The Life of Heather
Author’s Note: This is an essay on the character Heather from the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
A person with a fake personality is no one at all. Heather, from the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a new to Merryweather High. Heather is energetic, positive, with only one greatly saddening downfall. She is also the best friend to the main character Melinda. All Heather desires is to be “popular” and she will cross anyone to get there, even one of her only friends at Merryweather.
Heather wants nothing more than to be a part of the”Martha’s,” a group of girls who dress in nice clothes and a peculiar run the school attitude. Throughout the process of becoming a Martha, Heather goes through stage were all she would come to care about would be, dressing like the Martha’s and talking like the Martha’s. It came to the point where Melinda her only friend there was completely out casted by Heather.
Heather has a great effect on this story. Like I said in the beginning, to start off Malinda doesn’t have a friend in the world. Then she and Heather become what seem to be friends. But as the story progresses the truth comes out and Heather tells Malinda that she is a social outcast and is always depressed. To make a long story short Heather and Malinda end up not being friends anymore. Sending Malinda into a downward spiral, taking a great toll not only on Malinda, but having a great effect on the story as well.
Heather should really begin to consider whether she would rather have a friend like one of the Martha’s. Who only want to be Heather’s friend for materialistic things, as to a friend like Malinda who is a friend to Heather for what is on the inside. While the story progresses I believe that Heather will proceed to become naïve to the fact of “popularity.” But I would love to be proven wrong.
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