Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is a realistic fiction novel. This book demonstrates how two people from different worlds can fall in love with each other. Eleanor comes from a Danish family, giving her the trait of her crazy red hair. Her stepdad, Richie, physically abuses her mother. On the other end, Park comes from a perfect family. His mother is Korean, and his father is Irish. They raise him and his younger brother with manners. Their story began in August 1986. It was the first day of school in the school bus. Eleanor was a new student in Park’s bus. In Park’s bus everyone reserved their own seats. No one ever changed their seating, and no one was willing to allow Eleanor to sit with them. In the end, with annoyance and frustration, Park scooted over and allowed Eleanor to sit next to him. The only class that Eleanor had with someone she knew was in language. It was no one special though, the Asian kid from the bus. Soon after Park realized that every time he reads in the bus, Eleanor was reading along. One day he decides to buy this new comic book, Watchman, to show her (not saying a word to her though). When they were on the way home on the bus, they continued reading it. At Eleanor’s stop, Park handed her the comic, not saying a word. With surprise, Eleanor took it. As time goes by, they continue to read more comics together on the bus. One random day, Park decided to walk over to Eleanor’s house to continue reading a comic. Richie opened the door then slammed it. Seconds later Eleanor comes out. They finished reading another part of Watchman, and Eleanor rushes home. The next day in the bus, she looked troubled. Park apologizes and asks her to go over to his house sometimes. Eleanor finally agrees after he begs her the whole day at school. As he apologized in the bus, he held the silky ribbon she tied on her risk. He slowly rubs the scarf between his fingers then with surprise he slid his hand to hers. His thumb rubbed against her palm. Later on during the day, he thinks if it was possible to have hand raped someone because he realized that she did not do anything to try and touch him back. On the ride home, she reached over and held his hand. Days after days, she went over to Parks house, getting closer to his mother, father, and him. One morning, Eleanor noticed that something was bothering Park. Once out of the bus, Park stopped and waited for Steve. Park took a swing at Steve causing a fight. With teachers holding them back and their heads down dripping blood Park yelled out to Steve, “’Leave…my girlfriend…alone.’”(Rowell 131). This changed a mass of actions at school and at home with Park and his father. As time goes on, Eleanor and Park becomes closer. They have their first kiss, then their first date which led to sexual intercourse. That was only once until the twist of Richie finding out about them.
Conflicts
There was a conflict between Eleanor and her bullies: character vs. characters/society (Tia, Tia’s friends, people on the bus, and Steve).This is character vs. characters because it was between Eleanor and people around her. This could also be character vs. society because the people use society to judge and bully her. This conflict was mostly resolved after the fight of Park and Steve. Before the physical fight, Park had a mental fight with himself to stand up for Eleanor: character vs. self. His argument to not stand up for her was that Steve’s group would turn on him. After thinking about this, he realizes that Eleanor is more important to him then his status. The main problem throughout the book was Richie finding out about Eleanor and Park: character vs. character. This then ends to the climax and resolution on Eleanor and Park.
Themes
Warning: This will spoil the end!
One theme to Eleanor and Park is love holds strong forever even if it seems impossible to meet, first impression on parent was not strong, and moving further away from each other. This is first illustrated when Park and Eleanor could not find any time to be with each other. Park tries and tries to meet with her. “Park rode his bike by her house over and over one day… ‘please, hey… is your sister home?’” (Rowell 182-183). It was devastating, yet they held on strongly and did the impossible by sneaking out one night during winter break. Even though it was nearly impossible to meet up, their love broke the impossible. In the same light, it seemed impossible for Eleanor to reach Park’s mother’s expectation for Park, yet in the end, Park’s mother strongly connects with Eleanor. They have once again defeated the impossible from the love they have formed. Specifically, Eleanor and park was separated at the end of the novel, yet Park writes to her for a full year and never stopped thinking about her. In the end she finally replied with three words. Altogether, the theme of this novel shown by achieving the impossible, getting approval even though first impression failed, and never forgetting each other even when separated, love holds strong forever!
The theme of Eleanor and Park is if it is fate to fall in love, it will come true no matter what is in the way: this is seen when Park and Eleanor fall in love after hating each other, Park defending Eleanor, and even after Richie fond out. This is first seen when Park fist saw Eleanor and hated her, yet at the end he could not let her go. They started their relationship with hatred and ended with not being able to live without each other. This is true love that fate has rewarded them. Moreover, Park decided to defend Eleanor instead of ignoring her bullies at school. He was hesitant at first but love conquers him and tells him: Eleanor is more important than school status. Their fate to love has conquered him to do what is right for her and their relationship. Last but not least, even though they were separated, they never stopped thinking about each other. They were separated because Richie found out and threatened Eleanor, so Park drove her over to her uncle’s house. She stayed there while Park had to go back home. Their fate to love kept them in love and thinking of each other when they were miles and mile apart. In conclusion, the theme of Eleanor and Park is if it is fate to fall in love it will happen no matter what: Park and Eleanor fell in love even though they hated each other, Park defending Eleanor, and the separation of the two did not stop their love.