Eleanor & Park Appearances Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Not just new—but big and awkward. With crazy hair, bright red on top of curly. And she was dressed like… like she wanted people to look at her. Or maybe like she didn't get what a mess she was… Like something that wouldn't survive in the wild. (1.41)

When Park first sees Eleanor, he's almost shocked by how she looks. She's impossible not to notice, and he cringes inwardly, knowing she'll be a target for the kids on the bus.

Quote #2

When Eleanor was a little girl, she'd thought her mom looked like a queen, like the star of some fairy tale […] You'd look at Eleanor's mom and think she must be carved into the prow of a Viking ship somewhere or maybe painted on the side of a plane […](4.24-26)

Eleanor gives us an amazing description of her mom's beauty. Too bad it only lands her a string of terrible husbands.

Quote #3

Jesus, was she weird. Today she was dressed like a Christmas tree, with all this stuff pinned to her clothes, shapes cut out of fabric, ribbon […] (6.14)

Even though we her a lot of Eleanor's inner thoughts, we never hear Eleanor talk about why she decorates her clothes, or why she ties scarves on her wrists. Why do you think Rowell never has Eleanor mention all of her colorful decorations?