In Spark, Mina’s quiet temperament initially makes her feel invisible within her family and her society. However, through her bond with Pixit, she realizes that she doesn’t need a loud voice to command attention. Instead, she learns that courage and ingenuity will provide her with the tools to make others listen.

Early on, Mina’s affection for Pixit encourages her to push past her comfort zone and assert herself. When Pixit hatches and Mina’s family insists that Mina should not be bonded to a lightning beast, she tells them they are wrong. However, no one listens to her because she was speaking quietly. So, Mina repeats herself, speaking louder. The novel describes this scene, highlighting her nervousness: “She was shaking as she said it. She rarely ever tried to make them listen to her when they were all riled up like this. Usually she bided her time until they were ready to listen. But this was too important for waiting.” (30) It is difficult for Mina to command attention. This is evident in her trembling, which points to her distress. Furthermore, she notes that she typically prefers to wait things out, but the urgency of her bond with Pixit gives her the courage to speak up and insist on being heard. Later, Mina bravely confronts the prime minister about the connection between the festival and the ten-year storms that occur beyond the Alorrian border. The audacity of this question shocks the officials: “The assistants gasped. A few of them whispered to one another [and] the prime minister stopped” (183). These moments demonstrate that Mina finds her voice through bravery when she cares deeply about the issues at hand.

At the same time, Mina also learns to communicate effectively without raising her voice. For instance, when Professor Dano limits the girls to walking on their beasts though they are ready to fly, Mina defies his orders and chooses to show him that she is ready by flying away on Pixit. When she lands, “Mina [feels] oddly calm. She’d said what she’d wanted to say, without having to say anything” (102). Instead of raising her voice in protest, like Jyx, Mina opts to show Professor Dano what she thinks. Because of her reserved demeanor, she chooses action instead of verbal protest.

A similar dynamic unfolds during her first lightning relay. Unable to summon a spark, Mina is determined that she won’t “just give up” (123). Instead, she improvises, deciding that she and Pixit will “have to be alert, look for things that the others hadn’t seen, and try things that hadn’t been done” (123). Despite her limitations, she succeeds in preventing the other team from scoring by relying on her creativity. After this, her ingenuity becomes legendary, and her friends often clamor for her great ideas. This creativity comes in handy when she forces the prime minister and all of Alorria to acknowledge the devastating storms they are causing. By bringing the marginalized communities to the Ten-Year festival and using amplifying technology to project their words, Mina succeeds in giving them a voice without having to say a word herself. Her resourcefulness forces her nation to acknowledge its harm. As she matures and gains confidence, Mina understands that she doesn’t need a loud voice to command attention and assert her perspective.