What does the tree Melinda spends the year on creating symbolize? does any one know what the tree symbolizes

In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, the
tree symbolizes Melinda. In the end of the book, when Melinda finds her voice to speak
once again and confront her past and her attacker, she is finally able to create a tree
in leaf, a springtime image of rebirth after a long winter, just as Melinda herself is
being reborn after her almost year-long ordeal. In the many false starts and variations
of the tree Melinda creates, we see the range of emotions and reactions she has to her
situation. From the leafless tree, to the "ugly" tree, etc. all of the thoughts and
emotions Melinda shares with us about her creation are also descriptions of herself. The
tree is a reflection of her.