Melo Taylor Character Analysis in Dear Martin

Melo is Justyce’s ex-girlfriend and also attends Braselton Preparatory Academy. Melo is widely considered the most attractive girl in Justyce’s class, which is partially why he finds it so difficult to break up with her once and for all. Accordingly, they have an on-again-off-again relationship, and though Justyce is relatively smitten with her, Manny doesn’t think she’s a good match for him. This is why he criticizes Justyce for going to help Melo one night when a mutual friend calls to tell him that Melo is drunk and not answering her phone. Venturing out, Justyce finds Melo leaning drunkenly against her car, and when he tries to help her into the backseat (to ensure that she won’t try to drive), Officer Castillo appears and violently arrests him, claiming that Justyce is harassing a “pretty white girl,” though Melo’s father—a former professional football player—is actually black. Still, Justyce is the one who gets in trouble (despite Melo committing the crime of underage drinking), even though he was only trying to help Melo.

Melo Taylor Quotes in Dear Martin

The Dear Martin quotes below are all either spoken by Melo Taylor or refer to Melo Taylor. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Privilege, Entitlement, and Implicit Bias Theme Icon

Justyce can hear the approaching footsteps, but he stays focused on getting Melo strapped in. He wants it to be clear to the cop that she wasn’t gonna drive so she won’t be in even worse trouble.

Before he can get his head out of the car, he feels a tug on his shirt and is yanked backward. His head smacks the doorframe just before a hand clamps down on the back of his neck. His upper body slams onto the trunk with so much force, he bites the inside of his cheek, and his mouth fills with blood.

Related Characters: Justyce McAllister, Officer Tommy Castillo, Melo Taylor

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Justyce is busy helping his ex-girlfriend Melo when Officer Castillo approaches him from behind and applies physical force before doing or saying anything else. What’s most notable is that Justyce focuses on Melo, not himself. Rather than worrying what Officer Castillo will do to him, he concentrates on putting on Melo’s seatbelt in the backseat of her car, since she’s drunk and he wants to send a clear message to Castillo that she wasn’t about to drive. He does this because he cares about her, but his conscientiousness unfortunately costs him, allowing Castillo to descend upon him Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque

“Officer, this is a big misundersta—’’ he starts to say, but he doesn’t get to finish because the officer hits him in the face.

“Don’t you say shit to me, you son of a bitch. I knew your punk ass was up to no good when I saw you walking down the road with that goddamn hood on.”

So the hood was a bad idea. Earbuds too. Probably would’ve noticed he was being trailed without them. “But, Officer, I—”

“You keep your mouth shut.” The cop squats and gets right in Justyce’s face. “I know your kind; punks like you wander the streets of nice neighborhoods searching for prey. Just couldn’t resist the pretty white girl who’d locked her keys in her car, could ya?”

Related Characters: Officer Tommy Castillo (speaker), Justyce McAllister (speaker), Melo Taylor

Related Symbols: The Hoodie

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

This is a conversation between Justyce and Officer Castillo that takes place shortly after Castillo pulls Justyce from Melo’s car. Justyce knows that he has to remain calm, so he tries to explain what was going on, since Castillo stormed in without bothering to take stock of the situation. If Castillo had stopped to consider what was happening between Justyce and Melo, he would have learned that Justyce was helping Melo by making sure that she wouldn’t drive drunk. Despite his levelheaded desire to explain this to the officer, though, Justyce finds himself unable to deliver the details of his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore

Melo Taylor Character Timeline in Dear Martin

The timeline below shows where the character Melo Taylor appears in Dear Martin. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Support, Acceptance, and Belonging Theme Icon

Justyce McAllister sees Melo Taylor drunkenly hunched over on the other side of the street. Melo is Justyce’s ex-girlfriend,... (full context)

Justyce explains to Melo that one of their mutual friends called to tell him that she got drunk and... (full context)

Unlocking Melo’s car, Justyce tries to pick her up and put her in the backseat. As he... (full context)

...finds himself slammed face-down onto the hood while the officer handcuffs him. “It hits him: Melo’s drunk beyond belief in the backseat of a car she fully intended to drive, yet... (full context)

...Luther King, Jr. that he was only trying to “do a good deed” by helping Melo. However, Officer Castillo thought he looked “menacing” in his sweatshirt, so he arrested him. When... (full context)

...thanks him but declines his offer, instead rubbing his sore wrists and telling him that Melo gave him an ointment for the pain. He also mentions that he and she got... (full context)

Refusing to drop the issue, Manny points out that Melo sat idly by while Castillo mistreated Justyce. All the same, Justyce refuses to listen to... (full context)

...only smiles and tells her it was the best hug he’s ever received. Just then, Melo approaches, having seen this embrace. Justyce and Melo have recently broken up again, but their... (full context)

Opportunity and Upward Mobility Theme Icon

...Dr. King how he should navigate “love triangles,” since it’s clear that both SJ and Melo like him. (full context)

...asks her why she did that, she says that she “panicked,” saying, “Well, there was Melo…and I didn’t know where you stood with her or how I fit? Anyway. Point is,... (full context)

Melo Taylor Character Analysis

Melo Taylor Quotes in Dear Martin

Chapter 1 Quotes

Melo Taylor Character Timeline in Dear Martin