Born to Rock

Melinda Rapaport is Leo’s oldest friend. Melinda dresses in goth attire, listens to heavy metal and punk music, and campaigns for liberal causes. Melinda acts as a foil to Leo throughout most of the novel, though later she becomes his romantic interest. Melinda and Leo’s history goes as far back as they can remember, and their dads were best friends, too. Melinda’s dad died on the way to work one day, and ever since, Leo has felt sympathy for Melinda that makes it hard for him to stand up to her. For example, Melinda’s request for Leo to tutor her friend, Owen Stevenson, sets off the chain of events that leads to Leo losing his scholarship.

Melinda starts the novel as a friend who “never gave up trying to liberalize” (11) Leo and steer him away from his Republican path. Melinda worries that Leo won’t be able to appreciate art and music if he adopts a Republican perspective because she sees this kind of identification as a large part of identity.

Much of Melinda’s own identity revolves around music. She listens to “punk, thrash, headbanger, metal, hardcore” music, and she “wasn’t just a music fan. She lived and breathed music” (13). In the first half of the book, Melinda is instrumental in getting Leo familiar with Purge: Melinda’s essay on punk rock, posted to her online Graffiti-Wall blog, kickstarts Leo’s pursuit of his biological father, while her decision to stand in line for tickets to the Concussed press conferences lets Leo get close enough to the band in person to hand over his letter to King Maggot.

Melinda spends much of the novel upset with Leo, as he keeps secrets about his ties and adventures with King Maggot from her. Unbeknownst to Leo at first, Melinda is also on the road with Concussed, camping in each city at the festival grounds. However, Melinda softens as she notices Leo change, as her online blog’s entries about his heart being good indicate. Melinda also changes physically while on the road. She stops applying her makeup and dying her hair, as it’s difficult and expensive while traveling, and she dresses for the hot summer festival days, shedding the layers of goth clothing she usually wears. Leo’s attraction to Melinda’s new suntanned look—a mixture of her former intense goth vibe and more easy-going boho style—echoes his own transformation into “a punk Republican” (202). Melinda reciprocates Leo’s feelings, and in the end, they grow to respect each other’s identities and be more flexible with their world views.

King Maggot, born Marion X. McMurphy, is the frontman, vocalist, and founding member of legendary punk rock band Purge. King is described as “more than a rock star. He was the cultural boogeyman of his time” (39). King Maggot is famous for his outlandish behavior in the punk rock scene during Purge’s active years, from 1984 to 1990. For example, he “drove a three-thousand cc Harley through the plate glass window” of his lawyer’s office (38). King’s appearance matches his reputation: He has the sides of his head shaved and wears an electric chair earring. He also dons a hangman’s noose around his neck when performing. Leo describes a photo of King from the 80s as “pure unadulterated rage” (40). In the present, King is “the best preserved [member of Purge], mostly because he was slim and still had a full head of dark hair” (64), but Leo can sense he’s lost some of the rage.

Little is told about King Maggot’s personal life during the 16 years Purge remained out of the spotlight, only that he never settled down with a family. For most of the novel, Leo believes King Maggot is his biological father and makes efforts to get to know the man with little success. King, who also believes he’s Leo’s biological father, remains aloof and away from the social gatherings of the Concussed tour. However, they reach a turning point in Chapter 18, when King helps Leo track down another Purge member’s dog. King expresses pleasant surprise at Leo’s table-throwing behavior, saying it runs in the family. Leo acknowledges this as “the most fatherly thing he’d ever said to me” (157). They continue to bond that night, with King teaching Leo how to make guttural screams. King also admits that he spends a lot of time on the internet and has searched Leo’s name. This chapter reveals the depth of familial affection that King holds for Leo, despite not outwardly showing it.

King’s fatherly fondness for Leo continues to grow, culminating in King’s decision to break through the assistant principal’s office window on a Harley to rescue Leo from having to beg for his scholarship back. Even after Leo tells King that they aren’t father and son, King confirms that he sees Leo as family, wants to pay for Harvard, and be a part of Leo’s life.