Speak Guilt and Blame Quotes

Shame seems to be a big part of why Melinda doesn't tell. She feels like the rape is alive in her, has somehow become part of her, like a punishment for making wrong choices like drinking beer and kissing a senior.

Melinda's blaming herself for not trying harder to escape Andy, or for not recognizing him as a violent predator. In a way, this is good because she's planning ways to escape him. The best way would be to report him, but she's not thinking along those lines.

Mom thinks Melinda is being deliberately difficult and asking for attention in a spoiled, immature way. Why do you think she rushes to this conclusion, instead of assuming something happened to Melinda to make her need extra attention?