Charlotte Kahn 802

In the book Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, the main character, Melody, is presented with many obstacles because she has cerebral palsy and is very smart. Melody learns that just because someone doesn’t believe you can do it, doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Melody learns to overcome the obstacles of her appearance and superior intellect to face other peoples judgemental behavior and jealousy.

In a scene she remembers from childhood, Melody's doctor quizzes her about four objects. He asks, "Which one of these is not like the others?" Melody thinks for a minute and when she points to one, though she is right, the doctor underestimates her ability of understanding, and tells her she is wrong, and tells her mom Melody is retarded. Melody remembered that, and even though that doctor didn’t believe in her, she pushed through and was able to go so far as to be the only one in her school to ever get all the right answers on a extra-hard test her teacher gave. Even though the doctor said she wouldn’t be able to do it, she did.

Melody was also faced by her teacher, Mr. Dimming, who made a rude remark to the classroom about Melody’s disability. To reciprocate, Melody works very hard to prove him wrong with her neighbor, Mrs Valencia. "You know how athletes get ready for the Olympics? They swim early in the morning and late at night. They run around the track for hours and hours without a crowd to cheer them on". When Melody jokes, "I can't run very fast," Mrs. Valencia says that she will have the "strongest brain in the school" after studying with her. Mrs Valencia helped Melody prove to Mr. Dimming and herself that she did have what it took, and she proved it by acing Mr. Dimming’s test.

Melody is presented with many obstacles and must rely on herself and others to help her overcome them. She overcomes them by making the quiz team by acing her test despite her disability, and showing her class and teachers how intelligent she is. Many people today are marked with cruel, unnecessary labels like ‘fat’ or ‘retarded’. Not only is it cruel and offensive and inconsiderate, how can you say that without even knowing the person? It can hurt the person much more than you know. Next time you see something, be sure to say something. Treat others how you want to be treated. And most of all, believe in yourself.