At one point, Melinda says, “I think it’s some kind of psychiatric disorder when you have more than one personality in your head…The two Melindas fight every step of the way”
Melinda is conflicted throughout the story. I don't think she has a mental disorder rather then her problems manifest themselves from her trauma of being sexually assulted. Melinda's extraordinary circumstances just highlight the universal difficulties of adolescence--not just the social problems, but the conflicting pulls between the future adult self and the former child self. Melinda feels dismayed by the sexuality of her high school peers, largely because she is a victim of sexual violence, but also because she does not feel ready for this next phase of life. Coming to terms with what happened to her allows her to finally accept that she is entering this new stage, and look forward to her future.
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