Eleanor and Park Essay
Topic
(3) What does Eleanor and Park teach us about what it is like to be a victim of abuse?
The story of Eleanor and Park is set in 1986 in Nebraska. Rainbow Rowell includes identities and sufferers of harassment including smaller minorities in a largely Caucasian area, families living in poor condition, like Eleanor’s family, victims of domestic abuse and sexual harassment, like Eleanor’s stepfather, Richie, victims of bullying, like Eleanor and Park, males and females who do not adapt to societal gender standards, like Eleanor and Park and shames surrounding weight and “fat”, like Eleanor. Not only are all of these identities represented, but Rowell expertly portrays the very real problem of intersectionality between different systems of cruelty, such as poverty and domestic abuse, or race and gender.
The main conflict in Eleanor and Park is that Eleanor's step father, Richie, is verbally abusive towards her and physically abusive towards her mother. ‘‘Your stepdad is looking for you,’ Tina said. ‘He’s been driving around the neighbourhood all goddamn night.’ (…) She stood up. ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’ (…) ‘No,’ Eleanor said. ‘He’s going to kill me.’ (Rowell, 2013, pg286 to 287) This conflict reaches its absolute worst when her step father discovers that she has been sneaking out to see Park and punishes her by breaking all of the tapes Park made for her and writing sick messages all over her room. He then goes around the neighbourhood looking for her, at which point Eleanor knows that she must get away from him as he will most likely turn to violence toward her. With Park's help, she manages to flee the city and get to a safe place where her step father will never find her.
As the novel progresses, it is clear that Park faces discrimination and racism from most of his peers. Park suffers a lot of bullying and discrimination despite the fact that he is semi-popular, has a comfortable home life and seems relatively “happy”. ‘What the fuck does Sheridan
(3) What does Eleanor and Park teach us about what it is like to be a victim of abuse?
The story of Eleanor and Park is set in 1986 in Nebraska. Rainbow Rowell includes identities and sufferers of harassment including smaller minorities in a largely Caucasian area, families living in poor condition, like Eleanor’s family, victims of domestic abuse and sexual harassment, like Eleanor’s stepfather, Richie, victims of bullying, like Eleanor and Park, males and females who do not adapt to societal gender standards, like Eleanor and Park and shames surrounding weight and “fat”, like Eleanor. Not only are all of these identities represented, but Rowell expertly portrays the very real problem of intersectionality between different systems of cruelty, such as poverty and domestic abuse, or race and gender.
The main conflict in Eleanor and Park is that Eleanor's step father, Richie, is verbally abusive towards her and physically abusive towards her mother. ‘‘Your stepdad is looking for you,’ Tina said. ‘He’s been driving around the neighbourhood all goddamn night.’ (…) She stood up. ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’ (…) ‘No,’ Eleanor said. ‘He’s going to kill me.’ (Rowell, 2013, pg286 to 287) This conflict reaches its absolute worst when her step father discovers that she has been sneaking out to see Park and punishes her by breaking all of the tapes Park made for her and writing sick messages all over her room. He then goes around the neighbourhood looking for her, at which point Eleanor knows that she must get away from him as he will most likely turn to violence toward her. With Park's help, she manages to flee the city and get to a safe place where her step father will never find her.
As the novel progresses, it is clear that Park faces discrimination and racism from most of his peers. Park suffers a lot of bullying and discrimination despite the fact that he is semi-popular, has a comfortable home life and seems relatively “happy”. ‘What the fuck does Sheridan