It is a well-known fact that, unfortunately, many great love stories are tragedies. Eleanor and Park, a novel by Rainbow Rowell, is a romance that doesn’t exactly have a happy ending. But, what makes it interesting is that Eleanor, one of the main characters, certainly doesn’t go down without a fight. Eleanor fits the archetype of the determined victim- she definitely has it rough, but she bravely forges onward.
One example of difficulty in Eleanor’s life is her appearances. Eleanor is the new kid in school, and everyone harasses her about her weight. They call her mean names like “Big Red”, and they judge her for the way she looks in her clothes. Because of this, many other girls at school do hateful and mean things to shame her. Page 55 of the book states: “When Eleanor got the the locker room, she realized why Tina had been so low-key; she was just waiting. Tina and her friends- and the black girls, too, everybody wanted a piece of this- were standing at the end of Eleanor’s row, waiting for her to walk to her locker. It was covered with Kotex pads. A whole box it looked like...Somebody had written RAGHEAD and BIG READ on a few of the pads...Instead, Eleanor walked past the girls, with her chin held as high as she could manage.” This quote proves that Eleanor was being severely harassed at school. The bullying had gotten out of control, and Eleanor was definitely a victim of this torture. But, through all the pain and embarrassment, Eleanor still managed to hold her head high and prove to the bullies that they couldn’t get to her.
Another example of a tough situation in Eleanor’s life is her family. After being away from them for a long time due to a huge fight, Eleanor finally came home. She expected everything to be the same as once she had left, and that wasn’t the case. This was very hard for Eleanor to deal with, especially because her family dynamic had shifted so much. Before Eleanor had left, her and all the other kids were allied against Richie, their evil stepfather. But now, Eleanor returns to everyone calling Richie “dad”, and acting totally submissive to his cruelty, which was extremely difficult for Eleanor to adjust to. Eleanor now feels very much like an outsider in her own home. Page 15 of the text states: “Eleanor had spent so much time thinking about what it would be like to finally come home and how much she’d missed everybody- she thought they’d throw her a ticker tape parade. She thought it would be a big hugfest. But when Eleanor walked into the house, it was like her siblings didn’t recognize her.” This shows how Eleanor feels very unwanted within her family. But, Eleanor doesn’t let this get to her, and continues to try and protect and bond with her younger siblings.
One final example of hardship in Eleanor’s life is her relationship with her step dad, Richie. Richie is cruel and awful to her, he teases her about her clothes and weight, and calls her names. But the worst thing Richie has done by far is writing these inappropriate notes in Eleanor’s textbook. The notes were really threatening and rude. Page 286 in the text states: “‘Eleanor...’ he said. ‘What’s going on?’ He was pleading. ‘I have to leave,’ she said. She was looking across the table like she’d just seen a ghost. Like she was one. ‘Why?’ he said. ‘Is this about tonight?’...’No,’ Eleanor said, rubbing her eyes. ‘No. It’s not about us. I mean...’ she looked out the little window. ‘Why is your step dad looking for you?’ ‘Because he knows, because I ran away.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because he knows.’ Her voice caught. ‘Because it’s him.’ ‘What?’ Eleanor started over. She told him everything. And Park’s hands started shaking before she was halfway through.” This bit of dialogue is a very raw description of what Eleanor was like when she found out that Richie had been writing her the notes all along. This must have been a shocking and extremely scary situation. It must have been awful for Eleanor to find out that someone who was such a big part of her life, like it or not, had been doing something so horrible to her. But, she found the courage to open herself up to Park and say what she was really feeling.
As these examples have proven, Eleanor has been through many hardships and difficulties in her life. She has faced social, family and economic issues, and she still manages to persevere and keep her head up, no matter what. Even when she feels like giving up was her only option, or she feels like the enemy had won, Eleanor doesn't quit. Eleanor fits into the archetype of the determined victim because although things don’t go her way, Eleanor is strong and brave and she continues to fight for herself. Eleanor truly is a role model for girls and women everywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment