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Internal Conflict: Internal Conflict occurs when the protagonist struggles within himself or herself. The Internal Conflict in American History is how Elena feels so different from everyone else. She's very insecure, and when Eugene's mom puts her down it really tears her apart. She feels very attacked because she's alone and has no one to comfort her because the whole world thinks that she's being selfish since the president just died. She struggles within herself to find out who she is. External Conflict: External Conflict is a struggle between the protagonist and some other person or some other thing. The External Conflict in American History is the conflict with Elena and Eugene's Mother. Elena isn't expecting the "welcome" she gets when she asks to study with Eugene. She is horribly let down and very confused. She thought that they would be very kind, like Eugene. But when Eugene's Mother yells at her and tells her that Eugene doesn't want to hang out with her and she isn't allowed in, Elena was very scared. Eugene's Mother didn't seem to care that Elena was broken hearted. Exposition: Exposition is the beginning of the story where they describe the characters and setting of a story. In American History the exposition is when it describes El Building, where Elena lives and it describes how she spends her days, watching the house next door. It introduces you to Elena and you get inside of her head because she is the narrator. You learn that she is Puerto Rican which is a very important detail in the story to realize why she is shunned by Eugene's Mother. It helps you get to know each and every character so that you can relate to the story more in depth. Rising Action: The Rising Action is when the story begins to get interesting, it's a bunch of parts of the story that all get put together and they build closer and closer to the most intense part of the story. In American History the rising action is when Elena and Eugene meet and they begin to talk more and more. They become friends, and Elena couldn't be happier. She has been waiting for Eugene and her to get to the point they are for a very long time. She feels special, like she has people on her side. It builds and builds until the next part, the climax. When things get really intense. Climax: The climax is the most intense part of the story, the reader is on edge and is wondering what is going to happen next. In American History the climax is when the students at P.S. 13 are standing in lines and the gym teacher comes crying and tells them that President Kennedy has been killed. Elena isn't saddened by the news at all, because she is excitedly awaiting when she gets to study with Eugene. She gets home and begins getting ready. Her mother is crying and warns her not to go over, that she will just be let down. Then, when Eugene's Mother yells at Elena and tells her to go away because Eugene doesn't want to be friends with her, that is the main climax. When the reader is jumping off of their seat, wondering what will happen next. Falling Action: The falling action is when things begin to get solved. The most exciting part has happened and things are winding down. In American History this is when Elena has the door shut in her face. She leaves Eugene's house and goes home, crying. Her mother has left, and is crying with a friend because of the death of the president. Her father isn't home, and she's there alone, crying in her bedroom. She has been painfully let down and she is struggling to deal with it. She is hurt very much. But there's nothing that can be done about it. Resolution: The resolution is the end of the story, when usually the problem is solved. Sometimes, there's a happy ending. Other times there's not. In American History there was not a happy ending. It was a cliffhanger. There wasn't a true end. Nothing was resolved. Elena is at home crying, and confused. Nothing has been solved. She's right back where she started, in the never ending circle of pain and let down. Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is a writer's use of hints or clues to indicate events and situations that will occur later in a plot. In American History the foreshadowing was when Elena's mother said that things would not end well if she went to Eugene's house. She was warned beforehand. But she didn't listen. Elena had her hopes up so high, and she thought that nothing would bring her down. However, what she found when she went to Eugene's houe definitely brought her down. She was too stubborn to listen. Imagery: Imagery is descriptive words and phrases that re-create sensory experiences for the reader. The reader can picture what the author is trying to say. In American History, imagery was portrayed when Elena is describing El Building. It says "At almost any hour of the day, El Buidling was like a monstrous jukebox, blasting out salsas from open windows as the residents, mostly new immagrants just up from the island, tried to drown out whatever they were currently enduring with loud music." The reader can picture the loud music and the exciting uproar of El Building. Irony: Irony is when the outcome is different than expected. In American History, irony was Elena's feelings. She had no remorse for President Kennedy, and how he was shot. She couldn't care less because she was so excited for her studying with Eugene. She thought that she was unstoppable. She was on top of the world. But then when she was letdown so incredibly, she was just as sad as the mourners. It was ironic because she didn't care that other people were hurt. But in the end, she was also hurt. Point of View: The point of view is how the story is told. If the narrator is a character from the story, a random person telling the story or if the person is talking about themselves. American History was written in first person point of view. Elena, a character in the story, is telling about the things she is going through and she is narrating the story. Protagonist: A protagonist is the leading character, hero or heroine of the story. In American History, the protagonist is Eugene. He is a very important part of the story. And he is the hero. He saves Elena from her loneliness. He helps her feel wanted and feel like she has something to look forward to. In the end, he wasn't the one who let her down. Maybe he actually did want to be with Elena. It was just his mother who wouldn't allow it. Antagonist: An antagonist is the enemy, or person who gets in the way of the protagonist. In American History, the antagonist is Eugene's Mother. She hurts Eugene and Elena, and ruins their friendship. Dynamic Character: The dynamic character is a character who goes through great change in the story. The dynamic character in American History is Elena. She starts off really caring for Eugene and she believes that they will be good friends. She feels like she's going to have a really good friend for a lifetime. In the end she is let down so terribly and realizes that she doesn't want to be his friend. She realizes that he wasn't worth it, and she can find someone different. She wishes she could just get away from everyone and not have her heartbroken. But she is let down, and doesn't want to rely on anyone else. Foil: A foil is someone who helps the protagonist. They help them to fill in the gaps that they can't fill in on their own. A foil in American History would be Eugene to Elena. Eugene is Elena's friend and makes her feel wanted. He is everything that she's not, he's always there for her in times of need and he seems like he is able to be counted on. Setting: The setting is where the story takes place. In American History the setting is Paterson, New Jersey. Most of the time in El Building, Elena's house. Sometimes in the school P.S. 13 where Elena and Eugene go to school. Suspense: Suspense is what keeps the reader reading. Why they don't want to put the book down. The suspense in American History is when Elena goes to Eugene's house and his mother is extremely rude to her. The reader wants to know if she's ever going to see him again or if she's going to lose him forever. Symbol: A symbol in a story is something that represents something else. In American History President Kennedy's death represented the let down that the world was going through. It helped Elena realize she wasn't the only one that was going through hard times. The world was also having diffuculty getting over something terrible that happened to them. Theme: The theme is the lesson of the story. It teaches the reader a moral. The theme in American History is sometimes things are too good to be true. Sometimes when you think that things are always going to work out, they dont. But you can't give up because maybe another opportunity will come.