Family Theme Analysis

Melody’s family is important because it holds everyone accountable to caring for everyone else. While this brings about a sense of belonging and safety, it can also lead to guilt when characters believe they have caused family members pain, or have been unable to fulfill important obligations. Importantly, Out of My Mind does not define family as only biological relatives—the book also includes those who love and support Melody as part of her family. For example, Melody’s next-door neighbor, Mrs. V, is as much a part of her family as her mother, father or sister. Mrs. V sees potential in Melody and challenges her in ways her parents do not, from preparing her for Whiz Kids to teaching her how to safely fall out of her wheelchair as a small child. Melody’s aide, Catherine, is also family. Catherine respects Melody’s intelligence and defends her against other students who try to bully her and undermine her academic accomplishments.

Melody’s (extended) family provides an important support network even as teachers, doctors, and other students dismiss Melody as incapable or speech or thought. Melody’s mother advocates for her in medical settings and in school. Her father builds her a ramp that will allow her to move more easily. Mrs. V and Catherine together help Melody find a Medi-Talker to allow her to better communicate with the world. However family comes with a sense of responsibility for one another, which means that family members feel guilt when they believe they haven’t done enough to help each other out. Melody’s mother blames herself for Melody’s illness. She tells Melody’s father, “I'm the mother...It was my job to bring a child into the world safely, and I screwed it up!” When Melody’s little sister Penny is hit by their mother’s car, Melody blames herself. She feels as though she should have tried harder to make her mother understand that Penny was behind the car, and she simultaneously worries that her own frustration with Penny somehow led to the accident. Melody is even more concerned that Penny will become brain damaged or physically disabled by the accident and will therefore suffer the same hardships as Melody.

The bonds of family are important and they help the characters in Out of My Mind deal with an inhospitable outside world, but family can also be a source of tension when family members worry they’ve inadvertently hurt one another. Melody often believes she can’t support her family in the same way they’ve supported her, but they make sure to let her know that they appreciate her, and that she’s doing all she can. Although her family can be a source a pain, Penny, Catherine, Mrs. V, and Melody’s parents also make up her strongest safety net. Because they are bound together, biologically and by choice, Melody’s family works to address any pain they’ve caused one another.