What lesson does Elena learn in American history?
The personal lesson that Elena learned is that there are different levels of outsiders, and she would be considered beneath Eugene by his own family. For Elena, a personal heartbreak converges with a national crisis. She feels like an outsider, not an American. When she meets Eugene, she sees her chance at happiness.
What attracts Elena to Eugene?
How does he respond to her? Elena is attracted to Eugene because he likes to read books, as she does. When Elena approaches him, Eugene smiles and blushes; he likes her, but he is shy.
What is the main idea of American history by Judith Ortiz Cofer?
The themes of American History by Judith Ortiz Cofer are cultural isolation and the effects of racism and xenophobia, signified in Elena’s difficulty living in Patterson, New Jersey and how the attitudes of people around her affect her feelings about herself and the world.
What conflict does Elena experience concerning her own reaction to the president’s death?
What conflict does Elena experience concerning her own reaction to the president’s death? She feels guilt because her sorrow is for her personal loss, not her country’s.
Why is Elena turned away from Eugene’s house?
She is turned away by Eugene’s mother because Elena is Puerto Rican and not a southern white.
Who is Eugene and how does Elena first become aware of him?
How does the narrator first become aware of Eugene? She sees him from her fire escape, where she likes to read. You just studied 5 terms!
Who does Elena cry for at the end of the story?
Who does Elena cry for at the end of the story? What happens to Lizabeth in the middle of the night? She hears her father cry.
Why is getting inside Eugene’s house so important to Elena?
Why is getting inside Eugene’s house so important to Elena in the part “Journeys Of Discovery”? The house serves as her escape, just like the books she reads. On the day of the assassination, she is desperate for an escape from her mother and the tension she feels in El Building.
What happens when Elena goes to Eugene house?
In “American History,” what happens when Elena goes to Eugene’s house? Eugene’s mother turns her away, telling her that she will not be allowed to study with Eugene.
What do you think happens to Elena and Eugene after the story is over?
At the end of Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “American History,” Elena is told by Eugene’s mother not to be friends with her son anymore. Based on the fact that Elena and Eugene attend the same school and some of the same classes, it is safe to assume that they will see each other in the future.
What does Elena enjoy looking at from her window?
Elena likes looking at the yard and the kitchen because they represent peace, family, and having one’s own space to call home–unlike an apartment. She would like to have a kitchen table or yard so she can sit and read in a comfortable place rather than the fire escape of a big, ugly building.
Why do you think Elena doesn’t want to see the snow turning gray?
Elena did not want to see the white snow turn gray because it is another bad thing that she doesn’t want to through. It represents her losing her innocence. She wants to stay that way forever but can’t. She also wants to be with Eugene but can’t because his mom won’t let her.
What conflicts does Elena have with herself?
The main conflict in the story is that Elena wants to fit in and not she just not able to. The reasons being are that even at home she not able to feel accepted because her parents are barely at home. The girls that her school makes her feel unwanted.
What techniques does Judith Ortiz Cofer use to bring her experiences to life for readers?
Answer: It allows her to use the engaging elements of fiction, such as dialogue, characterization, and a plot that builds to a climax, while telling a compelling and relatable true story.
How does Elena encounter prejudice in the story?
” (Lines 45-46). The allusion Gail makes to Elena’s traditional menu is then used against her as the other girls chant “pork chop” over and over again. Another type of prejudice that Elena encounters is the stigma with living in El Building, which is a large, gray block of apartments that houses many unemployed people.
How old is Elena American history?
fourteen-year-old
What does Elena’s mother warns her about?
Eugene’s mom rejects Elena’s friendship with her son because Elena is Puerto Rican and lives in the tenement apartments next door. In fact, Elena’s mother warned her about going over to Eugene’s house right before she went there.
What does El building symbolize?
The significance of El Building is that it is like many other apartment buildings across the nation that house immigrants who moved to the United States to seek out a better life. Some may use the building as a temporary stopping place on their way to bigger and better things.
What is the climax of American history?
The climax of the story comes when Elena goes to Eugene’s house to study. Elena’s developed a crush on Eugene, and she sees this as a great opportunity to spend more time with him. Unfortunately, when Eugene’s mom answers the door, she makes it clear that Elena will not be let inside the house.
How is Elena’s visit to Eugene’s house different from the way she imagines it will be?
Elena feels her home is large and noisy; Eugene’s home is quiet and comfortable.
What is the falling action of American history?
Elements of the story Falling Action : When Elena is despised by the mother of Eugene and as the author shows the pain of a people for the death of President Kennedy. Elements of the story Ending : The delusion of Elena and her heart broken by his experience with racism he endured. Feeling stuck?
What is the rising action of American history?
Rising Action When Eleana goes to Eugene’s house and his Mother came to the door, she tells Eleana that Eugene wont be able to study with her because she is hispanic, and she lives in “El building”.
How does Elena feel about Puerto Rico?
Not only does Elena feel shame, she is shamed by others. She is humiliated by the girls at school who call her “Skinny Bones” and make stereotypical remarks about a Puerto Rican diet. They make jump-rope rhymes about eating pork chops and beans for breakfast.
How does the author’s decision to use her own memories as the exposition in First Love affect the text?
How does the author’s decision to use her own memories as the exposition in “First Love” affect the text? It allows her to relate her state of mind at age 14 and, thereby, lay the foundation for the events and conflict that follows.
What does El building symbolize in American history?
The significance of El Building is that it is like many other apartment buildings across the nation that house immigrants who moved to the United States to seek out a better life. The building represents the people who live inside of it and those people were American citizens who cared for the country they lived in.
Why do you think Cofer decided to name her story American history?
I would argue that the main reason that Cofer uses this title is that the story illustrates one of the abiding themes of American history: racial prejudice. Despite being a land of immigrants, the United States has never really come to terms with the widespread racial prejudice that exists to this day.
What is the significance of the title American history?
Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “American History” is about a Puerto Rican girl and what happens to her on the same day as President Kennedy’s assassination. The assassination is a major event in America’s history because the whole nation was shocked when it happened.
Who is the antagonist in American history by Judith Ortiz Cofer?
In this story Elena is the protagonist & Eugene’s mom is the antagonist. They are both static characters throughout the story.