Character Analysis: Discovering Identity

Discovering Identity Do you or someone you know are currently going through depression or feel out of place? If the answer is yes, you can definitely relate to Melinda (Mel). Depression is very common, especially among teenagers. Melinda is one of these teenagers who need someone but don't have that someone. Melinda (Mel) falls under depression after a violent summer party. After what happened to her, Mel is trying to figure out who she is and how to handle with her life. During August before school started, Melinda got raped at a party that she got invited to and then called the police to report the rape. This caused the party to end along with arresting a few people. After that Mel was not the same. She now faces depression, loneliness,
Not long after Mel goes into her closet, IT walks in, closing the door. IT is there to rape Mel and take advantage of her. After knowing that IT had raped her before, Mel tries to protect herself and crashes against a mirror, making it shatter. She then pointed a broken piece of glass against IT’S throat, making it clear she did not want any of what he was and wass going to do to her. “‘I said no’” (Anderson 195). After IT pushed Mel against the wall, Mel purposely broke the mirror in her closet to have something to defend herself with- a broken piece of glass. This immediately made him terrified and nervous, which made him stop trying to rape Mel. Mel finally sees and demonstrates her true identity- a confident and courageous young woman. Mel is sitting in one of her classes when a thought hits her: to not hide in her closet anymore. “I don’t want to hang out in my little hidy-hole anymore… I don’t feel like hiding anymore” (Anderson 192). Mel is confident enough in herself to no longer hide in her closet. She no longer wants to isolate herself from the outside world and come through, leaving all the negative things that have happened to her behind. Mel demonstrates her identity through her decision to leave behind her closet, leaving behind her hiding place. This is her way to show that she no longer has to hide from the outside world, and is ready to face it instead. In order to show identity, one must show it. Mel showed her identity through her actions and thoughts. Actions are harder to accomplish than words, so in order to show identity, one must demonstrate through