Eleanor and Park

by

Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park: Chapter 53 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Park goes off into a cornfield to relieve himself, and Eleanor sits on the hood of the truck to get some air. When Park comes back and sees her sitting there, he is taken aback by how beautiful and fierce she looks, and he nearly weeps. Eleanor asks Park if he really believes they’ll have another chance to be together—he replies that no matter what happens, he will continue loving her. Eleanor laments that life would bring them together only to pull them apart, but Park insists they’ll just have to work hard not to “lose” what they’ve found.
In this passage, Park and Eleanor’s disparate understandings of life and love bubble back up to the surface. Park, who has known privilege all his life, believes in happy endings, while Eleanor, whose life has been permeated with pain and instability for years, does not.
Themes
Love and Intimacy Theme Icon
Poverty and Class Theme Icon
Family and Abuse Theme Icon
Quotes
At another rest stop, Park calls his parents to check in, and then asks Eleanor if she wants to call her uncle, but she doesn’t. She notices how rough she looks—her shirt is stained with beer, blood, and snot. Back in the car, Park removes his sweatshirt and then his T-shirt. He hands her the shirt and puts the sweatshirt back on. Eleanor quickly changes into Park’s shirt, and though it’s tight, she’s grateful for the fact that it smells like him. 
Throughout the novel, Park has learned to let go of his fears of losing his limited popularity by being with Eleanor. Here, he literally gives her the shirt off his back, symbolizing the depth of his compassion for and commitment to her.
Themes
Adolescence and Shame Theme Icon
Love and Intimacy Theme Icon
Poverty and Class Theme Icon