“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”
The narrative addresses the idea of body image in society in terms of what is considered ‘beautiful’ or ‘attractive’. Eleanor is a target of bullies due to her heavy body size and also her eccentric appearance. She has red hair and dresses in oversized clothes which renders her an outcast in school. However, Eleanor is not embarrassed by her looks despite the negative jabs she constantly gets from other students. She is mature for her age and thus the statement refers to the manner in which she perceives herself. In that, she might not fall into the societal idea of beauty but her beauty lies in the impact she has on others. For instance, Park is enamored and loves Eleanor for who she is entirely including her body, appearance, and personality.
“They’re still going to make fun of me…This fight doesn’t change that. You can’t start kicking people every time someone thinks I’m weird or ugly.”
Furthermore, the narrative also addresses bullying and abuse both at school and in the household. Students constantly berate and bully Eleanor that it has become a norm for her. Therefore she becomes indifferent to the opinions of others until the bullying does not affect her anymore. However, as she grows closer to Park he feels obligated to defend her against the bullies. The quotation is her response to Parks’ efforts on defending her, in that she tries to encourage him to adopt her attitude towards bullies. If you do not give them any reaction then their actions are rather futile.
