Eleanor and Park

by

Rainbow Rowell

Mindy Sheridan Character Analysis

Park’s mother. A Korean woman whose given name is Min-Dae, Mindy is a loving and doting mother who runs a hair salon out of her home. Park is often embarrassed of Mindy because of her thick accent and overly-warm demeanor, but as the novel progresses, he begins to have more empathy for her. He knows she works hard to ingratiate herself into a racist, hostile pocket of rural America, and when he sees how kind and welcoming she is towards Eleanor, he is even more grateful for his mother’s kindness and patience.

Mindy Sheridan Quotes in Eleanor and Park

The Eleanor and Park quotes below are all either spoken by Mindy Sheridan or refer to Mindy Sheridan . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Adolescence and Shame Theme Icon
).
Chapter 32 Quotes

[Mindy’s] hand settled softly in her lap.

“In big family," she said, "everything . . . everybody spread so thin. Thin like paper, you know?" She made a tearing gesture. […] "Nobody gets enough," she said. "Nobody gets what they need. When you always hungry, you get hungry in your head." She tapped her forehead. "You know?"

Park wasn't sure what to say.

“You don’t know, she said, shaking her head. "I don't want you to know. . . I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said.

"I'm sorry for how I welcomed your Eleanor."

Related Characters: Park Sheridan (speaker), Mindy Sheridan (speaker), Eleanor Douglas
Page Number: 189
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 35 Quotes

[Eleanor] pulled away. "Are you kissing me because I look like someone else?"

"You don't look like someone else. Plus, that's crazy."

"Do you like me better like this?" she asked. "Because I'm never going to look like this again."

[…]

"You look like you,” [Park] said. "You with the volume turned up."

Related Characters: Eleanor Douglas (speaker), Park Sheridan (speaker), Mindy Sheridan
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Eleanor and Park LitChart as a printable PDF.
Eleanor and Park PDF

Mindy Sheridan Character Timeline in Eleanor and Park

The timeline below shows where the character Mindy Sheridan appears in Eleanor and Park. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Adolescence and Shame Theme Icon
...that Park doesn’t know anything about kung fu, but Steve retorts that Park must, because his mother is Chinese. Mikey looks at Park “carefully” and says that he always assumed Park was... (full context)
Chapter 6
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...heads to the kitchen. His father, Jamie, “barrel[s]” into the kitchen and scoops Park’s mother, Mindy, into his arms, kissing her deeply. Park is grossed out by his parents’ constant, overzealous... (full context)
Chapter 16
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...automatic Impala, but Park’s father shouts that Park needs to learn. Park knows that if his mother were around, his father would never talk to him this way. Park’s father demands he... (full context)
Chapter 19
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Love and Intimacy Theme Icon
...arrives home to find Tina getting her hair done in the makeshift salon Park’s mother, Mindy—Min-Dae, in Korean—runs out of the Sheridans’ converted garage. When Tina sees Park come in to... (full context)
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...that nickname again, he will “literally” kill him. Josh continues making fun of Eleanor, and Mindy sends him to his room. (full context)
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Soon, the phone rings, and when Mindy picks up, she tells Park that it’s Eleanor. Park runs to his room to take... (full context)
Chapter 21
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...bus together, he can’t “help but see Eleanor the way his mom [is] going to.” Mindy, a beautician, doesn’t like it when women dress alternatively or “like [a] man.” Eleanor isn’t... (full context)
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...to smile. She gets upset and wants to know why—but before Park can answer her, Mindy has come into the living room. She greets Eleanor, who smiles widely and crookedly, clearly... (full context)
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...up with her tomorrow—she feels she made a fool out of herself in front of his mother , and is grateful she didn’t have to meet his dad. Eleanor feels guilty that... (full context)
Chapter 22
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...used—and the two of them have a rare moment of bonding. Back at home, though, Mindy is so irate that she calls Park a “white-trash monkey” and grounds him until further... (full context)
Chapter 23
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That Friday, Park returns to school, but he’s still grounded for weeks after the fight. His mother says he’s going to stay punished until he feels sorry about fighting, but the truth... (full context)
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...no driving—and no “trouble girl”—in his future. Park tells his mother she’s being unfair, but Mindy retorts, “Good girls don’t dress like boys.” Park’s father urges him to go outside and... (full context)
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...up for him in the living room. Jamie tells Park he’s not grounded anymore—and that Mindy is sorry for everything she said about Eleanor. He explains that though Mindy is worried... (full context)
Chapter 28
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During lunch hour, Park calls home to tell his mother that Eleanor is coming over after school. He urges his mother to “be nice” to... (full context)
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The narrative switches to Eleanor’s point of view as Mindy opens the front door for her and Park. Eleanor is worried that Park’s mom hates... (full context)
Chapter 30
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Eleanor begins spending every afternoon over at Park’s house, and Mindy pressures both of them to get their homework done while they’re together. They study at... (full context)
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...starts packing up her books to leave. Eleanor storms out of the kitchen just as Mindy walks in to say hello to the two of them, and Park is embarrassed all... (full context)
Chapter 32
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Meanwhile, Park and his mother are at the grocery store, shopping for Christmas dinner. Mindy spots Eleanor with all her siblings and points her out to Park, but the nervous... (full context)
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That evening, after dinner and a movie, Mindy comes into Park’s room and gives him a present to give to Eleanor. She tells... (full context)
Chapter 34
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...room and hands her two presents. One, he says, is a bottle of perfume from Mindy—the other is from him. Eleanor opens Park’s present and finds a beautiful silver necklace inside,... (full context)
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...of view. She and Park sit in Park’s family’s kitchen, playing cards. When Park and Mindy ask Eleanor how her Christmas was, she gives them generic answers about the dinner they... (full context)
Chapter 35
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One evening, as Eleanor and Mindy are discussing Mindy’s love of hairdressing, Mindy suggests giving Eleanor a makeover. Eleanor is reluctant,... (full context)
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As Mindy begins giving Eleanor a makeover, Park works as his mother’s assistant. Eleanor is slightly embarrassed,... (full context)
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When the makeover is done, Mindy urges Eleanor to look at how pretty she is in the mirror, but Eleanor feels... (full context)
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...face, Park ignores his father, insisting that “Plenty of guys,” like David Bowie, wear makeup. Mindy tells Jamie to lay off Park and let him make his own decisions, and Park... (full context)
Chapter 36
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...and he says it was fine—most people who noticed his makeup said he looked cool. Mindy asks Park if he is trying to look like a girl, but Park retorts that... (full context)
Chapter 37
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...meet him, but knows her mother would find out—Sabrina has already discovered the makeup products Mindy gave Eleanor, and Eleanor has had to lie and say they came from Tina. Eleanor,... (full context)
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The narrative switches to Eleanor’s point of view. Though she was initially embarrassed by Mindy’s makeover and beauty tips, she has actually been using the products and information Mindy gave... (full context)
Chapter 39
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Eleanor and Park listen to tape after tape, and, soon after Mindy stops by the open door to check on them, Park leans over to kiss Eleanor.... (full context)
Chapter 42
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...like going. He asks if he can stay home and invite Eleanor over instead, and his mother says it’s fine as long as Park keeps up with his chores. (full context)
Chapter 43
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...him to the DMV to get his license at last. Park asks if his father knows—Mindy says he does, but that it’s none of his “business.” Park passes the test on... (full context)
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...too. Eleanor doesn’t have one to give Park, so he offers to take one with his mother ’s camera. (full context)
Chapter 45
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Park, Eleanor, and Mindy are sitting on the couch watching TV one evening—Josh and Jamie are out. Mindy complains... (full context)
Chapter 51
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...explaining that he’s had to help Eleanor through an emergency. He is planning to steal his mother ’s keys and sneak out the kitchen door once both his parents are asleep. Park... (full context)
Chapter 55
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Park doesn’t ride the bus anymore. He drives his mother ’s Impala—even though it is “ruined with memories” of Eleanor. Park misses Eleanor all day,... (full context)