English

__FRESHMAN YEAR__ SPEAK PAPER
Rough Draft When parties start and the drinks come out, trouble is waiting to strike. Not all parties are like this, but in this book one girl is in for a wild ride. It was a night to remember for Melinda Sorodino. The author, Laurie Halse Anderson, takes who ever may read this book through the life of Melinda Sorodino during her freshman year. Melinda in this novel shows some characteristics such as discouraged, secretive, and withdrawn.

Melinda can often be described as discouraged in the novel. One incident where Melinda encounters being discouraged is when she is invited to a party after a basketball game and she doesn't want to go. "Nope. I don't do parties. No thanks. I trot out excuses: homework, strict parents, tuba practice, late night dentist appointment, have to feed the warthogs. I don't have good track record with parties" (Anderson 131). She had a really bad experience at the end of summer when she went to a party with her friends and ended up getting drunk with trouble right behind her every step afterwards. This incident made her son scared that she wasn't telling anyone and was being secretive.

Melinda can be seen as being secretive many times in this book, but one night could've changed it all. Christmas time has come and she wants to tell her parents all about what happened that night, but it becomes really challenging. "I wipe my eyes. They wait with unsure smiles. The snowball grows larger. When I snuck home that night, they weren't in the house" (Anderson 72). She got a bunch of nice gifts and didn't tell her parents anything, not even a thank you. It was as if she was suddenly withdrawn from everything.

There were other times where she was withdrawn in this book, but her friend Heather had a plan. Heather wanted to join at least five clubs and Melinda didn't. She said "Nothing. The clubs are stupid" (Anderson 23). She just wanted to stay out of clubs, not even think about participating in school and throw freshman year away.

Discouraged, secretive, and withdrawn are just three of the many characteristics Melinda Sorodino has. Discouraged for not wanting to got to a party with her friend David. Secretive that she hasn't told anyone the details about what happened at the end of summer party. Withdrawn for not wanting to join any clubs. This could be going on for someone else and there may be no knowing of it. Someone may have had some of the same experiences as Melinda and they are just trying to forget about it. Moral of this paper, when you participate in activities such as parties, clubs or even just usual stuff remember one thing. Voices are meant to be heard, so speak up.