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1. How would you describe the relationship between Richie and Eleanor?

Richie and Eleanor don't get along, mainly because Richie is always close to an explosion and his outbursts are usually physically violent. He beats Eleanor's mother, Sabrina, and seems on the verge of physically abusing Eleanor's siblings.

2. Why does Eleanor choose to take the bus to school instead of getting a ride with Richie?

Richie apparently offers to give Eleanor a ride to school each morning. Sabrina has told Eleanor about the offer, saying the school is on Richie's way to work, but Eleanor doesn't intend to accept the offer. Eleanor doesn't like Richie and she's afraid of him, but this may be the first indication that Eleanor thinks Richie is capable of sexually molesting her.

3. What causes Park's inner conflicts on the bus rides in the beginning of the novel?

From Park's first encounters with Eleanor, he's conflicted and that's partly because he thinks about the reactions of the various important people in his life. Park considers sitting somewhere else but he doesn't really want to make Eleanor sit alone.

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