How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Today the girl was wearing a giant man's shirt with seashells all over it. The collar must have been really big, like disco-big, because she'd cut it, and it was fraying. She had a man's necktie wrapped around her ponytail like a big polyester ribbon. She looked ridiculous. (7.6)
Eleanor doesn't just wear men's shirts—she wears ties, too. Except she takes the idea of wearing a tie and flips it upside down. So we've got a girl wearing a men's tie, but using it as a ponytail ribbon. Yep, those traditional gender roles are looking a little scrambled.
Quote #2
"The X-Men aren't sexist," he said, shaking his head. "They're a metaphor for acceptance; they've sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them."
"Yeah," she said, "but—"
"There's no but," he said, laughing.
"But," Eleanor insisted, "the girls are all so stereotypically girly and passive. Half of them just think really hard. Like that's their superpower, thinking. And Shadowcat's power is even worse—she disappears." (14.49-52)
We love how Eleanor thinks about the women in comic books: Even though there are heroines in these comics, Eleanor points out that their powers are very stereotypical.
Quote #3
When Tina liked Park instead of Steve in grade school, Steve had said, "I think she feels safe with you because you're like half-girl." Park hated football. He cried when his dad took him pheasant hunting […] And he kind of wanted his mom to give him blond highlights. Park knew he was different. (19.161)
Here are a few great reasons why Park feels different from a stereotypical guy. Imagine growing up with Park's dad and hating hunting and football—we get why Park doesn't think his dad understands him.
Quote #4
His mom was a beautician who sold Avon. She never left the house without touching up her mascara. When Patti Smith was on Saturday Night Live, his mom had gotten upset—"Why she want to look like man? It's so sad."
Eleanor, today, was wearing her sharkskin suit jacket and an old plaid cowboy shirt. She had more in common with his grandpa than his mom. (21.28-29)
Park's mom loves traditional "girly" beauty so much that she can't even imagine why a woman would want to look any different. No wonder she has such a hard time understanding Eleanor at first.
Quote #5
Park didn't know if Eleanor even had any girls' clothes—and he didn't care. He kind of liked that she didn't. Maybe that was another gay thing about him, but he didn't think so, because Eleanor wouldn't look like a guy even if you cut off her hair and gave her a mustache. All the men's clothes she wore just called attention to how much of a girl she was. (27.30)
So maybe Eleanor wears men's clothing because she wants to look different… Maybe she just feels more comfortable… Or maybe she doesn't want anyone to think of her as a girl. Whatever the reason, Park thinks there's no way not to notice Eleanor's femininity. What do you think Eleanor would say to that?
Quote #6
"But I don't wear makeup."
"Why not?"
Maybe Eleanor should say that she wasn't allowed to. That would sound nicer than, because makeup is a lie. (35.72-74)
Eleanor thinks makeup is "a lie" when she wears it, but she just loves it on Park. Why? And why does she think it's a lie, anyway?
Quote #7
"Park," she said, "do you… want to look like girl? Is that what this about? Eleanor dress like boy. You look like girl?"
"No…" Park said. "I just like it. I like the way it feels."
"Like girl?"
"No," he said. "Like myself." (36.11-14)
A really important thought, here, from Park: He doesn't wear makeup because he wants to feel like a girl; he just likes wearing it, no strings attached. But by doing that, Park's taking the idea of makeup and challenging whether it's just for girls, or not.
Quote #8
Park wondered if it was just the eyeliner that had done it—or if the eyeliner had been the pencil that broke the camel's back. Like Park had spent sixteen years acting weak and weird and girlie, and his dad had borne it on his massive shoulders. And then one day, Park put on makeup, and that was it, his dad just shrugged him off. (38.56)
Was the eyeliner the final straw for Park's dad? We don't think so, but we do think Park's onto something here. Seeing a visual reminder of Park's differences was probably difficult for Jamie.
Quote #9
"Well, I'm not the Princess Leia," he said.
"Don't get so hung up on gender roles," Eleanor said. (42.63-64)
Park, you are so the Princess Leia. But don't worry, she has all the funniest lines.
Quote #10
They walked out to the Impala, and Park opened the door for Eleanor. "I can open my own door," she said. And by the time he got to his side, she'd leaned over the seat and pushed his door open. (45.29)
This is just one little way Eleanor challenges stereotypes, but all these little ways add up. She even opens Park's door here. Didn't we say he's Princess Leia, anyway?