Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain."

Alfonso said over and over that she was too nice to pull a stunt like that. But Ernie argued that she lived only two blocks from where those girls had told them to wait, that she was in the same grade, and, the clincher, that she had ponytails. Secretly, however, Ernie was jealous that his brother, two years younger than himself, might have found a girlfriend.

A theme in this excerpt is expressed by

Question

Charity Lopez

English

6 August, 02:41

Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain."

Alfonso said over and over that she was too nice to pull a stunt like that. But Ernie argued that she lived only two blocks from where those girls had told them to wait, that she was in the same grade, and, the clincher, that she had ponytails. Secretly, however, Ernie was jealous that his brother, two years younger than himself, might have found a girlfriend.

A theme in this excerpt is expressed by

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Answers (1)

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Violet Bishop · Answer 1

By presenting a conflict of the two characters in the passage.

Explanation:

Gary Soto's short story "Broken Chain" tells the story of a Hispanic family's life, especially revolving around the lives of the two brothers. Alfonso and Ernie were two brothers who put great efforts in their appearance to be at par with the other children in their neighborhood and school.

The given passage is from when Alfonso, the narrator and younger brother of Ernie had told his elder brother about his plan with Sandra. Ernie told him that Sandra lived near the girls who had bailed on him and so warned his younger brother that girls can't be trusted to keep their word. But in reality, he was jealous of his brother being able to get a girl when he himself can't seem to get any. This presence of conflict in the two brothers provides the theme of conflict in the characters.