I’m gonna name my future Jeep “Park”.
At my age of 21, it’s becoming more and more difficult to find books that I would enjoy. I feel stuck in between age groups and I can’t seem to find anything with characters with whom I can relate.
That is, until Eleanor & Park. But as usual, books I love seem to always be in midst of controversy.
As someone with a lengthy history of fangirling over boys depicted as perfect as marble statues in books, it was almost written in fate that I would fall in love with Park. He was described like many k-pop idols (minus that height situation) and I was just in love with his face, his build, and his sensitivity that happened to come with the beautiful package. Of course, Park is not without problems. He can get way too angry, he was embarrassed about Eleanor, he wasn’t very educated on poverty, sometimes he was incredibly insensitive towards Eleanor, and so on. But I can forgive that because that makes him a realistic 16-year-old. I don’t want any more of that Augustus bullshit.
There are a lot of comments on the lack of racial sensitivity that went into writing Park as a half-Asian character. I can see the reasons behind those comments, but I’d have to respectfully disagree with some points. Yes, Park hates the way he looks because of his Asian features, and he feels that he doesn’t belong like his brother does. He practices Taekwondo, he’s good at math, he comes off as a bit “feminine”, and he has problems with how it’s mostly white men who get with Asian women. But that’s precisely why I find him to be relatable.
I love that I am Chinese, but I used to hate how I wasn’t born with features that are more widely found in white people. Big eyes, pale skin, interesting eye and hair colors, tall height, and so on. I don’t WANT to be white nor do I want to look white. But I still had those sentiments just like Park, even though I live in 21st century and have never experienced being outcast just because of my race. Many Asian boys I know are good at math. Hell, even I can be considered good at math by some people. Many Koreans DO practice Taekwondo damn it, and many Asian men would be considered as “not manly enough” by the stereotypical white army veteran. My Asian guy friend complained to me about how so many Asian girls he knows don’t find Asian men attractive. Yes, the author used a lot of stereotypes, but I think it’s up to the readers to think after reading and know that just because this one character is like this in the book, it doesn’t mean that the character represents everyone with his ethnic background.
And some people say how Park’s mom just isn’t “Korean enough”, which I find completely ridiculous. She’s a woman who was able to relate to Eleanor’s poverty. To her, marrying into America might have been like finding a land of gold. As a Chinese immigrant, I know first hand the fantasies that many Asian people have about North America. I’ve seen many people completely abandon their heritage when they land here and don’t want their children to associate with people like them. The fact that Park is named Park, but Mindy doesn’t seem to behave at all like “a real Korean person”, whatever the fuck that means, speaks volumes.
If you were an immigrant who looked different from the completely white town you married into, would YOU name your child who looks 100% not white something like “Dong Joon”? That would just be asking for trouble. Park IS a common Korean last name, but also very passable as a typical white boy name. Mindy, through Park’s name, is carving into him her heritage that she is afraid to express in this racist, foreign place. She doesn’t act anything like a “real Korean person” because it’s probably better not to! Like Jessica from Fresh off the Boat, Mindy made a strong effort to assimilate as best as she could. As a reader, I saw that the author was trying to make a point about American society in the 80s, and that it was racist as fuck and there’s no choice BUT to erase your culture if you don’t want any trouble. Mindy HAD to be nice to everyone, she HAD to always look put together, and she HAD to be okay with her husband treating her a bit like a doll instead of a person sometimes. It was her survival tactic.
Then there are the comments about Eleanor. I don’t deny that the way she thinks about Park isn’t always appropriate, and sometimes can be insensitive. But Eleanor is young. When I was her age, I also had racially insensitive thoughts, despite being a visible minority. People aren’t perfect and I don’t expect every book I read to have some kind of a moral lesson, or to be at the forefront of justice. Eleanor had a discussion about race with Park and it was a difficult conversation for the both of them. Eleanor didn’t understand why Park didn’t feel as beautiful as she thought he was, and Park felt like Eleanor didn’t get why Park felt so small all the time because of the way he looked. I find that to be so authentic, because I personally have had conversations with my boyfriend about sexism, and they were just as difficult as the one that Eleanor and Park had. Their conversation wasn’t productive, but why is that a problem? In my eyes, the author was able to portray how a young couple was navigating some very difficult social problems, and they weren’t able to really fruitfully come to a conclusion. Is that really THAT awful? No, it’s not. It’s authentic.
And what is so wrong about Eleanor describing Park as beautiful? The problem is YOU. Why should the word beautiful be restricted to describe feminine things and people? I think my boyfriend is beautiful, and he is not feminine by any means. I think a lot of male celebrities are beautiful, even when they have six-packs that look like they’re made of marble. Chairs can be beautiful, stairs can be beautiful, beds can be beautiful, and the list of things is endless. I also happen to think many boys are adorable and cute, what’s the big deal?! Sorry, but I just don’t see it.
If there is a problem with the novel, it has to do with how highly Eleanor and Park think of each other. They literally seem to see no flaws in each other. Though concerning, I don’t have a hard time believing that two teenagers can feel that way about another person. Shit like “I don’t love you, I need you” and “I live for you” is totally realistic from two 16-year-olds. When I was younger, I used to think that loving someone is needing someone (which I now think and know is complete bullshit). Their language is excessively lovey-dovey, but I’m okay with that. Their love story is a believable capture in time of a young couple who just fell in love with each other. For that reason, although some moments were definitely cringe-worthy, I forgive them.
I genuinely fell in love with Eleanor and Park through their story. Do I think their relationship can last the test of time? I’m not so sure. But in such a messy world, I’m happy they were able to find each other.