Everyone is different and has their own way to deal with things that happen to them. Maybe sulking around or just crying some people just take it and don't care about it until they finally crack under the tension. All people are different in how they handle emotional matters. Some handle such situations with composure. The way Malinda handles things is not the best but there are worst ways to do it.
In the book "Speak" Malinda handles what happens to her by hiding from her problems and not talking about it. She was in shock from what had happened and could not handle it so she stopped talking to others. That might not have been the best thing for her to do but it made her feel safe. She could have done a lot more to herself than just not talk so it is still an OK thing as far as shock goes.
Not all of the things you can do while in shock are good some can not only hurt you but others too. Some people seem to take shock well at first as if nothing is wrong but under the surface they are holding back their emotion. Like after a person dies people may not think about it at first but then they crack and have a break down and a lot of things can happen to them. After my grandpa died my aunt lost about 20 pounds because she couldn't eat. While my uncle couldn't sleep for almost a month after the death. In extreme cases people can even stop moving and talking to others maybe even inflict pain upon themselves. Most people call this being emo a classify them as crazy people that like to feel pain and are just unusual. When really there is an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Malinda in the book is also one of those people that has a underlying problem that needs to be addressed but is not until she has to finial tell some one.
In the end all turns out alright for Malinda and she has a way to voice her problems. She may have problems with emotion but at least she is still sane and unhurt. Many people have issues with
