Speak Essay

Austin Kemp
Johann
Hour: 4
December 17, 2009
Speak essay


In the story Speak, the main character, named Melinda, is a freshman in high school and she is judged by her past. This all started when Melinda went to decided to go out to an end of summer party with her “best friend” Rachel. As many teenagers experience, it was a drinking party, so she was getting a little tipsy, then it happened. Melinda got raped by an older guy, and called the police as one should. But then she dipped and left the party. Everyone was made at her because the police came and a huge number of kids got in trouble for underage drinking. After that she lost all of her friends and all people did was criticize her. Melinda’s solitude shows how peer pressure can play a vital role in a teenagers life. Around the world, many children try or want to fit into a group. Whether it’s a big group or a just a couple of buddy’s stick together, many kids would do anything to be in a group. Nobody wants to be an outcast, especially during an early teens years just like Melinda wanted to be in a group but nobody would accept the fact that she called the police because she was sexually assaulted.
Another thing that plays a big role in a teens life is peer pressure. Peer pressure can change how you dress, act, and even the way you eat. Melinda was sucked into peer pressure when she decided to go out to that party. She knew it wasn’t right to even go then to drink on top of it. If peer pressure never existed than she would have never found herself getting raped and many of the kids at the party wouldn’t have been drinking and she probably wouldn’t of even went. The only reason she did it was so she didn’t look like a wimp and she wanted to act cool.
Peer pressure doesn’t only exist in teens, it exists in every stage of life. Many people when they are in there 20’s and 30’s they go to prison either because they get set up or they are doing drugs that they started at an early age because they were pressured into them. Many of the crimes done today are with a group of people. If there was just one person in the group who was strong enough to say “no” then I bet a few of the other people wouldn’t do it either.
In the novel Speak, the main aspect of the story is how peer pressure can suck teens into doing other things that they wouldn’t do without their friends. Melinda’s solitude shows how peer pressure can play a vital role in a teenagers life. So don’t do something just to act cool do it because YOU want to. Don’t let somebody else make the wrong decision for you.