Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Eleanor and Park, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Adolescence and Shame
Love and Intimacy
Poverty and Class
Family and Abuse
Summary
Analysis
On Monday morning, Eleanor seems “off.” Park lets her rest her head on his shoulder the whole bus ride, and doesn’t bring up coming to dinner at all. Even by the time they get to school and Park walks Eleanor to her locker, she still seems closed-off and strange, and Park is afraid that even if he tells her the good news about being un-grounded, she might not really hear him.
Eleanor is deeply affected by the scary events of the previous night, but won’t share with Park just how frightening and vulnerable the entire ordeal made her feel. She wants his quiet support instead—but he is made nervous by her almost catatonic demeanor.
Themes
The narrative switches to Eleanor’s perspective. All day, she is consumed of thoughts about where she could possibly go if Richie kicks her out of the house again. She revisits painful memories of the first time Richie kicked her out—the two of them got into a horrible screaming match because Richie didn’t like the sound of Eleanor’s typewriter, and the fight culminated in Sabrina leading her out of the house and bringing her to a neighbor’s. Eleanor had no idea she wouldn’t be allowed back in the house for a year.
Eleanor is traumatized by the events of the previous year, when her family chose Richie over her—and when her mother left her to fend for herself rather than abandon her abusive husband.
Themes
The narrative returns to Park’s point of view once again. All day, he watches the pensive Eleanor and worries about her. She doesn’t say anything on the bus, but again rests her head on Park’s shoulder the whole way. When Eleanor gets off at her stop, Park follows her off so that he can tell her he’s not grounded anymore—and invite her over. Eleanor doesn’t immediately accept his invitation, and Park asks her if she still wants to hang out. Eleanor nods, but Park sees tears springing to her eyes. Eleanor tells Park she’s “just really tired,” but Park worries she’s “slipping away” from him.
Park doesn’t know the specifics of what’s going on with Eleanor—but based on his rudimentary understanding of her complicated personal life, he knows that there are things about her he might never be able to comprehend. He worries that their troubles will prove insurmountable, or that Eleanor will drift away from him due to her personal problems rather than giving him the chance to help her.
Themes
