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Melanie is an enthusiastic, fun-loving 37-year-old driver who takes Beth and Rachel on a rural route through farming towns one night in November. Even though she’s married, she chats with Beth about men, and they laugh wildly all evening. (In contrast, farther back in the bus, Rachel is in a more somber mood as she contemplates her own romantic failures.) Melanie later tells Rachel that, because everyone’s time on earth is limited, friendship is of the utmost importance. This neatly captures the main lesson Rachel learns from Beth’s vibrant friendships with so many drivers and community members around her city.
Melanie Quotes in Riding the Bus with My Sister
The Riding the Bus with My Sister quotes below are all either spoken by Melanie or refer to Melanie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
31. November: The Girlfriend
Quotes
[I] make out my reflection far too well, hauntingly blue and close. I cringe at the expression on my face.
Failure, it reads, and terror. The way my mother used to look when she trudged into the house after one of her dates. The way I used to feel when love withdrew. […] There is self-pity, too.
That old darkness rises within me. Don’t think about this, it says. Keep telling the world, No, I can’t, I’m sorry. Keep shutting the door.
But I do think about it. Beth is in stitches along with her friend right in front of me, and I realize with a jolt that for all her failures and terrors, I have never seen self-pity on her face. Not even a trace. Not once.
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Get the entire Riding the Bus with My Sister LitChart as a printable PDF.
Melanie Quotes in Riding the Bus with My Sister
The Riding the Bus with My Sister quotes below are all either spoken by Melanie or refer to Melanie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
31. November: The Girlfriend
Quotes
[I] make out my reflection far too well, hauntingly blue and close. I cringe at the expression on my face.
Failure, it reads, and terror. The way my mother used to look when she trudged into the house after one of her dates. The way I used to feel when love withdrew. […] There is self-pity, too.
That old darkness rises within me. Don’t think about this, it says. Keep telling the world, No, I can’t, I’m sorry. Keep shutting the door.
But I do think about it. Beth is in stitches along with her friend right in front of me, and I realize with a jolt that for all her failures and terrors, I have never seen self-pity on her face. Not even a trace. Not once.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
