VINCENT LOPINTO: I am American. In 1910 my great-great grandfather came to America from Naples, Italy. He entered through Ellis Island. The only English he spoke was “America!” He moved into a one-room apartment on the Upper East Side, and after a few years married an Italian girl also living in America. They moved to Brooklyn, and my great-great-grandfather got a job in construction with others that had come from Naples before him. I think he was scared to death, to be perfectly honest. Back in Italy, though, he would work his whole life for nothing. America promised to be different. A country where dreams could come true. A) Use the following excerpt from the play I Am American to answer the question. What is the effect of this exposition in the play? (1 point) Responses It describes the daily life of a main character. It describes the daily life of a main character. It gives background information about one of the characters. It gives background information about one of the characters. It introduces a conflict that must be resolved. It introduces a conflict that must be resolved. It describes how the events of the play got more complicated.

Answer 1

The effect of this exposition in the play is that it gives background information about one of the characters. It provides context about Vincent Lopinto's great-great-grandfather's journey to America, his struggles, and his hopes, which helps to understand the character's heritage and motivations in the story.