One of the first set of words that Elena uses to describe her home is
a “Puerto Rican tenement known as El Building
.” A tenement is defined as an over-crowded, usually run-down and poor building. This means that the immigrants from Puerto Rico who live there are poor or just getting by.
How does Elena feel about herself because she lives in El building?
Elena ́s feeling towards her house is that
she feels embarrassed that she
lives in a place like El building.
How does Elena feel about herself?
How does Elena feel about herself?
She hates her flat chest and envies the black girls who jump rope
.
What did El building represent to Elena?
It is an old, rundown apartment building on a busy city corner. Because of the loud music that pours out of the windows, Elena refers to El Building as
a “monstrous jukebox
.” Many of the people who live in this building are recent immigrants, who, according to the author, use the music to help drown out their worries.
How does Elena feel differently about her home than Eugene’s home?
Elena is not happy with her home, especially when she compares it to the house next door. … Eugene’s home, on the other hand, is roomier, of course, and symbolizes
more financial freedom than her parents
have, as well as peace and freedom from the “monstrous jukebox” of an over-crowded apartment building.
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.
What does El building represent?
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 conflicts does Elena have with herself?
Elena
wants to study and become a teacher
while her mother wants her to have a house like Eugene’s. Elena wants to jump rope with the girls in school, while her m other wants her to stay away from people who will hurt her.
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
.
Why does Elena feel conflicted and what can you infer about her from her feelings?
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. … Elena feels her home is large and noisy; Eugene’s home is quiet and comfortable and much smaller.
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.
What has Elena realized about her own dreams?
Elena, by the end of the story, has experienced something of a coming-of-age in her character, as the way she is treated by Eugene’s mother has
smashed her dreams irrevocably
and also forced her to become aware of racism and discrimination and how it operates in her world.
Why do you think Elena is turned away from Eugene’s house?
She is turned away by
Eugene’s mother because Elena is Puerto Rican and not a southern white
.
How is Elena’s background different from Eugene’s background?
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 factors might have led Eugene’s mother to react as she did to Elena?
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 it about Eugene that Elena likes?
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 world event happens on November 22, 1963? President Kennedy is assassinated.
What did Eugene’s mom say to Elena?
Toward the end of “American History,” Eugene’s mother tells Elena,
“I am truly sorry if he told you you could come over. He cannot study with you.
What subject is Elena going to study with Eugene?
(a) What subject is Elena planning to study with Eugene? Elena was planning to study
American History
with Eugene. B. Another reason why the author called this story American History, was because the story took place on a day that was very important to American History, the death of President John F.
How would you describe Elena?
Personality…
smart, compassionate, loyal, empathetic, and at times self-involved
. Before meeting Stephan, Elena was the quintessential girl next-door – beautiful, caring, and easy to get along with. After Stefan enters her life, Elena is forced to grow from a sad young girl to a strong woman.
What is Elena’s greatest personal concern on this day?
Eugene’s mom won’t let Elena in because
she’s prejudiced against Puerto Ricans
.
How is Elena a round character?
Other definitions also include that round characters
face moral dilemmas
from which they must make difficult choices. Elena’s character falls under both definitions because not only do readers find out about her background as a Puerto Rican American, but also about her dreams, goals, and feelings.
What does Eugene symbolize for 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.
Why doesn’t Elena look down at the snowy ground?
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.
Why is Eugene called the hick?
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 …
What common interests and conditions help to develop a friendship between Elena and Eugene?
As far as personal interests are concerned, though, both Elena and Eugene
enjoy reading books
. In fact, Eugene enjoys sitting at his kitchen table to read and Elena would like to read in his kitchen as well. She would like to talk with him about his home state of Georgia because she starts reading Gone with the Wind.
