THE DEPRESSION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER DEPICTED IN SPEAK BY LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON

Authors

In this paper, the writer analyzes about the depression of the main character. Melinda

Sordino which describes in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. The novel is about a girl

who experienced the sexual abused. The writer uses psychological theory to analyze

depression in Speak. The technique of the research applied by the writer is close reading

to understand this novel and help the writer to do the analysis. The analysis has two

goals which are describing the causes and depression that showed by the main character.

The causes of the main character’s depression are being sexually abused, bullied, and

thinking negatively. The depression of the main character shown by several symptoms.

There are feeling of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of interest of daily activity, anger

or irritability, loss of energy, self-loathing, concentration problem and unexplained aches

and pains. In conclusion, the sexual abuse along with the continuing bullying and negative

thinking of herself and about others triggers an ongoing stress which leads to depression.

Keywords: main character, depression, sexual abuse, bullying, ongoing stress