Eleanor and Park

Eleanor hates many of her peers because of the way they treat her, but in the wake of the recent gym class incident she is pleasantly surprised to find that DeNice and Beebi have started talking to her regularly, and have even gone so far as to ask Eleanor to sit with them at lunch from now on. This makes Eleanor ecstatic.

Next, the narrative shifts to Park’s perspective as he sits with Cal in English class. Cal is bugging Park about random things but Park is too busy staring at Eleanor to pay any serious attention to his friend. Cal says that he has recently learned that Kim likes Park and thus Park should ask Kim to go to an upcoming school dance, but Park continues to ignore him.

Eleanor’s fear that Park will stop talking to her is vanquished as the two come to talk more and more with each other as the days pass. Soon, they are talking about anything and everything they could possibly think of: comics, movies, game shows, and much more. Each conversation between the two brings them closer together.

After school one evening, Park is finishing up a Taekwondo practice session when his classmate Steve comes over and dares Park to go to see Eleanor. Park is not sure where Eleanor lives, but he begins wandering in the direction of where he thinks her house is. He correctly guesses which house is hers and knocks on the door, only to be greeted by Richie. Richie silently closes the door and Eleanor comes out a few moments later.

The two friends go and sit on the stairs of a nearby school in order to read through a comic together, but as soon as they have finished Eleanor gets up and returns home. When she is back inside, Richie confronts her and asks her whether or not she is dating Park. Eleanor is adamant that there is nothing going on between her and Park, but Richie still calls her a “bitch in heat” (63).

Later that night, as Eleanor is lying in her bed, she cannot help but think of how much she hates Richie. Now every time she thinks of Park, she also thinks of how aggressively Richie confronted her. Eleanor’s little sister Maisie asks whether or not Eleanor is really dating Park, and Eleanor firmly repeats that she is not. 

Chapter fifteen begins the next morning. Eleanor’s mother tries to discuss Park’s visit the previous day but Eleanor quickly assures her that he won’t be coming back again. Her mother tries to explain that it is for the best, as Eleanor is still too young to date seriously, but Eleanor knows that Richie is the real reason that Park is not allowed to visit her at home.

When Eleanor gets on the bus that morning, she tells Park that she appreciates him bringing the comic book by the previous day. Park begins to play with the scarf that Eleanor has tied around her wrist until eventually he slips his hand into Eleanor’s open palm. At this moment, Eleanor feels like everything has changed for good.

When their bus arrives at school, the two let go of each other’s hands. Park realizes that Eleanor had not really grasped his hand back and is worried that something was wrong. Park asked Eleanor if she is feeling alright, and she tells him that she feels fine. Park then tells her that he will see her in English class and walks away.

As Park leaves, he feels horrified at what just happened. He feels as if he “raped” Eleanor’s hand because she had not grasped his hand back. He wondered if it was possible to “rape somebody’s hand” (69). Later, during English class, Eleanor does not acknowledge Park’s presence. As the school day ends, Park gets on the bus to find Eleanor sitting in his window seat. He sits down next to her, and she nervously takes his hand. The chapter closes with the two teenagers staring at their entwined hands. 

This chapter opens with Eleanor musing over how much she hates weekends, Saturdays in particular. She feels that “Saturdays are the worst” (70). She can’t wait to see Park and Monday seems so far away. She has preserved the only decent pair of batteries that she has so that she can listen to the mix-tapes Park has made for her on the day that she misses Park most intensely. As the music starts, she begins to daydream about holding Park’s hand again. The narrative explains that Eleanor thinks Park is very cute; their attraction is blossoming.

At this point, the perspective switches back to that of Park. Park’s father is trying to teach Park to drive a stick shift using the family’s old truck, but Park cannot get the hang of it and the truck’s engine keeps dying. Park’s father gets irritated with his son and chastises Park for not being able to learn to drive as fast as his little brother had. The chapter closes with Park getting out of the truck and walking home.

On Monday, Eleanor sits down next to Park on the bus as usual. Park immediately grabs Eleanor’s hand and kisses it, and she is so ecstatic over this gesture that she jokingly thinks she might die. Once Eleanor arrives at school, she is called into the office of the school’s counselor, Mrs. Dunne. Mrs. Dunne tells Eleanor that her father has contacted the school because he had no other way to reach Eleanor. Mrs. Dunne says that Eleanor can use her phone any time and Eleanor agrees to call her dad.

Eleanor’s father asks how she has been doing, and she tells him that she has been doing fine. He mentions that he has a new fiancée and that he would greatly appreciate it if she could come over and babysit for him on Friday. Eleanor agrees, and her father tells her that he will pick her up after school on Friday.

Later that day, Eleanor enters Mrs. Stressman’s English class and smiles at Park. Mrs. Stressman notices this and tells Eleanor that she looks radiant today, which immediately causes her to stop smiling as if she were a deer caught in headlights. The chapter ends with Park telling Eleanor that he missed her since the last time they were together. This sentiment melts Eleanor’s heart, and she begins to realize that Park truly likes her and that he makes her feel safe.

Chapter eighteen opens with Eleanor’s mother refusing to let Eleanor babysit for her father, as he had not specified that Eleanor’s other siblings could tag along: “He has four children … Did he forget that” (82). As they debate the matter, Eleanor pleads with her mom not to mention this to Richie, as she knows he will simply say no for the pleasure of spiting her. Eleanor’s mother eventually agrees to let Eleanor babysit, but she specifies that she must split any of her earnings with her siblings. Eleanor is delighted, as she simply wants to spend Friday talking on the phone with Park.

When Eleanor sees Park on the bus that day, she asks for his phone number which makes him laugh, and he jokes that she is hitting on him. When he offers to write it down for her he sees a vulgar phrase etched across the top of Eleanor’s notebook. He asks her who wrote it and Eleanor responds that she does not know. Eleanor is embarrassed that he’s seen the message, but things proceed as normal and Park gives her his home phone number.

After seeing the vulgar phrase on Eleanor’s notebook, Park begins to think about how enraged he is by the fact that she is bullied. His temper rises and he feels a strong urge to punch something. Sometimes Park is embarrassed when he is walking with Eleanor, as some of their peers will make fun of them being together, but for him this embarrassment is easily overridden by the strong desire to be near Eleanor.

That day at lunch, Eleanor is shaken by the idea of calling Park and she cannot eat. Later, on the bus home, Park tells Eleanor that their impending phone call seems like a date. Park takes her hand and places it over his heart, which makes Eleanor realize that she is falling in love with him.

It is the Friday Eleanor is going to babysit for her father and she wakes up ecstatic. “She felt like it was her birthday” (91). As she gets dressed, she considers the fact that she has not seen her father in over a year. She remembers when she was younger and her father never seemed to want her or her siblings around. She ruminates upon how he took every opportunity he could to offload them on Eleanor’s mom. 

After school Eleanor waits for her father to arrive but she is not sure what car she should be looking for. Her father eventually pulls up in a stylish convertible and drives off at an excessive speed after picking her up. When they get to his house, he begins talking on the phone and chain-smoking cigarettes while they wait for his fiancée, Donna, to arrive. Eleanor notices that her father’s house is much better furnished than it was a year ago and that his kitchen is stocked with groceries. Once her dad and his fiancée leave, Eleanor plans to eat as much as she possibly can.

While her dad continues to talk on the phone and drink scotch, Eleanor searches through his vinyl albums so that she can make Park a mix-tape in return for all the tapes he has made her. She has no idea which songs he would like, but after stumbling upon a Beatles album she decides to put them on the tape because she is certain that Park has not listened to them before.

At this point, the narrative switches back to Park’s viewpoint. The reader learns that Park’s mother Mindy is an extremely successful hairstylist, and everyone in town comes to her to get their hair done. On this Friday, Park’s bully Tina is getting her hair styled by Mindy for the upcoming homecoming dance, and Tina asks Mindy if she has met Park’s girlfriend yet. Mindy is surprised by this as she had no idea that Park had a girlfriend. Park is furious with Tina and he denies having a girlfriend.

Later that day, Park waits for Eleanor to call. Instead, Park’s grandmother calls and begins talking for an extremely long time, even though she lives next door. Park tells his father that he is expecting a call, and his little brother Josh announces to everyone present that Park is in a relationship with “Big Red.” Park is outraged and tells Josh he will kill him if he ever says anything like that again. Park’s grandmother finally ends her call and the phone immediately rings; it’s Eleanor. He takes the phone into his room and the two begin talking about their lives. Park tells Eleanor that he is half Asian, and she remarks that she thinks he is cool.

As the conversation progresses, Eleanor sidesteps nearly all of Park’s personal questions. She is reluctant to discuss anything about her family or her personal life. Instead, she tells Park that she misses him and that she wishes that they were together at that moment. Eleanor begins to sob and tells Park that their relationship will never work out, as her stepdad is insane and will never allow it. Park asks her why Richie would care and Eleanor explains that she thinks he wants to kill her.

Park changes the subject by telling Eleanor that she can ask him anything, so she asks why he likes her. Park explains that he does not merely like Eleanor—he absolutely needs her in his life. Eleanor is silent for a time, and then she tells Park that she thinks that the purpose of her life is to be with Park. Their conversation once again turns to Richie, and Eleanor explains that he once kicked her out of his house for a year. She tells Park that Richie would do anything to spite her so he would never permit her to have a relationship with Park.

Park tells Eleanor that she should visit his house sometime, but Eleanor does say whether she will or not. Eleanor’s dad finally comes home, and Eleanor becomes frustrated because she does not feel that she has adequately articulated her feelings for Park. Right before they hang up, Park tells Eleanor that he loves her for the first time.

For her babysitting efforts, Eleanor’s dad gives her just seven dollars. Before leaving his house, she steals some soap and some new toothbrushes. After Eleanor’s father drops Donna off, he takes Eleanor and her siblings for a ride in his brand new car. Eleanor wishes she could call the police, as she is certain that her dad has been drinking all morning. Later, Eleanor’s dad takes her and her siblings to see a drive-in movie, and Eleanor is surprised by the fact that she is enjoying herself.

The narrative focus switches to Park. He regrets having told Eleanor that he loved her, as he thinks it was too soon. That evening, Park dresses in formal attire for his weekly dinner with his grandparents. At dinner that night, the entire family discusses Park’s new girlfriend Eleanor. Park’s grandmother mentions that she knows Richie is not a good man, and she feels bad that Eleanor has to live with him. Park thinks about introducing Eleanor to his family, but he is not sure how they would react.

The chapter ends with Eleanor asking her mom if she can go to Tina’s house after school. Eleanor’s mom agrees; she is happy that Eleanor is being social with her peers. What Eleanor’s mom does not know is that Eleanor is really planning to visit Park.

Chapter twenty-one begins with Eleanor worrying that Park may see her differently now that he has professed his love for her. Eleanor herself is completely infatuated with Park at this point, and the two have grown to be extremely comfortable in one another’s company. While they are holding hands the next morning, Eleanor gives Park the mix-tape of Beatles songs that she made for him and tells him that she is free to come over to his house later. Park agrees, but tells her that he will have to keep the door to his room ajar.

Now that he knows Eleanor will be coming over later, Park begins to panic about how he will introduce his new girlfriend to his parents. He fears that his parents, and particularly his mother, will not accept Eleanor’s tomboyish looks and her awkward behavior. Park rushes home and tells his mother that Eleanor will be visiting later and pleads with her to “be cool” (124). When Eleanor arrives Park notices that she looks extremely nervous. The two sit on the couch together but Eleanor begins to cry and says that she should leave as she is just an embarrassment. Park tells her that she has nothing to worry about but after a quarter of an hour Eleanor goes home.

 Eleanor is certain that Park will break up with her for her earlier behavior. She thinks about how cute Park’s family is, though his mom does not even look human. For the rest of her journey home, Eleanor is consumed by thoughts of how her relationship with Park is over and how she could never fit into his seemingly “perfect family.”

The next day, the bus ride to school is quite awkward for Eleanor. She asks Park whether or not they are done for good, but Park says he is just angry about how she behaved yesterday. He feels like she was determined to not stay at his house before she even had even arrived. As the two discuss what happened, some other kids in the back of the bus begin chanting Big Red.

Once their bus arrives at school, Park takes off his jacket and his backpack. Eleanor begs him to stop but Park declares that he is going to stop her bullies once and for all. Steve, one of the bullies, gets of the bus and directs yet another mean remark to Eleanor, which causes Park to snap: “Leave … my girlfriend … alone” (134). He rushes over to Steve, pushes him, and then swirls around and kicks him in the mouth. The two continue to tussle until they are pulled apart by bystanders; both of them have blood on their faces. Park screams at Steve and tells him to leave his girlfriend alone, to which Steve responds that he did not know that Park and Eleanor were dating.

After being taken to the office, Park learns that he is being suspended for two days. Park’s father comes to collect him because his mother is too angry to do it herself. Park received a broken nose and black eye during his fight with Steve, but his dad is impressed to find out that Park performed a reverse hook kick during the fight. When they arrive home, Park’s mother starts yelling at him. She tells Park that he is acting like white trash, but Park explains that he was protecting his girlfriend. Regardless, Park’s mother grounds him.

Eleanor brings the books Park left at school to his house and Park’s father goes to check with Park’s mom if it’s okay for her to visit him. Through the open door she overhears Park’s dad say that he expected Big Red to be bigger. When he returns to the door, he tells her to come in and say hello to Park. When she gets to Park’s room she is shocked to see the condition of his face. Eleanor tells him that people are going to continue messing with her no matter what, and she pleads with him not to get in a brawl every time it happens. No one bullies her during the next two days at school, and she is happy to be reunited with Park on the bus on Friday morning.

Despite being grounded, Park feels at peace with the world. He tells Eleanor that he wants her to visit again but that it will have to be when he’s no longer grounded. Meanwhile, at school, everyone has stopped bullying Eleanor. Her friends Beebi and DeNice beg her to tell them everything about the fight between Park and Steve. As they talk about the fight, DeNice gives Eleanor an ice cream cone.

Soon after, Park’s dad tells his son that he will end his punishment “as soon as you learn how to drive the family’s stick” (146). Then, he says, Park can drive Eleanor around town. Park’s mom, on the other hand, wants Park to be grounded forever and says that Park should not date a girl that dresses in such a masculine manner.

Park goes with his family to his grandparent’s house for dinner and spends some time looking through old photographs of his mom and dad. When Park and his family return to their own house later, Park’s father tells Park that he is no longer grounded and that he should invite Eleanor over for dinner. Park is excited to tell Eleanor the good news.

Eleanor is woken up by the sound of multiple gunshots and slammed doors. She immediately intuits that Richie is the source of this chaos and she quickly slips out of her window and runs over to her neighbor’s house to call 911. The neighbor lets her make the call and the emergency dispatcher asks if Eleanor can return home and open the door for the police. Eleanor returns to her house, opens the front door for the impending arrival of the police, and then runs and hides in her room.

Eleanor waits until she hears the police arrive. She can hear Richie screaming at them, at which point her mother bursts into the room and grabs Eleanor. She tells her to tell the police that the whole incident was just a mistake. Eventually Eleanor can hear the police leaving and then Richie opens to door to her room and stands in the doorway. Richie punches the door and tells Eleanor never to call the police again. After slamming the door, he leaves. Eleanor’s mother goes to talk to him, and Eleanor is left to comfort her frightened younger siblings.