Youth Lens on Eleanor and Park

I am taking the youth lens and applying it to the book Eleanor and Park. In the book, there are several stereotypes made about youth. For example, when Park and Eleanor go upstairs the first time together and listen to music. Park’s dad yells out, “Don’t get anyone pregnant!” In this way, Park’s dad is assuming that the only reason they are going upstairs is to “get jiggy with it”, so to speak. They are presumed to be those teenagers that are exploring their new found sexual nature. They are wanting to be alone. So, when Park and Eleanor do end up alone at his house, they do some of that exploration that they were accused of earlier. This reflects the stereotype of unsupervised teens getting into inappropriate situations for their age. There is another moment when they are allowed to take the car and be alone together. Again, they dive into sexual nature. Consumed by their raging hormones.

The adults are holding the superiority here. They dictate when and to what extent the teens are to be left alone. Park can have girls in his room but the door must be open. It would leave too much to chance to leave them in a room alone with a bed. Here his actions and behavior towards Eleanor are dictated by his parent’s rules and expectations of him. It seems to be reflective of their age as Park’s parents seem to openly express their physical attraction for each other. Park talks of how it’s gross when his parents make out when his dad gets home from work. This is saying that it is okay for adults to express this level of sexuality but definitely not teenagers.

However the stereotype may not be completely misplaced.. “The adolescent brain: Beyond raging hormones”

"How Hormones Affect Teenage Behavior"