Speak- Character Contrast

Do you guys have that friend that is so completely different from you and it's just like how are we even friends?? That's how it is for Melinda and Heather. I honestly did not think two people this vastly different could get along. Both of them are going through the same problem: not having any friends and not being like by most of the school. How they go about this problem is incredibly different.


First, Melinda: After having crashed a party last year, the entire, literally ENTIRE, student body hates her, well except Heather of course. Overall, Melinda is just overwhelmed and upset by the whole thing. She lost all of her good friends and is now left feeling extremely alone. She begins to withdraw, her grades drop, she skips classes to hide. Melinda has lost all hope at this point.


Heather: Being her first year in Syracuse, Heather is an outcast because no "group" will let her join and she is stuck alone on the outside. Whereas Melinda gave up, Heather is VERY determined to find a group. She makes plans to get into one group and climb the latter of popularity until she reaches the top. She's always coming up with new ideas and plans. Like when Heather says, "What should we do? What do you want to join? Maybe we should tutor at the elementary school." (Anderson 23) Her thoughts are constant and don't seem to stop. But when nothing seems to be working, she breaks down and slowly starts losing hope.


And in that way, they are similar. Melinda has lost all hope, and Heather is slowly joining her.