what is the main conflict in american history

On July 2, 1776, Congress passed the Lee Resolution, concerning which John Adams wrote, in a letter to his wife, Abigail, “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.

Why do Elena and Eugene become friends?

Elena takes a liking to him for a couple of reasons. First, she figures they both could use a friend; and second, he lives in the house that she spies into while reading on her fire escape. She longs to sit with him at the kitchen table and read just like the old couple would do before they moved.

What causes conflict between Elena and her mother?

Which is the best example of an external conflict between Elena and her mother? Elena wants to act according to her emotions, while her mother wants her to be careful. Elena wants to return to Puerto Rico, but her mother wants the family to stay in New Jersey.

Why was Elena crying at the end of American history?

For Elena, a personal heartbreak converges with a national crisis. She feels like an outsider, not an American. … Unable to feel as she knows she should feel, Elena wallows in her own grief. She wants to mourn the president, but she mourns the loss of her own adolescent love.

What do Elena and Eugene have in common?

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. As the lone Puerto Rican in her class, she feels marginalized.

Who is the antagonist in American history?

Elena leaves Eugene’s yard in despair and cries to herself when she returns home. Tina Bishop, M.A. The antagonist in a story is the character who opposes or struggles against the protagonist. In Cofer’s “American History,” Elena is the protagonist and she mostly struggles against girls at school and Eugene’s mother.

What does Eugene house represent to Elena?

He does represent friendship and companionship, and she may be infatuated with him for who he is, but he is also a way to get into the house that she loves so much. She has dreamed of what it might be like to read books at the kitchen table and experience what it feels like to live in a house and not an apartment.

What is the main conflict in the story American history by Judith Ortiz Cofer?

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 attracts Elena to Eugene How does he respond to her?

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.

How is Elena a complex character in the short story American history?

Elena learns that prejudice and discrimination come from all different walks of life, and can pop up unexpectedly, too. When Eugene’s mother turns her away, this dramatic yet subtle rejection teaches Elena that not everything will turn out the way she plans.

What does Elena’s mother mean by giving Elena this warning?

the fate and sorrow of the president’s children and his widow. The theme of the story is mainly about. loneliness, friendship, and prejudice. Elena’s mother warns her that. she is heading for humiliation and pain by chasing after Eugene.

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.

How are Elena and Eugene different?

Elena is Puerto Rican and she lives in a tenement building for immigrants. Eugene is from Georgia, white, and lives in the two-story house next to Elena’s building. … Plus, Eugene’s mother is a nurse, his father also works, but his mother says that their stay in the house next to El Building is only temporary.

What happens when Elena goes to Eugene’s house?

Elena is shocked and can’t move after hearing such prejudiced excuses. Eugene’s mother has to ask Elena in an angry tone if she understands before Elena finally snaps out of her amazement and turns to leave. Because of this exchange with Eugene’s mother, Elena’s hopes of having a friendship with Eugene are dashed.

How does the narrator feel about Eugene?

The narrator became aware of Eugene when he and his family moved into the house that previously belonged to the old couple. How does the narrator first become aware of Eugene? The narrator likes him fit away because he sat down in the kitchen table and read for hours.

What is it that Eugene’s mother most likely wants Elena to understand?

Eugene’s mother wants Elena to understand that Elena’s family and her family are different. It’s implied that she does not want her son hanging around people like Elena because she is not of the same class/race as Eugene’s family.

What was the one source of beauty in Elena’s world?

The source of beauty that she has is her appreciation of these forces. When she experiences rejection from Eugene, it hurts because this beauty has turned on her. Elena’s tears are for the fact that marginalization, in a way, begets marginalization.

When did Elena finally talk to Eugene?

In “American History,” when Elena finally speaks to Eugene, how is he different from what she expected? Toward the end of the story, Eugene’s mother tells Elena “I am truly sorry if he told you you could come over. He cannot study with you. It’s nothing personal.

Who started USA?

The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast. Disputes with Great Britain over taxation and political representation led to the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), which established the nation’s independence.

What was Richard Henry Lee’s resolution?

Lee’s resolution declared: “That these United Colonies are, and of right out to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; that measures should be …

Why is Elena a round character?

A round character is one who is fully delineated. That means that the character’s personality, circumstances, motives, and background are explained in detail. … Elena’s character falls under both definitions because not only do…

Why is it shocking that Mr DePalma is sobbing?

DePalma is a very strict teacher, so Elena is surprised that he should be crying. Elena sees Mr. Kennedy is killed and DePalma cries, Elena realizes that it is very serious, and the event hit her teacher and her country hard. …

Is Elena really in love with Eugene Or is she merely in love with the idea of him explain?

As far as Elena being in love with the idea of Eugene is concerned, she truly appreciates his friendship because both of them feel the prejudice directed against them at school. … The idea that she is in love with, however, is that which she imagines is found in his home.

Why do you think Eugenes mother refuses to let Elena in?

Finally, Elena is invited over to Eugene’s house, but when she gets there, his mother won’t let her come in partially due to the president’s death and partially because of her race.

What type of conflict occurs between the protagonist and the antagonist?

External conflict is a struggle that takes place between the main character and some outside force. Therefore, it is outside the body of the protagonist. Usually, it occurs when the protagonist struggles against the antagonist, a character that opposes the protagonist in the main body of the story.

What nickname do the students give Eugene?

Because Eugene is white and from Georgia, the students in the majority call him “the Hick.” When students see that Elena and Eugene are friends, they link the two nicknames together by saying, “Skinny Bones and the Hick.” It would seem then, that Elena and Eugene become friends in part because of their status in the …