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American History by Judith Ortíz Cofer: Full Plot Summary | Short Story
American History by Judith Ortíz Cofer
ABOUT THE STORY
American History by Judith Ortíz Cofer
"American History" is a short story by Judith Ortiz Cofer. This story is about growing up. The story takes place in the early 1960s, a time when the concepts of racism and segregation were in high point. The main character here in the story is Elena, a fourteen years old girl who comes from Puerto Rico. She is living her life with her family in Paterson, New Jersey. When American President John F. Kennedy is assassinated, it's a sad time. But for Elena, her new neighbour, Eugene is much important. She dreams a lot about him. When Elena goes to see Eugene later, something bad happens to her because Eugene's mother treats her unfairly. Here in this story, we find the themes such as xenophobia and culture clashes.
FULL PLOT SUMMARY
American History by Judith Ortíz Cofer
This story starts on February 22, 1963. It was the day when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. When people in Paterson, New Jersey, hear this particular news of the assassination, all of them react. The main character Elena and many other newcomers from Puerto Rico live in the El Building. Though this building is often noisy, it becomes quiet after the news. All the residents start a shocked mourning period. Elena, along with her classmates from P.S. 13, are sent outside for gym class. Elena joins the other girls in jumping rope.
Gail and the other black kids tease Elena. They tease her because Elena is turning the rope slowly. After this misbehaviour, Elena starts crying because it's cold, and she also doesn't like living in Paterson. The only thing she likes about school and the city is Eugene. Eugene is a boy who moved into the house next to the El Building during the summer.
Elena can easily see Eugene's house and yard from her apartment. Before the arrival of Eugene's family there, she used to watch an elderly Jewish couple who lived there and took care of the flowers in the yard. After the death of the old man, the woman left the house. The house remained empty until Eugene's family came there. Eugene's dad mowed the yard completely. He destroyed all the flowers. Now there's no family activity to watch at their kitchen table. But Elena enjoys watching Eugene read at the table.
When school begins in the autumn, Elena desires to see Eugene in her classes, but Eugene attends the advanced classes that Elena can't join. Even though Elena is really good at school, she can't join those classes because her first language is Spanish. But Elena still finds some ways to be around Eugene. They start talking and becoming friends.
Elena's mother worries much about Elena's behaviour. As Elena is a teenager, her mother finds changes in her behaviour. She accuses Elena of being infatuated with Eugene. The parents of Elena have a dream of moving their family to a suburban area with a house and a yard. Their dreams make Elena think of their stories about life in Puerto Rico. Elena only has one memory related to Puerto Rico: going back to her grandmother's funeral.
When Elena's parents talk about moving back to Puerto Rico after their retirement, Elena decides to go to college in the U.S. and become a teacher. But her feelings regarding Eugene make her think more about the present than the future. She imagines moving into Eugene's house next door in her daydreams.
Elena thinks Georgia, the place where Eugene belongs, seems quite glamorous because she's reading "Gone with the Wind." She imagines talking to Eugene about life there. Elena reflects on how both of them are treated as outsiders at school. She gets teased for being Puerto Rican, while Eugene gets mocked for his Southern accent.
The story shifts back to the day when Kennedy was killed. Mr. DePalma, the P.E. teacher known for handling tough kids, sobs while lining up the students after their outdoor exercise class. He informs all his students regarding the death of the president. After hearing the news, the students don't know how to react, but they use the opportunity to grab their bags and leave school early.
The town is silent, and for Elena, it is strange. People talk in a soft way, and there's no noise in traffic from car horns. When Elena gets home to El Building, she finds her mom watching TV and crying. Even though Elena knows that she should feel sad at the sad news of Kennedy's death, she's actually happy and excited because she plans to move to Eugene's house to study with him and then to the library.
Elena looks into Eugene's kitchen from her apartment and can't wait to sit with Eugene at the table. She changes her dresses, puts on lipstick, and gets her books. When she informs her mother that she's going out, her mom wants her to move to church instead to honour the president. Her mother disagrees, but Elena still leaves. Her mom warns her that she'll ultimately be disappointed.
As Elena is walking to Eugene's house, she thinks about the layout of Paterson. Small houses are next to big apartment buildings like the El Building. It shows how different groups of people have arrived in the city and made it diverse. Elena reaches Eugene's house and knocks on the green door. Eugene's mother answers the door and opens it just a little. She asks what Elena wants in a not-very-friendly way. Elena informs her that Eugene has invited her over for combined studies.
Eugene's mother asks if Elena lives in the El Building. When Elena agrees, saying yes, Eugene's mother tells her that she can't come inside to see Eugene. In her sweet voice, she denies Elena. This act by Eugene's mother surprises her greatly. She tells Elena that Eugene shouldn't be friends with those people who live in Paterson because they'll leave the place soon. Elena is completely shocked and stands still for some time. Later, Eugene's mother gets angry at her. Elena starts to leave and hears the sound of a door shut behind her.
Being upset, Elena returns to her empty apartment. When her parents come back late at night, they discuss about President Kennedy and express their sadness over his death. Here, Elena is sad too, but mostly because she can't get a chance to be with Eugene. She pretends to be asleep when her mother comes to check on her. At the end of the story, Elena watches the snow fall under the streetlight, knowing that it will look grey on the ground.
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