Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Enduring Impact of Trauma
Shame and the Stigmatization of Pain
Projection and Denial
The Vicious Circle of Isolation and Social Awkwardness
Summary
Analysis
It’s Saturday morning. Eleanor realizes she hasn’t drunk her usual amount of vodka—she has a mostly full bottle of Smirnoff leftover. She puts this and some cheese slices in a bag to bring to Keith so as not to arrive empty-handed, as she previously did at Laura’s party. Eleanor leaves and meets Raymond at the train station, and they walk to the party together. Eleanor is wearing her new boots and struggles to keep up with Raymond, but he notices and slows down to meet her pace. Eleanor is touched by this small, kind gesture. She used to do things like this for people, “but that was before.”
A partially-consumed bottle of liquor and a bag of cheeses slices aren’t ideal items to bring to a party, but Eleanor is catching on to social etiquette practices little by little. When Eleanor notices Raymond slow down to meet her piece, it signifies that she is becoming more attuned to how humans relate to and help out one another. Being around others more often renders her more observant of these gestures. The fact that Eleanor could offer such gestures “before” suggests that she is not innately awkward, but rather that she is socially stunted as a result of her past.
Themes
Raymond and Eleanor arrive at the clubhouse where Keith’s party is being held. The party is chaotic, with children running and screaming and loud music blasting. Raymond tells Eleanor he needs a drink, and she readily follows him to the bar. Raymond laments the unpleasantness of family and how much worse it is to be around one when it isn’t one’s own. He apologizes for complaining, and Eleanor offers to get them both a second drink. On her way to the bar, Eleanor finds Sammy, who is happy to see her. Eleanor continues on to the bar and observes the party. To Eleanor, it seems as though all of the guests have taken it for granted that they will have parties to attend and families and loving relationships in their lives.
It’s difficult for Eleanor to see people carelessly spending time with their families because her own family situation is so complicated, likely in ways the reader has yet to understand. As much as Eleanor would like to enjoy herself at Keith’s party, thoughts like these enter her consciousness when she least expects them and affect her ability to be comfortable and live in the moment. This is another instance of past trauma’s influencing her present life.
Themes
When Eleanor returns with drinks, Raymond is nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, she feels Raymond’s hand on her shoulder. Human touch startles Eleanor because she has so little physical contact with others. Eleanor recalls that she and Declan had sex often, but it was only on his terms, and it was never affectionate.
Eleanor’s abusive relationship with Declan clearly still affects her present life, making it more difficult for her to accept human touch.
Themes
Raymond asks Eleanor if she’s been on her own since she was with Declan; not all men are like Declan, he reminds her. Eleanor says that she knows that not all men are like Declan because she’s recently met a nice man. Raymond responds uncomfortably to this remark and excuses himself to go to the bar. Eleanor asks him to bring her a vodka and cola, as she’s not feeling comfortable herself and needs vodka to fix it.
Raymond assumes that Eleanor is talking about him when she mentions meeting a nice man—but she is actually talking about the musician. Once alone, Eleanor seems unable to be sober and at peace with her thoughts; despite the fact that Eleanor has become better at socializing, she still needs vodka to dull the pain that comes when she is alone and starts to remember the past.
Themes
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Keith approaches Eleanor and asks her to dance, but the music changes to a song he dislikes and he excuses himself. Gary’s girlfriend, Michelle, pulls Eleanor into a group of women and Eleanor dances with them, enjoying herself. A ruddy, short man approaches her and offers to buy her a drink. Eleanor excuses herself to find the restroom. As she waits in line, she and another woman complain about the comparative lack of a line outside the men’s restroom. The woman asserts that it’s so easy for men, as they just “piss everywhere and then waltz off.” She’s clearly speaking figuratively, but Eleanor responds literally, arguing that she feels sorry for the men, as it must be rather uncomfortable to display one’s genitals around others. The woman calls Eleanor “mental,” and they don’t speak again.
Eleanor’s awkwardness cuts short her conversations with strangers. In this instance, her choice to respond literally and bluntly to the lovelorn woman’s wry complaints about men’s propensity to “piss everywhere and then waltz off” upsets the woman, leading her to exit the social situation before she and Eleanor have any opportunity to discuss anything beyond the superficial.
Themes
Eleanor returns from the bathroom and buys herself a Magners and a beer for Raymond, but he’s nowhere to be seen. She finally spots him dancing with Laura, whispering into her ear. Hurriedly, Eleanor drinks both her drink and Raymond’s before leaving the party.
Eleanor appears to be jealous of Raymond and Laura’s visible and easy-seeming intimacy. It’s possible that Eleanor is resentful that her past traumas and social awkwardness have made it more difficult for her to engage in effortless moments of intimacy than it is for Laura to do so.
Themes
