Mirrors & Reflections in the novel Speak By Nataliya Barger, Nik Bennett, Sarah Burgess, and Kendall Malburg

Introduction of Mirrors The mirror symbol is first described in the chapter "Home. Work." Laurie Halse Anderson begins to introduce the symbol when Melinda is laying in her bed. She observes, "I watch myself in the mirror across the room. Ugh. My hair is completely hidden under the comforter" (16). As Melinda continues to criticize herself in the mirror, she notices, "It looks like my mouth belongs to someone else, someone I don't even know" (17). After observing herself, she decides, "I get out of bed and take down the mirror, I put it in the back of my closet, facing the wall" (17) Explanation: First Impression: Mirrors may suggest that Melinda is unable to deal with her emotions.

Suggested Meaning of Mirrors On Halloween night, Melinda says, "We held [a candle] in front of an antique mirror at midnight to see our futures. I couldn't see anything" (40). While beginning to clean out the closet, Melinda says, "The first thing to go is the mirror. It is screwed to the wall, so I cover it with a poster of Maya Angelou" (50). In the car with Heather and Heather's mother, Melinda states, "I look at [Heather's] mother's eyes watching me in the rearview mirror and hide my mouth with my fingers" (82). Continued -->

Suggested Meaning of Mirrors Mr. Freeman offers Melinda a ride to Effert's. As they are driving, "Mr. Freeman puts on his turn signal, looks in the rearview mirror, pulls into the left lane, and passes a beer truck...I watch the beer truck fade into the snowstorm in the side mirror" (122). While on the phone with 911, Melinda says, "I saw my face in the window over the kitchen sink and no words came out of my mouth. Who was that girl? I had never seen her before. Tears oozed down my face, over my bruised lips" (136). Explanation: Mirrors may suggest that Melinda doesn't know how to cope with the truth about the rape. 

Mirrors used to Intensify the Climax While trapped in the closet with Andy, Melinda says, "I hit the wood against the poster, and the mirror under it, again and again. Shards of glass slip down the wall and into the sink. IT pulls away from me, puzzled. I reach in and wrap my fingers around a triangle of glass. I hold it to Andy Evans's neck. He freezes" (195). The mirror may suggest the memory of Melinda's rape and the truth of how it has affected her. Andy's confusion may suggest that Andy doesn’t know the full extent of the damage he has caused, due to him not being able to see beyond the surface.

Mirrors Illustrating a Theme When Melinda looks into the mirrors, she usually finds something about her physical appearance she doesn't like. This leads to the burden of the rape that tends to hold her back. "Two muddy-circle eyes under black-dash eyebrows, piggy-nose nostrils, and a chewed-up horror of a mouth" (17).  "I hook my hair behind my ears. I should have washed it. My face is dirty. I lean into the mirror...Am I in there somewhere? A thousand eyes blink. No makeup. Dark circles" (124).  Anderson's use of the symbolism of mirrors suggests that the longer one refuses to face a difficult truth, the more that truth could hurt them emotionally, physically, mentally, and socially.