There is only a week before Winter Break and all the students are in rebellion mode. There are rumors of eggnog in the faculty lounge and everyone is getting away with murder.
David Petrakis is also fighting back about the freedom to speak. He comes to Mr. Necks class with a tape recorder which he turns on just as Mr. Neck begins to speak. Because of this, the man teaches the entire period in a straight manner for once and finally gets to the Revolutionary War. Melinda observes that the lecture is going to sound great on tape, but the tape will not pick up the anger in Mr. Necks eyes and the fact that he glares at David the entire time. David just stares back.
Melinda goes to the office for a sound bite or the gossip concerning
Davids tape recorder. She overhears a secretary tell a PTA volunteer
that Davids parents had hired a big, nasty, expensive lawyer who is now
threatening the school district and Mr. Neck for everything from incompetence
to civil rights violations. David is allowed to have a tape recorder in
the class to document any potential future violations. Mr. Neck could
get fired and the secretary doesnt seem too unhappy about that. In addition,
David must have mentioned to the lawyer that Mr. Neck had glared at him
the entire class, because the next day there is a video camera set up
in the back of the room. David Petrakis is Melindas hero.
The way that David Petrakis fights back is heroic to Melinda, because
he has stood up to authority figures and has done it legally, using our
system of justice. She admires him so much, because she wants to have
a voice as big as his and so far has not found it. He is a role model,
however, for her and because of this, there is hope that Melinda will
eventually be able to speak and release her pain.
This chapter is Melindas exposé of the Winter Assembly, probably once known as the Christmas Assembly. She sits with Heather who has not been invited to sit with the Marthas and is very bummed out. She dresses like them, however, no doubt hoping theyll still want her. She gives Melinda little bell earrings for Christmas and Melinda thinks shell get Heather a friendship necklace, because that kind of gift would suit her. There is no multicultural celebration like Christmas or Kwanza, because the school board wont allow it. Melinda thinks that now theyre no-cultural.
The high point of the assembly is the announcement of the new name and
mascot, which the student body had previously voted on. The winning name
is the Merryweather Wombats. Melinda is amused on the way to the bus listening
to the cheerleaders try to rhyme words with wombats. She thinks democracy
is a wonderful institution.
This chapter is a perfect example of Melindas sarcasm, which is, by the way, nearly always right on the mark. The idea that the school would allow wombats as a mascot or that there would be no Christmas/Kwanza assembly in order to be politically correct is terribly amusing to her. However, her sarcasm is still her shield. She wears is out in front of her to avoid the pain that any other kind of emotional reaction might bring.
This chapter is also a further examination of the stupidities in the
public education system. Its no wonder, from the ridiculous behavior
of the school board and school officials, that students with problems
like Melindas fall through the cracks.
It is only two days before Christmas and Melinda finds a note from her mother telling her she can put up the Christmas tree if she wants. So Melinda gets out the tree and begins to sweep out the cobwebs all the while thinking that Christmas is just not Christmas without rug rats. Little kids make Christmas fun. She reminisces over the traditions her family followed when she was little and it occurs to her that her parents would probably have divorced if she hadnt been born. She feels shes been a disappointment to them, because shes just like them - an ordinary drone dressed in secrets and lies. She thinks its hypocritical to keep pretending until she graduates that theyre a happy family. They should just get it over with.
She calls Heather, but shes gone shopping. So Melinda tries to while away the time by imagining what Heather would do if she were alone in the house and the house didnt feel like Christmas. She dresses up in geeky snow clothes and plays in the drifts like she did when was little. She wants to make a wish, but she doesnt know what to wish for, so she ties some pine bows together with red ribbon and puts them on the mantle and the dining room table. She still wishes they could borrow a kid for a few days.
They all sleep in until noon on Christmas and then exchange gifts. One
of their gifts to her is charcoal pencils and a sketch pad, because they
have noticed her drawing recently. It almost makes Melinda break down
and tell them the truth right then, because she is overwhelmed that they
have actually noticed. They sit there expectantly, but Melinda cannot
get the snowball out of her throat. She remembers how, the night of
the party, her parents had come in really late, believing she had spent
the night at Rachels; they both arrived in different cars at different
hours. She thinks she knows why and the expectant moment just ebbs away.
Its obvious from this chapter that Melindas family has nearly broken down
completely. There is little interest on the part of her parents to decorate
for Christmas or even celebrate with some of the old traditions. Melinda
tries hard to bring some Christmas spirit into the house, but fails. Even
the touching gift of the charcoal pencils and sketch pad is not enough
to pull the three of them together. The snowball in Melindas throat
- her inability to speak - destroys the perfect opportunity to tell her
parents what had happened to her at the party. Once again, we realize
that until she gains her voice again, she will exist in this horrible
limbo where she feels utterly alone.
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Cite this page:
Clapsaddle, Diane. "TheBestNotes on Speak".
TheBestNotes.com.
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