How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
That girl—all of them—hated Eleanor before they'd even laid eyes on her. Like they'd been hired to kill her in a past life. (2.9)
Immediately, Eleanor's isolated from her peers because of how she looks. They take one look at her and decide they're going to shun her. She doesn't even have a chance, does she?
Quote #2
It wouldn't do any good to tell him that she hadn't been that girl at her old school. Yeah, she'd been made fun of before. There were always mean boys—and there were always, always mean girls—but she'd had friends at her old school. (18.49)
Interesting that Eleanor tells us she wasn't always badly bullied—she wasn't "that girl," she says. This school is different. Why do you think Eleanor was immediately singled out? What does that say about the culture at Park's school?
Quote #3
There were moments—not just today, moments every day since they'd met—when Eleanor made him self-conscious, when he saw people talking and he was sure they were talking about them. Raucous moments on the bus when he was sure that everyone was laughing at them. (18.87)
Park's friendship with Eleanor comes at a cost: It cuts him off from the rest of his class. He can't imagine bringing her to a school dance, or inviting other kids to hang out with them. It's almost like they have to exist in their own separate universe.