How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
She would never belong in Park's living room. She never felt like she belonged anywhere, except for when she was lying on her bed pretending to be somewhere else. (21.124)
Here's the bottom line: Eleanor doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. She doesn't even really have a physical space that's her own in her family's home. This is another aspect of isolation—feeling like you don't fit in anywhere.
Quote #8
He knew it wasn't Eleanor's fault that she didn't have a phone, and that her house was the Fortress of Solitude, but… Jesus. It made it so easy for her to cut herself off whenever she felt like it. (31.4)
Isolation is kind of a double-edged sword for Eleanor. It seems like sometimes she wants to be isolated, doesn't it? But it sure isn't hard for her to disappear, because her family is completely cut off, too.
Quote #9
"Because I'm interested. It's like you've got all these weird barriers set up, like you only want me to have access to this tiny part of you..."
"Yes," she said, crossing her arms. "Barriers. Caution tape. I'm doing you a favor."
"Don't," he said. "I can handle it." (33.51-53)
So here's one reason Eleanor cuts herself off: She wants to protect Park from the nightmarish truth about her family. Eleanor wants to keep Park as separate from her family as possible, and given Richie's appetite for destruction, we understand why.