Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine
Eleanor's daily routine:
Protagonist social interactions
her social interactions are limited to exchanges with her mom. Every Wednesday she talks to her mom and it was the only person she would talk to. When deciding for the first time to miss a meeting to go out with Raymond (her only friend) she needs to give herself an excuse because she's not used to having friends and not following her routine. (She tells herself that Sammy needs food so that she have an actual excuse to miss the call with her mom because missing that call for socializing is very out of character for her)
Very socially awkward. Doesn't have a lot of experience. She doesn't go to parties (unless obligated), this year was the first time she went to the bar (at about 29 years old)
Main themes of the novel.
Abusive past
Eleanor got abused by her ex (p.142) she got punched in the kidneys, and fractured twelve bones.
Mental health is one of the main themes that was explored in the novel. This theme is embodied by the protagonist, Eleanor who shows sign of the spectrum.
Come to work at 8:30am, has an hour for lunch- something from the Hughstreet
On Friday: trip to marks and Spencer for lunch
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She doesnt have any social cues, she does not realize she has no empathy. For instance, when she's walking with Raymond back to her apartment, they see an old man falling on the side walk and she proceeds to say to Raymond to leave the old man alone and that he'll be fine, (p.35).
Adaptation
Eleanor is evolving throughout the novel. For example, she learned to send abbreviations as text messages instead of always keeping it formal, even with friends.
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Anouck, Alecia, Katherine, Louis-Charles, Ann-Frederique, Clara, Eugénie, Claire, Anne-Véronique
Her coworkers make fun of her but it doesn't impact her. ex: eczema gloves, when she invited one of her coworkers to a concert
Abnormal
Get off work at 5:30, bus takes half an hour, then make supper, and she eats pesto and salad while listening to the archers.e
She is rejected by society and accepts it . This can be shown by the fact that she doesn't have many friends except Raymond, which is her only friend. Even when her coworkers laugh at her, she believes it is «normal», as she does not have any experience socializing with people and thinks it is what is supposed to happen. She does
Talks to mommy on a Wednesday evening evening and 15 minutes on Friday. On Friday night she goes on a trip to Tesco metro: Pizza, chianti, 2 bottles of vodka.
Last party she had been to was at a friend's thirteen's birthday (p.103)
Normal
She has never hold hands with someone and the last time she had lunch with someone was 9 years ago
Doesn't know how to approach people, very direct approach, she openly criticized the opinion of a stranger's mother (p.108)
Her guest gift was cheese when she went to a party
Abnormal
It is abnormal that this woman buys 2 vodka bottles and finishes them throughout the weekend. It shows dependency and bad habits to rely on alcohol. It is very unhealthy.
normal
drinks one bottel of vodka every friday (p.5)
It helps her sleep and forget
Every day on her lunch break she completes the Daily Telegraph crossword.