Eleanor & Park

Romance has waged wars and has inspired some of the greatest stories told and written in history. It is evident that romance has always been important to humans; from ancient civilizations worshipping the many deities of love, to it being a bold, recurring theme in today's media. Romance is also vital to Rainbow Rowell's heart-wrenching novel, Eleanor & Park. Rowell successfully tells the story of Eleanor and Park's slow-growing and sweet relationship, using the language of romance and an especially emotional ending in a fresh, smart way- perfectly fitting the criteria for fiction romance. Eleanor & Park fits into the genre of romance, as the book cultivates a romantic relationship, uses descriptive language, and has a wonderful satisfactory

The "language of romance," is very prominent- the way many scenes are written is nearly poetic, with "extensive use of descriptive adjectives to delineate characters, setting, and romantic interludes," (Saricks, 204). Rowell excellently uses this descriptive language throughout the novel, and it is particularly strong during important and sensual scenes. For example, after Eleanor and Park hold hands for the first time, Park describes holding Eleanor's hand like "holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive," (Rowell, 71). The eloquent language helps to submerse the reader in Eleanor and Park's relationship and interactions. It allows them to perfectly visualize and truly feel what is going on. This language also helps to further the pair's relationship, as the way they describe each other reveals their feelings towards one another. For example, after one of their dates, Eleanor makes a mental list of all the things she loves about Park. She describes that Park's skin is "smooth and honey-beautiful," and that it felt "thick and richer in some places, more like crushed velvet than silk. But it was all his. And all wonderful!" (Rowell, 251). She also notes the way she feels around Park: "Her skin was covered with super-powered nerve endings, that came alive like ice and fire and bee stings as soon as Park touched her," (Rowell, 251). Eleanor rambles on, and the scene reveals her true feelings, in a beautiful and illustrative way. All of the detailed vocabulary used, both in this scene and throughout the novel, is vital when considering Eleanor & Park in the romance