In Speak, Anderson's use of rhetorical devices like allusions, symbolism, and metaphors and similes helps to create the texts depressed tone that later change to hopeful. Using allusions like Picasso's cubism and The Scarlet Letter help to show Melinda's internal pain. ... In English class, Melinda reads The Scarlet Letter. ... In The Scarlet Letter, the main character, Hester, is scorned by her community and forced to wear a big letter A on her clothes because she committed adultery. ... Melinda, inside her, carries an invisible scarlet letter because she has not learned to dea...

• Word Count: 950
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Color is often symbolic, as with the red passion of the Scarlet Letter in the novel of that title. ... The more evocative a text, the more the reader must do the work of finding meaning within the text. ...

• Word Count: 879
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School