The Usage of Knowledge in the Manipulation of the Main Character's Development in Laurie Halse Anderson's "Speak"

Essay from the year 2020 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Paderborn, language: English, abstract: This is an essay revolving around the thesis statement: "Anderson uses the concept of individual and mutual knowledge to manipulate Melindäs ability and willingness to form and maintain relationships, which is evident in Melindäs interactions with her parents, Ivy and Rachel."

"I did then what I knew how to do, now that I know better I do better." This powerful quote by Maya Angelou can be related to many different aspects of life. It represents sound advice for anyone and encourages each of us to do our best. Angelou reminds us that our knowledge is ever evolving and that, even though we might have done our best some time ago, learning enables us to do even better today and in the future. This makes knowledge important for all instances in life, but especially when interacting with people. Steven Pinker is a renowned experimental psychologist and a professor of psychology at Harvard University. He researches the importance of knowledge in social interactions. He relates the concept of individual and mutual knowledge to the way humans communicate with each other. While individual knowledge is defined as the knowledge that one person has, separate from other people, mutual knowledge is the knowledge that is shared between people. That means that person A knows something, person B knows the same thing and they are both aware that the other knows.