Mr. Dimming Character Analysis in Out of My Mind

Also known as Mr. D, he teachers history and is the coach for the Whiz Kids team. He is an enthusiastic teacher and loves his job, but he doesn’t initially believe that Melody can participate in class, much less score highly on his tests. He allows Melody onto the Whiz Kids team and makes accommodations for her, but in the end he allows the Whiz Kids team to leave for DC without her, demonstrating that he never truly accepted her as an important member of his team.

Mr. Dimming Quotes in Out of My Mind

The Out of My Mind quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Dimming or refer to Mr. Dimming. 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:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Simon & Schuster edition of Out of My Mind published in 2012.

I still couldn’t get over the fact that I was part of the team. Okay. Truth. There was the team, and there was me, and we were in the same room. But we weren’t quite a team. They appreciated the fact that I usually got the answers right, but…
When Mr. Dimming gave us multiple-choice questions to answer, I had to think for only a moment, then hit the correct letter on my machine. But lots of the preparation involved fast-and-furious, back-and-forth discussions, and I had trouble adding anything to what was being said—most of the time.

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 192

Explanation and Analysis:

Mr. Dimming Character Timeline in Out of My Mind

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Dimming appears in Out of My Mind. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Melody is now also able to take a history class. Although the teacher, Mr. Dimming , isn’t as fun as Mrs. Gordon, Melody likes the class even more. Mr. Dimming... (full context)

Language, Communication, and Identity Theme Icon

...presidents and vice presidents. She does well on the test, getting an 85% even though Mr. Dimming suspiciously checks to see if Catherine is helping her. Rose, who is also in the... (full context)

In January, Mr. Dimming gives his history class a practice test for the Whiz Kids quiz team. Melody answers... (full context)

...Kids team. Melody doesn’t think it will ever happen, and she feels even worse when Mr. Dimming says that the qualifying test will be even harder, because “If Melody Brooks can win... (full context)

...to explain what a bad day Melody has had, and Mrs. V is furious that Mr. Dimming treated Melody so dismissively. Mrs. V convinces Melody that instead of sulking, she should get... (full context)

...test. Rose is surprised to see that Melody has come to take the test, and Mr. Dimming tries to kick Melody out of the room. Melody will not leave, and explains that... (full context)

...She describes it as “the hardest, most exciting thing I’d ever done.” After the test Mr. Dimming tells Melody he was just trying to protect her, and warns her in advance that... (full context)

On Tuesday, Mr. Dimming announces the new Whiz Kids team members. Melody is nervous, and initially disheartened when she... (full context)

...math—but Melody’s team wins the first match 81 to 77 points. Backstage in between rounds Mr. Dimming congratulates Melody on her success. Rose also tells Melody what a good job she’s done,... (full context)

After the competition, Mr. Dimming suggests the team and their parents all go straight from the studio to a celebratory... (full context)

...eating dessert because she feels sick, and then she vomits on the floor and on Mr. Dimming ’s shoes. Some of the other children laugh, and Melody wonders if Claire felt as... (full context)

...says it should have been the whole team in the paper. Rose agrees. In class, Mr. Dimming calls out Melody for helping the team win, but the clapping seems “more polite than... (full context)

...Melody’s mother, and her father try to figure out what happened. Mrs. V wonders if Mr. Dimming left Melody on purpose, and her mother hopes that “surely they wouldn’t have left her... (full context)

Mr. Dimming calls in the evening, and Melody’s mom answers. She’s angry, and asks why they weren’t... (full context)

When Melody goes to Mr. Dimming ’s class, he is clearly uncomfortable. Rose won’t make eye contact with her and everyone... (full context)

...that she had Melody’s phone number, but the whole team decided not to call her. Mr. Dimming and the team try to apologize by giving Melody their 9th place trophy. Melody starts... (full context)