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Elena

A fourteen-year-old Puerto Rican girl living in Paterson, New Jersey, and the protagonist. Elena often feels like an outsider at school. She dislikes life in Paterson and envies the girls at school who seem more at home there.

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Eugene

A white boy from Georgia. Eugene moves into the house next door to Elena’s building. Eugene is shy and studious.

Elena’s mother

A blunt woman. Elena’s mother is vigilant about matters of morality with Elena. She is unhappy living in Paterson.

Read an in-depth analysis of Elena’s mother.

Eugene’s mother

A nurse. Eugene’s mother is from Georgia and feels unhappy about her move to Paterson.

Mr. DePalma

The P.E. teacher at Elena’s school. A disciplinarian accustomed to handling the most difficult students at the school, Mr. DePalma is reduced to tears by Kennedy’s assassination.

Gail

A girl in Elena’s class. Gail is Black and serves as a leader among the girls in Elena’s class. 

Elena’s father

A worker at a blue jeans factory. Elena’s father dreams of moving his family to a nicer suburb. 

The Jewish couple

An elderly couple and Elena’s neighbors before Eugene’s family. The couple lived in the house next to El Building until the husband’s death.

Eugene’s father

A man from Georgia. Eugene’s father recently transferred to a job in Paterson. He works long hours and is only seen at home on the weekends, working in the yard.

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