In Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, the main character Melody Brooks was born with bilateral quadriplegia, also known as cerebral palsy, disabling her from being able to talk, walk, feed herself, and much more. Throughout the story, there is symbolism to help us understand what Melody goes through daily. A big symbol in the book is Ollie, Melody’s goldfish. Ollie was always stuck swimming circles in his bowl, reminds us of the way Melody is stuck with her body. She has no way of escaping from her body. She thinks, “It’s like I live in a cage with no door and no key. And I have no way to tell someone how to get me out.” (p. 22). This reminds us a little of Ollie’s fish bowl. Ollie got sick of swimming in his bowl, and one day, for no reason,
