During the 2nd marking period, in chapter 47, Melinda unexpectedly sees Andy in a donut shop. Melinda thinks to herself,
Maybe he won’t notice me if I stand still. That’s how rabbits survive; they freeze in the presence of predators. (Anderson)
Unfortunately, Andy spots Melinda and approaches. As he moves closer to her, the terrified Melinda flees. Melinda describes her thoughts as she runs,
BunnyRabbit bolts, leaving fast tracks in the snow. Getaway getaway getaway. Why didn’t I run like this before when I was a one-piece talking girl?(Anderson)
Indeed, in this one scene Melinda refers to herself as a bunny rabbit twice.
When considering the entire novel, Anderson uses the theme of predator and prey to great effect. Multiple instances exist where bunnies or rabbits enter the narrative. For example, Melinda collects stuffed bunnies and refers to their silence, just as she has lost her voice. While most predators overcome their prey, Anderson shows how even those who believe they are weak (prey) can become strong and triumph over larger, cruel predators.
The answer to this question can be found in chapter 47. The title of this chapter is "Cold Weather and Busses." The chapter begins with Melinda getting up late and missing the bus. Her mom tells her to walk to school. Melinda is caught a bit off-guard by that response; however, she does begin walking to school. The walk is going quite nicely, and Melinda decides that she's going to spend some of her lunch money on a doughnut from the doughnut shop. The only problem is that she sees Andy Evans coming out of the doughnut shop. She is momentarily frozen with fear, because Andy is the boy that raped her the previous summer. Melinda hopes that Andy doesn't see her, but of course he does. He approaches her and offers her a bit of his doughnut. Melinda doesn't say anything. She turns and runs like a "bunny rabbit."
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