Speak 2 D.Q.'s pg.49-92

1. Discuss Melinda’s decline, including physical symptoms.
• Melinda wore ugly old clothes. She also doesn’t wear any makeup. She tries to fit in but she doesn’t and nobody wants to be her friend. She is emotionally bruised and ill because she got raped by Andy Evans.
2. Analyze the social studies “debate” and its aftermath. Note who challenges the teacher and the position each person takes. How do you feel about this type of debate? Is the teacher right or wrong? Do students have a right to challenge a teacher?
• The debate didn’t go very well and it caused some trouble afterwards. The student who challenges the teacher was David Petrakis. The teacher was wrong about stopping the debate just because it didn’t go his way. It was an opened debate and the students had a right to speak.
3. Who is a “real” American? What do you think of Mr. Neck’s opinion? Going by his definition, are some of you not really Americans?
• A real American is where they pay their duties for this country and they don’t break any of the rules or laws. They fight and try to do their best for the country. No I don’t agree with Mr. Neck because he is basically saying that only his family is real Americans.
4. Discuss the Thanksgiving dinner for Melinda’s family and why this is significant.
• Melinda’s mom tried to fix a turkey but they kind of messed up on it. Her mom got called into the store for an emergency. So Melinda’s dad tried to cook the turkey but that was a failure. So they finally went and ordered some pizza to eat for their Thanksgiving dinner.
5. Analyze Melinda’s statement about her parents, “I bet they’d be divorced by now if I hadn’t been born.” What does this reflect about her self esteem?
• Melinda doesn’t have any self esteem. If she wasn’t living then her parents would be done divorced because her parents don’t talk to each other and they don’t really show love for each other. To Melinda it seems like the only reason why their together is because of her.
6. Examine Melinda’s references to her secret and what this reveals about her relationship with her parents. What do you think happened at the party?
• She cant talk about important things with her parents because they don’t have communication and they just don’t listen to her. She got raped by Andy Evans at the party and she tried to tell her friends but they left her and wouldn’t talk to her anymore because she called the cops.
7. Discuss Melinda’s athletic ability, her attitude toward being on the basketball team, and comparison she makes between basketball and life.
• Melinda is a very good basketball player. The coach wants her to be on the team but Melinda doesn’t want to. She thinks it’s a waist of her time.
8. Analyze the deterioration of the relationship between Melinda and Heather. Why is it that people sometimes like us more when they can get something out of us? Are the Martha’s good friends to Heather? Why or why not?
• Heather doesn’t want to be Melinda’s friend anymore because she is boring. People like us more when they get stuff because they know that they can use you and make you believe stuff just to get what they want. The Martha’s are not good friends to Heather because they don’t include her in anything. They make her do stuff like she is there slave. They tell her that Melinda cant sit with them so Heather blew her true friend off for the Martha’s.
9. What should we value in other people? What qualities are important in a person? What do you usually notice first about people? Does that really matter?
• We should value there personality and attitude. The most important qualities are there personality, attitude, and style, pretty much everything about a person. When I first meet a person I look for their attitude towards me and their personality. Yes this really matters because you want someone to be nice to you and not mean.
10. Examine Melinda’s reference to IT. Pages 85-86 & 89-90
• IT is Andy Evans. He is the boy that raped Melinda. He is tall and he was a senior. He goes out with Rachel/Rachelle. He is a bad person.
11. Discuss the school conference with Melinda’s parents and the aftermath. What do you think about Melinda’s suicide attempt? Was it real? What does it indicate? What do you think about her mother’s reaction?
• Both of her parents kind of ganged up on her. Melinda’s mom would say she is mute and she cant speak, even though she can speak. I don’t think Melinda’s suicide attempt was real. I just think that she was trying to get her parents attention, notice her, and listen to what she has to say.