discuss this issue, he begins to realize that the closet is too small. He starts pacing the closet: “Stupid room. What a stupid idea, sitting in a closet like this.” This is the first time he realizes that the closet is getting lonely and that he doesn't need to hide all the time. Melinda begins to realize that she needs to start communicating more with others and find her true self again. “Maya wants [Melinda] to tell Rachel.” Maya is now giving Melinda advice on what she should do and what the best option is in the situation she finds herself in. The condition of the cabinets begins to collapse due to the “edges of [his] photos curling in the humidity.” This shows that the outside is starting to peel away and pieces of the inner Melinda are starting to peek through, especially with Maya's assistance. . Is starting to listen to his own opinion, but uses another authority to, 1999.