Eleanor and Park

by

Rainbow Rowell

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Eleanor and Park: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
On Monday, when Eleanor steps onto the bus, she can’t help smiling all the way down the aisle to Park. When she sits down next to him, he takes her hand and kisses it. Park whispers that he missed Eleanor all weekend, and she feels tears spring to her eyes. Neither of them say anything else on the ride to school, even as they squeeze each other’s hands the whole way. At school, Park walks Eleanor to her locker. When the bell rings, he springs one of her curls before he heads off to class, telling Eleanor that he’s going “Back to missing [her]” until he sees her again.
Park and Eleanor are growing emotionally closer with every passing day—even the days that they’re apart—and becoming more emboldened about how they interact with one another in public. Their love for one another is helping them each to dissolve the shame they often find themselves feeling.
Themes
Adolescence and Shame Theme Icon
Love and Intimacy Theme Icon
Eleanor is pulled out of homeroom to meet with her counselor, Mrs. Dunne, who wants to know how Eleanor is doing. Eleanor says she’s doing well—and Mrs. Dunne tells her that she looks good. Mrs. Dunne tells Eleanor that she’s getting A’s in almost all of her classes, and expresses how proud she is of Eleanor. She tells Eleanor that the reason she called her down to the office is because Eleanor’s father called the school looking for her—Mrs. Dunne offers Eleanor the use of her office phone to call him back. Mrs. Dunne stands up to leave the room, telling Eleanor that she should feel free to use the phone anytime she needs to.
From this exchange between Eleanor and her guidance counselor, it’s clear to see that Mrs. Dunne knows that Eleanor has been having difficulties. Though Eleanor still has a lot happening at home—and is being bullied regularly at school—things with Park are going to well that they seem to blot out everything else for the moment.
Themes
Love and Intimacy Theme Icon
Poverty and Class Theme Icon
Family and Abuse Theme Icon
Eleanor calls her father, who asks how she is—and why she never calls. Eleanor feels there’s no use telling her dad that there’s no phone in the house—there’s no use, she thinks, in telling him anything about what’s really going on. Eleanor’s dad invites her to come over and babysit her half-brother Matt while he and his fiancée, Donna, go to a wedding on Friday night. He tells her that he’ll pay her 10 bucks—and let her order pizza and spend the night. Eleanor agrees, and her dad says he’ll pick her up from school on Friday at 3 p.m.
Eleanor’s father doesn’t have a clue as to what’s really going on in his children’s lives—or the abuse and danger they face daily. Eleanor doesn’t see the use in telling her dad, and based on the fact that in spite of living in the same city as her he never makes an effort to see her, it seems like Eleanor knows that her father is not about to provide her an escape route from Richie’s house.
Themes
Family and Abuse Theme Icon
Before the start of English class, Park tells Cal that he’s not going to homecoming. Cal begs Park to tag along to help Cal “bait […] [his] Kim trap.” Park is distracted when Eleanor walks in the room and smiles widely at him; he smiles back, but then Eleanor drops her gaze “self-consciously.” Cal begs Park once more to at least ahead the homecoming game—Park sighs and nods.
Cal still has dreams of womanizing every girl in school with Park at his side—not knowing that Park is already invested in someone.
Themes
Adolescence and Shame Theme Icon
Love and Intimacy Theme Icon
Get the entire Eleanor and Park LitChart as a printable PDF.
Eleanor and Park PDF
Eleanor is on cloud nine all day. She can’t stop thinking about the fact that Park likes her—and misses her when she’s not around. Eleanor doesn’t even get stressed when the girls in gym class are mean to her. She feels Park has cast a kind of protective “force field” around her.
Eleanor feels sheltered and held by Park’s love. His affection for her makes her feel confident, capable and invincible—it has blotted out so much of the shame that has followed her throughout the last several years.
Themes
Adolescence and Shame Theme Icon
Love and Intimacy Theme Icon