Out of My Mind Blog

Out of My Mind Blog

Ch. 4-6

Prompt: Select a quote from your reading that you liked. What made you pick it? How

does it make you pause and think?

       Even though I am not that far along in this novel, there were several quotes and phrases the author wrote that made me stop and think. These quotes really open up your mind about being able to express yourself through words, and not letting labels define you, and how easily we take advantage of our capabilities when others are greatly misunderstood and struggling because of appearance.

        The first quote that really popped out to me is, "Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes-each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands.”(page 1) This really stood out to me because of the figurative language and the imagine it created in my head. This also really shows how beautiful and fragile words can be. We don't always realize it, but words and expressions are very powerful. Having that ability to express ourselves through language is a gift that not everyone receives unfortunately. This quote is also on the first page, which is definitely how the author brought me into this story. The author did a great job of sucking the reader in and making them want more. 

         The second quote is when Melody's mother takes her to the doctor to see if she is able to attend school. The doctor gave her options of keeping her at home or sending her away. Melody's mother was appalled by this. She said lots of powerful things, the best one in my opinion is, "[A] person is so much more than the name of a diagnosis on a chart.” This quote really spoke to me. It shows how Melody is so much more than her disabilities. This also applies to any sort of label, whether it's a diagnosis or just what people call you. This is just something more people need to realize.

         The final quote is also about words and ability to express them; "Every word my parents spoke to me or about me I absorbed and kept and remembered. All of them. I have no idea how I untangled the complicated process of words and thought, but it happened quickly and naturally. By the time I was two, all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings. But only in my head. I have never spoken one single word. I am almost eleven years old.” This is much like the first quote. It shows how we take advantage of our everyday abilities and freedoms. Imagine what it would be like to be in love with words, but never spoke a single one. That's sounds like one of the worse things that could ever happened to a person. It's not just people who don't have the ability to speak, some don't have the rights. Several countries around the world control people's right to speak out. It just shows that words are extremely valuable and easy to take advantage of.