Eleanor and Park: Chapter 51 Summary & Analysis

Park promises Eleanor that he will come for her after his parents are asleep, touching her chin before leaving and heading back in the house. Eleanor sits down at the table, exhausted. She wishes she could sleep for a little while, but her mind is racing with guilt and fear—she feels guilty about leaving her siblings behind, and worries that Richie is out looking for her somewhere or that her mother has called the police. She wishes she could go back for Maisie and the others, and knows that if she were “brave and noble” like a character in a book, she might. In reality, though, she thinks, she’s just a girl “trying to get through the night.”

Park heads inside and goes up to his bedroom. He reaches into his sock drawer for his leftover Christmas money and pulls out 60 dollars—he hopes it will be enough for gas. Park writes his parents a note, explaining that he’s had to help Eleanor through an emergency. He is planning to steal his mother’s keys and sneak out the kitchen door once both his parents are asleep. Park waits until his father comes home and everything goes quiet—by that time, it is well after two in the morning. He stealthily grabs his backpack, heads downstairs, retrieves the keys, and begins to open the kitchen door when his father’s voice stops him and asks where he’s going.

Park explains that Eleanor needs help, and is running away from home to escape her stepdad. Jamie asks if they need to call the police, but Park tries to explain how tenuous the situation at Eleanor’s home is. When Park tells his dad that he’s driving Eleanor to Minnesota, Jamie is nervous for them—but admits he can’t think of a better plan, and gives Park his blessing to go. He hands Park some money and urges him to take the truck before reminding him that if anything goes wrong, he should bring Eleanor back here. As Park gets Eleanor into the truck, starts it up, and smoothly rolls out of the driveway, he begrudgingly gives thanks that he’s able to drive a stick-shift car.