Where does Eugene live in American history?

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Elena and Eugene both live in Paterson, New Jersey and attend Public School No. 13. Elena has been there longer, though, because Eugene moves into the house next door to her apartment building just before their freshman year of high school.



Keeping this in view, how does she describe Eugene's house from her fire escape?

She describe Eugene's house as small and neat. What are the two contrasts when comparing Elena's home with Eugene's? Elena feels her home is large and noisy; Eugene's home is quiet and comfortable.

Beside above, what is the setting of American history? "American History" beings with a description of the narrator's neighborhood in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1963. The narrator, fourteen-year-old Elena, lives in what she refers to as a Puerto Rican tenement building called El Building. It is an old, rundown apartment building on a busy city corner.

Similarly, what attracts Elena to Eugene?

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 El building and where is it?

El Building is located in Paterson, New Jersey during 1963. The main character, Elena, describes it as being right on the corner of Straight and Market streets.

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What is the main conflict of American history?

Everyone has a different ways of being American. 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 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.

How does Elena encounter prejudice in the story?

The ultimate portrayal of prejudice is exactly at the moment she meets Eugene's mother and is turned away for being living in El Building and not being white. When Eugene's mother says to herself "I don't know how you people do it," she seems to be referring to how they live in that building the way they do.

What reason does Eugene's mother give Elena for sending her away?

These are the reasons that Eugene's mom gives for not allowing Elena into the house. However, the real reason is likely that she is prejudiced against Elena for being Puerto Rican. She also appears to harbor some social snobbery against Elena and her family for living in the "ugly gray prison" of El Building.

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.

How does Eugene's mother react to Elena's visit?

How does Eugene's mother react to Elena's visit? She is cruel and disrespectful. She thinks Elena is nothing but trouble for Eugene. She tells Elena to go away.

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.

What do Eugene and Elena have in common?

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Elena and Eugene share a love for books, but they also share the same feelings of alienation from society, their families, and their peers. In truth, both are lonely individuals. At school, Elena finds that she doesn't fit in among her school peers.

What does the Hick and Skinny Bones have in common?

Elena and Eugene are both minorities at Public School No. Another similarity is the kids at school have nicknames for them. Eugene is called a "hick" and Elena is called "Skinny Bones." When they are seen together at school the kids put the two nicknames together and saying "Skinny Bones" and the "Hick" (Line 135).

How does the narrator first become aware of Eugene?


The narrator first become aware of Eugene when his family sat on the kitchen table and read books for hours. Because he always sat at the kitchen table and read books for hours. Why does the narrator first like Eugene even before she meets him? According to Elena's mother, Elena seems to like starring at Eugene.

What is the theme 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.

When did Judith Ortiz Cofer write American history?

Why do you think Judith Ortiz Cofer decided to name her story "American History"? Judith Ortiz Cofer's title for her short story "American History" has a double meaning. First, the story is set on November 22, 1963, which is the day that President John F.

What does Elena's mother warns her about?

The mother tries to overshadow her prejudiced feelings by saying they won't be residing in that house for very long, so there's no need for Elena and Eugene to be friends. In fact, Elena's mother warned her about going over to Eugene's house right before she went there.

Why does the narrator like Eugene before she meets?

The narrator likes him fit away because he sat down in the kitchen table and read for hours. Why does the narrator like Eugene even before she meets him? Her mother feels that Elena is acting moody and that she is infatuated with him. She meets a boy named Eugene, who she really likes, but his mother does not approve.

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.

What theme best defines the first half of American history?

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  • Answer.
  • mbm1000.
  • The theme that best describes the first half of American History is: "Race, racial ideologies, and race relations",
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