One of Danny’s classmates and his crush. She’s a beautiful, busty white girl who, even from the very beginning, seems far more interested in studying with Danny than she does in being romantic with him. Melanie is concerned and put off when Danny’s Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee, arrives and invades her personal space, but she later suggests that his overtures were somewhat flattering. When Danny attempts to apologize to Melanie for Chin-Kee’s behavior and ask her out, Melanie is upfront about the fact that she’d like to remain friends and not take the step to becoming romantically involved. When Danny refuses to accept her answer, she rudely offers him a business card for her uncle, an orthodontist, whom she suggests Danny see on account of his buckteeth.
Get the entire American Born Chinese LitChart as a printable PDF.
Melanie Character Timeline in American Born Chinese
The timeline below shows where the character Melanie appears in American Born Chinese. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...along the bottom of the frame. In a suburban California home, two white teenagers named Melanie and Danny study chemistry. Danny drools, and the laugh track plays when Melanie calls him...
(full context)
...“ginger root pranted in nutritious manure of well-bred ox” to see him. Then, Chin-Kee notices Melanie. He spits and slobbers as he crouches down by Melanie, insisting she’s beautiful, has a...
(full context)
Chapter 6
Danny comes across Melanie in the hallway and apologizes about what Chin-Kee said last night. Melanie apologizes in turn...
(full context)
