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Eleven
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3 pages, Unknown Binding
First published August 15, 2010
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About the author
Sandra Cisneros
102 books4,081 followersSandra Cisneros is internationally acclaimed for her poetry and fiction and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lannan Literary Award and the American Book Award, and of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the MacArthur Foundation.
Cisneros is the author of two novels The House on Mango Street and Caramelo; a collection of short stories, Woman Hollering Creek; two books of poetry, My Wicked Ways and Loose Woman; and a children's book, Hairs/Pelitos.
She is the founder of the Macondo Foundation, an association of writers united to serve underserved communities (www.macondofoundation.org), and is Writer in Residence at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.
Cisneros is the author of two novels The House on Mango Street and Caramelo; a collection of short stories, Woman Hollering Creek; two books of poetry, My Wicked Ways and Loose Woman; and a children's book, Hairs/Pelitos.
She is the founder of the Macondo Foundation, an association of writers united to serve underserved communities (www.macondofoundation.org), and is Writer in Residence at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
August 22, 2014
If you can't understand why the main character is crying, then lucky you; you have never felt like she did. Or maybe you're so far removed from your eleven year old self that you can't remember ever having felt that way. Again, lucky you.
Not being believed. Not even being allowed to explain. Being accused of forgetfulness and bad taste and smelling like cottage cheese, and then being publicly reprimanded by an authority figure, in front of your peers, for denying all of the above. On your birthday. When you're eleven.
Of course she's crying. Wouldn't you?
Not being believed. Not even being allowed to explain. Being accused of forgetfulness and bad taste and smelling like cottage cheese, and then being publicly reprimanded by an authority figure, in front of your peers, for denying all of the above. On your birthday. When you're eleven.
Of course she's crying. Wouldn't you?
June 30, 2022
And maybe one day when you're all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you're three, and that's okay. That's what I tell Mama when she's sad and needs to cry. Maybe she's feeling three.
I wish I wasn't eleven, because all the years inside of me ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two and one the back of my eyes...
And I wish weren't so many years inside of me...
365 Short Stories a year
https://www.byanyothernerd.com/search...
I wish I wasn't eleven, because all the years inside of me ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two and one the back of my eyes...
And I wish weren't so many years inside of me...
365 Short Stories a year
https://www.byanyothernerd.com/search...
December 5, 2023
Act Your Age!
Ever thought of the ambiguity of that phrase?
When someone tells us to act our age, how do we “act” when complying with that kind of demand? To make a personal confession, I am not one of those who think that children are wiser and more insightful than adults – usually people are not particularly wise nor insightful at any age – nor do I hold it with those who think that when you feel like crying or laughing or cussing, you should give in to those impulses regardless of the situation you are in and the age you have reached. After all, when you have been around in this world for a while, you ought to be able to act with self-control and to refrain from overwhelming and plaguing other people with your unbridled emotions as though they were the only ones that counted. Nevertheless, this works both ways: When we have to do with children, we should try to remember that to them seemingly little things matter a lot and that they lack the experience to realize that quite often once you have taken a night of sleep on a monster it usually looks like a mouse the next morning. Children simply don’t feel and think that way, and we shouldn’t make them start doing so too early.
After all, what I don’t like about dyed-in-the-wool stoics is their readiness to look at human suffering, especially in other people, with so much detached indifference – they call it “philosophy” – that they hardly seem human anymore. There must be something wrong with them in the first place.
In this light, it will be hard to read Sandra Cisnero’s short story Eleven without feeling utterly miserable unless you are really so miserable already as not to remember what it was like to be a child and to be wounded and mortified by the terrors and humiliations and feelings of helplessness that only a child can feel but that an adult will ideally have exchanged for other terrors and humiliations and feelings of helplessness. Maybe it is because I have children of my own that I still feel able to vicariously experience the helplessness of the little girl Rachel in Cisnero’s story – but I hope it is also because I still remember what it is like to be a child myself. It doesn’t help to tell the child that after all, her grievances are not as terrible as she thinks and that she should not make such a fuss about them because it is the here and now that counts.
Ever thought of the ambiguity of that phrase?
When someone tells us to act our age, how do we “act” when complying with that kind of demand? To make a personal confession, I am not one of those who think that children are wiser and more insightful than adults – usually people are not particularly wise nor insightful at any age – nor do I hold it with those who think that when you feel like crying or laughing or cussing, you should give in to those impulses regardless of the situation you are in and the age you have reached. After all, when you have been around in this world for a while, you ought to be able to act with self-control and to refrain from overwhelming and plaguing other people with your unbridled emotions as though they were the only ones that counted. Nevertheless, this works both ways: When we have to do with children, we should try to remember that to them seemingly little things matter a lot and that they lack the experience to realize that quite often once you have taken a night of sleep on a monster it usually looks like a mouse the next morning. Children simply don’t feel and think that way, and we shouldn’t make them start doing so too early.
After all, what I don’t like about dyed-in-the-wool stoics is their readiness to look at human suffering, especially in other people, with so much detached indifference – they call it “philosophy” – that they hardly seem human anymore. There must be something wrong with them in the first place.
In this light, it will be hard to read Sandra Cisnero’s short story Eleven without feeling utterly miserable unless you are really so miserable already as not to remember what it was like to be a child and to be wounded and mortified by the terrors and humiliations and feelings of helplessness that only a child can feel but that an adult will ideally have exchanged for other terrors and humiliations and feelings of helplessness. Maybe it is because I have children of my own that I still feel able to vicariously experience the helplessness of the little girl Rachel in Cisnero’s story – but I hope it is also because I still remember what it is like to be a child myself. It doesn’t help to tell the child that after all, her grievances are not as terrible as she thinks and that she should not make such a fuss about them because it is the here and now that counts.
April 9, 2013
This short story was a powerful read in my point of view, and I absolutely loved it. It's quick and easy to get through, filled with a symbolism that can shoot over one's head. To me, it is a story that can either be taken at face-value or interpreted subjectively.
I've never thought about birthdays in the way it is described here. I never thought about growing up in such a poignant and beautiful way, never thought about all the pretending we do and how at every stage of our life we wish we were older; we wish we knew more so that maybe we could know what to do in a certain moment of weakness and confusion...to not let our emotions take over us in a way that would make us look like we were still three years old.
I love it. I really do. Beautiful prose.
I've never thought about birthdays in the way it is described here. I never thought about growing up in such a poignant and beautiful way, never thought about all the pretending we do and how at every stage of our life we wish we were older; we wish we knew more so that maybe we could know what to do in a certain moment of weakness and confusion...to not let our emotions take over us in a way that would make us look like we were still three years old.
I love it. I really do. Beautiful prose.
Read
October 16, 2012Eleven was about an eleven year old girl named Rachel and it is her birthday. She is at school and her teacher is wondering who left their sweater in the classroom for this long. Someone said that it is Rachel's but it is not really hers and she tries to tell the teacher that it is not but the teacher dose not care. Then after the teacher gives it to her she moves it to the very tip of the corner and the teacher gets mad and tells her to put it on so then she does and she starts crying because she hates it and wants to take it off. At the end of the class the real owner says that it is theirs. So she finally gets to take ti off. When she takes it of her teacher acts as if nothing really happened.
August 16, 2021
I've really chosen the worst day to read this, I'm a sobbing mess
May 12, 2021
Name:Frankie
“Eleven”
The world can be a very tough place for someone who is diffident and lacks self confidence, especially for a kid. In the story “Eleven” by Sandra Cisnaros, the main character Rachel is very diffident. I think this is because Rachel did not Speak up when Sylvia Saldivar says that the ugly sweater is Rachel’s, Rachel never speaks up to the teacher, and finally Rachel never spoke up to Phyllis Lopez.
In the story Eleven I think that Rachel is diffident because Rachel did not Speak up when Sylvia Saldivar says that the ugly sweater is Rachel’s. I think this because in the story Eleven Rachel said that the ugly sweater was in fact not her's in a very quiet tone that almost no one could hear. Also, Rachel never talked to Sylvia later and told her that what she did was not okay. “That's not, I don’t, you're not… not mine. I finally say in a little voice as if I was four.” I think that this quote from the story shows how Rachel may be diffident because she did not speak in an assertive tone. The author in that quote also used the technique of dialogue, I think this because they showed a sentence of Rachel talking in a quiet voice/tone. This makes the readers think that Rachel may lack self confidence.
In the story Eleven I think that Rachel is diffident because Rachel never spoke up to the teacher. I think this because she talked in a very quiet voice/tone. Rachel also thought to herself that she had to believe everything that the teacher said. “‘Rachel.’ Mrs. Price says as if she is getting angry. ‘You put that sweater on and no more nonsense. But it’s not, NOW!’ Mrs. Price says.” This little excerpt from the story really shows how Rachel is diffident because Rachel talked as if she did not have one single bit of confidence left in her body. Also, this quote shows how the author used the technique of tone. I think this because it shows how the teacher yelled at Rachel in a very loud tone, this makes the readers think that Mrs. Price is mean.
In the story Eleven I think that Rachel is diffident because Rachel never spoke up to Phyllis Lopez. I think this because Rachel pretends that everything was okay. Rachel also never asks why Phyllis did not speak up and say the ugly red sweater was her in the first place. “That stupid Phyllis Lopez, who is even dumber than Sylvia Saldivar, says she remember the red sweater was hers. I take it off right away and give it to her, only Mrs. Price pretends everything is okay.” This shows how Rachel is diffident because she never went and talked to the teacher about how what she did was not okay.
As you can see, the world can be a tough place for people who may lack self confidence, especially for kids. This is why I feel that in the story Eleven Rachel is diffident because Rachel did not speak up when Sylvia Saldivar says that the ugly sweater is Rachel’s, Rachel never spoke up to the teacher, and finally because Rachel never spoke up to Phyllis Lopez. This story really made me change my perspective on some kids who are being put down by their teacher’s.
“Eleven”
The world can be a very tough place for someone who is diffident and lacks self confidence, especially for a kid. In the story “Eleven” by Sandra Cisnaros, the main character Rachel is very diffident. I think this is because Rachel did not Speak up when Sylvia Saldivar says that the ugly sweater is Rachel’s, Rachel never speaks up to the teacher, and finally Rachel never spoke up to Phyllis Lopez.
In the story Eleven I think that Rachel is diffident because Rachel did not Speak up when Sylvia Saldivar says that the ugly sweater is Rachel’s. I think this because in the story Eleven Rachel said that the ugly sweater was in fact not her's in a very quiet tone that almost no one could hear. Also, Rachel never talked to Sylvia later and told her that what she did was not okay. “That's not, I don’t, you're not… not mine. I finally say in a little voice as if I was four.” I think that this quote from the story shows how Rachel may be diffident because she did not speak in an assertive tone. The author in that quote also used the technique of dialogue, I think this because they showed a sentence of Rachel talking in a quiet voice/tone. This makes the readers think that Rachel may lack self confidence.
In the story Eleven I think that Rachel is diffident because Rachel never spoke up to the teacher. I think this because she talked in a very quiet voice/tone. Rachel also thought to herself that she had to believe everything that the teacher said. “‘Rachel.’ Mrs. Price says as if she is getting angry. ‘You put that sweater on and no more nonsense. But it’s not, NOW!’ Mrs. Price says.” This little excerpt from the story really shows how Rachel is diffident because Rachel talked as if she did not have one single bit of confidence left in her body. Also, this quote shows how the author used the technique of tone. I think this because it shows how the teacher yelled at Rachel in a very loud tone, this makes the readers think that Mrs. Price is mean.
In the story Eleven I think that Rachel is diffident because Rachel never spoke up to Phyllis Lopez. I think this because Rachel pretends that everything was okay. Rachel also never asks why Phyllis did not speak up and say the ugly red sweater was her in the first place. “That stupid Phyllis Lopez, who is even dumber than Sylvia Saldivar, says she remember the red sweater was hers. I take it off right away and give it to her, only Mrs. Price pretends everything is okay.” This shows how Rachel is diffident because she never went and talked to the teacher about how what she did was not okay.
As you can see, the world can be a tough place for people who may lack self confidence, especially for kids. This is why I feel that in the story Eleven Rachel is diffident because Rachel did not speak up when Sylvia Saldivar says that the ugly sweater is Rachel’s, Rachel never spoke up to the teacher, and finally because Rachel never spoke up to Phyllis Lopez. This story really made me change my perspective on some kids who are being put down by their teacher’s.
June 23, 2014
An absolutely brilliant read, everyone I know has felt like this, I have felt like this at some points in my young life and even nowadays I feel this way. When people ask me how old I am, I have to concentrate and pause a little too long to remember how old I am, for I keep thinking I am 26 or 27, but in actuality I am 31, though I am overly playful for my age I often act like a 9yr old. I think everybody feels like this, I think no one is actually the age that they feel they are - some people cope better than others to react how others expect you to react for your age and others, like me, just don't cope and act in years either too young or too old in front of others; then we're called weirdos.
I identify with this story a lot.
I identify with this story a lot.
May 12, 2022
اینو بخونید: 🥺
What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still ten. And you are—underneath the year that makes you eleven. Like some days you might say something stupid, and that’s the part of you that’s still ten. Or maybe some days you might need to sit on your mama’s lap because you’re scared, and that’s the part of you that’s five. And maybe one day when you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and that’s okay. That’s what I tell Mama when she’s sad and needs to cry. Maybe she’s feeling three. Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk or like my little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one. That’s how being eleven years old is.
(فقط سه صفحهست و اسمشو سرچ کنید فایلش رو پیدا میکنید )
What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still ten. And you are—underneath the year that makes you eleven. Like some days you might say something stupid, and that’s the part of you that’s still ten. Or maybe some days you might need to sit on your mama’s lap because you’re scared, and that’s the part of you that’s five. And maybe one day when you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and that’s okay. That’s what I tell Mama when she’s sad and needs to cry. Maybe she’s feeling three. Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk or like my little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one. That’s how being eleven years old is.
(فقط سه صفحهست و اسمشو سرچ کنید فایلش رو پیدا میکنید )
May 12, 2021
In life you should never think all teachers are nice because they can be mean.
My first reason is that, in “Eleven” it says not all teachers are nice. This is true for Rachel because the teacher accused her of that the sweater was her’s and making Rachel wear the sweater. “Now Rachel put on that Sweater!”.
A 2nd reason is This is also true for Phyllis too because the teacher made a different kid wear her sweater and get more germs. That is not Phyllis's germs and could get Phylls sick. “Now Rachel put on that sweater!”
The final reason is when the teacher was mean to the class by interrupting the subjects by yelling at Rachel to put on the sweater in the middle of class “Now Rachel that's enough” and “Now Rachel put on that sweater.”
As you can see from the text the characters in “Eleven” go through having the teacher stopping class and being mean to Rachel.
May 12, 2021
Eleven
By: Sandra Cisneros
Jordyn Exler
In literature, authors write a lot about how characters face difficult situations. In the story Eleven, by Sandra Cisneros, the author teaches to not let others bully you, or make you feel bullied through emotions, dialogue, and inner thoughts. The main character Rachel, feels mistreated by another student, Sylbia Saldivar, and the teacher Mrs. Price about an old smelly sweater.
The first example of when Rachel feels bullied is with Sylbia Saldivar. The author Sandra Cisneros used emotion to show how Rachel felt. Sylbia said the sweater was Rachel’s. But it was not Rachel’s. She could only get out in a little voice “not mine”, because she was too nervous. She didn’t know what to say and how to react. She also cried. The author makes us understand that Rachel is already nervous and shy.
The second example of Rachel feeling bullied is Mrs. Price. The author uses dialogue to show the reaction. Rachel says, “Not mine.” in a small voice. And the teacher responded with,
“Of course it’s yours, I remember you wearing it once.” But it was not Rachel’s. Rachel was hurt and why would the teacher not listen to her? She then forced Rachel to wear the sweater.
Finally the story teaches to not let others bully you, or make yourself feel bullied. The author lets us see what Rachel is thinking, “I wish I was one hundred and two. I wish I was anything but eleven.” This shows that she is sad, and unhappy with this age. She is scared and not sure how to stand up for herself. So, Rachel bullied herself for just sitting there instead of speaking up.
As you can see, in the story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros it teaches to not let others bully you, or let others make you feel bullied. Again Mrs. Price bullies Rachel, Sylbia Saldivar bullies Rachel, and finally Rachel gets bullied by herself. If I were Rachel and Mrs. Price put the sweater on my desk. I would say out loud that it was not my sweater. If she moved on then I would put it on my stool/chair. If she forced me to wear it, I would not listen to her and say it was not mine, and if she still said to put it on then I would ask to see another teacher. Though the author never says it, I learned I should stick up for myself.
By: Sandra Cisneros
Jordyn Exler
In literature, authors write a lot about how characters face difficult situations. In the story Eleven, by Sandra Cisneros, the author teaches to not let others bully you, or make you feel bullied through emotions, dialogue, and inner thoughts. The main character Rachel, feels mistreated by another student, Sylbia Saldivar, and the teacher Mrs. Price about an old smelly sweater.
The first example of when Rachel feels bullied is with Sylbia Saldivar. The author Sandra Cisneros used emotion to show how Rachel felt. Sylbia said the sweater was Rachel’s. But it was not Rachel’s. She could only get out in a little voice “not mine”, because she was too nervous. She didn’t know what to say and how to react. She also cried. The author makes us understand that Rachel is already nervous and shy.
The second example of Rachel feeling bullied is Mrs. Price. The author uses dialogue to show the reaction. Rachel says, “Not mine.” in a small voice. And the teacher responded with,
“Of course it’s yours, I remember you wearing it once.” But it was not Rachel’s. Rachel was hurt and why would the teacher not listen to her? She then forced Rachel to wear the sweater.
Finally the story teaches to not let others bully you, or make yourself feel bullied. The author lets us see what Rachel is thinking, “I wish I was one hundred and two. I wish I was anything but eleven.” This shows that she is sad, and unhappy with this age. She is scared and not sure how to stand up for herself. So, Rachel bullied herself for just sitting there instead of speaking up.
As you can see, in the story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros it teaches to not let others bully you, or let others make you feel bullied. Again Mrs. Price bullies Rachel, Sylbia Saldivar bullies Rachel, and finally Rachel gets bullied by herself. If I were Rachel and Mrs. Price put the sweater on my desk. I would say out loud that it was not my sweater. If she moved on then I would put it on my stool/chair. If she forced me to wear it, I would not listen to her and say it was not mine, and if she still said to put it on then I would ask to see another teacher. Though the author never says it, I learned I should stick up for myself.
May 12, 2021
Every year of age the other feelings tag along Like The age 3, Rachel cried like she was 3. Would not speak to the teacher like if she cant talk and just say Blah Like if she 3.
Every year of age the other feelings tag alone like The age 5. Rachel would sit in her mom lap like if she was 5, would say dume stuff that didn't make sense, Rachel would also throw stuff like if she 5
Every year of age the other feelings tag alone like 11, After Rachel going thro all of that she finally thought she was 11. She finally stood up like she was 11 and said “No!!!” like every 11 year old girl would say.
If Rachel was 5,6,7,8,9,or even 10 Rachel would probably take the sweater. But no she was 11 and said no it's not mine. Finally A boy came and said That's not yours, it's Hers! And she took it off like a 11 year old girl would and gave it back and said This is yours not mine! Like if she was 5,6,7,8,9, or even 10 she would probably say will find keepers!!!!!
Will you see these feelings are true? All of us have feelings and act like it, But what I wanted to show is that if someone thinks they can do stuff to you just because they're older, bc there the teacher, or really just an adult and they can tell u what to do. But never be afraid to say no
Every year of age the other feelings tag alone like The age 5. Rachel would sit in her mom lap like if she was 5, would say dume stuff that didn't make sense, Rachel would also throw stuff like if she 5
Every year of age the other feelings tag alone like 11, After Rachel going thro all of that she finally thought she was 11. She finally stood up like she was 11 and said “No!!!” like every 11 year old girl would say.
If Rachel was 5,6,7,8,9,or even 10 Rachel would probably take the sweater. But no she was 11 and said no it's not mine. Finally A boy came and said That's not yours, it's Hers! And she took it off like a 11 year old girl would and gave it back and said This is yours not mine! Like if she was 5,6,7,8,9, or even 10 she would probably say will find keepers!!!!!
Will you see these feelings are true? All of us have feelings and act like it, But what I wanted to show is that if someone thinks they can do stuff to you just because they're older, bc there the teacher, or really just an adult and they can tell u what to do. But never be afraid to say no
December 17, 2022
Rachel observes, when we turn eleven, we don’t become a new person overnight. And to an extent, we continue to carry around a memory of our younger selves at all times.
July 25, 2016
Sandra Cisneros describes birthdays like I've never heard before in Eleven:
The story is about a girl named Rachel (how coincidental) who, on her eleventh birthday, is feeling down, disappointed by her teacher and embarrassed by her classmates, who ridicule her in front of the whole class — and on her birthday! It's a lovely, slightly sad piece about growing up, about having everything from your past inside you but still continuing to move away from the familiar things you thought you knew about growing up. Very well written, and a touching piece.
What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still ten. And you are—underneath the year that makes you eleven.
The story is about a girl named Rachel (how coincidental) who, on her eleventh birthday, is feeling down, disappointed by her teacher and embarrassed by her classmates, who ridicule her in front of the whole class — and on her birthday! It's a lovely, slightly sad piece about growing up, about having everything from your past inside you but still continuing to move away from the familiar things you thought you knew about growing up. Very well written, and a touching piece.
January 6, 2015
"And maybe one day when you're all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you're three, and it's okay."
May 12, 2021
Name: Alaina
“Eleven”, by Sandra Cisneros, Literary Essay
Everyone faces hard times. Sometimes you don’t know what to do about them, especially if you’re a kid, but that’s not about what the hard time is, that’s about what you do about the hard time you go through. In the story, “Eleven,” by Sandra Cisneros. Rachel faces a hard time, when she gets bullied in class. “Eleven,” teaches to not let others bully you. That is true because Rachel gets bullied by her classmate: Sylvia Saldivar, her teacher: Mrs. Price, and most of all Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself. Rachel should learn to not let others bully her no matter what happens then.
One reason is that Rachel’s classmate: Sylvia Saldivar bullies Rachel. Sylvia lies about a ugly sweater being Rachel’s. She makes that up or possibly thinks she remembers the sweater as Rachel’s from vague memory. Sylvia Saldivar might have said the ugly sweater was Rachel’s to make fun of Rachel since the sweater is, “An ugly sweater like that all raggedy and old”, that quote shows that because the sweater was ugly and old, so not many people would admit the sweater is theirs. The author: Sandra Cisneros might have tried to use a technique of tone to show how rude Sylvia Saldivar is. For example Rachel calls Sylvia Saldivar “stupid.” This shows readers how bratty Sylvia Saldivar is.
Another reason is that Rachel’s teacher: Mrs. Price bullies Rachel. Mrs. Price believes Sylvia Saldivar, and gives the ugly sweater to Rachel, even though Rachel says,“Not mine.” Mrs. Price completely ignores
Rachel’s protest. Rachel thinks that Mrs. Price thinks that, “because she’s older and the teacher she’s right and I’m not.” Rachel has the sweater hanging from her desk, and Mrs. Price forces Rachel to put on the ugly and itchy sweater. Mrs. Price even lies and says, “I remember you wearing it once,” to Rachel as if Rachel had actually worn and owned the sweater. When Phyllis Lopez says the sweater is actually her’s and takes the sweater back, Mrs. Price doesn’t even apologize to Rachel. I think that the author: Sandra Cisneros, might have tried to use the goal of Stir empathy, and Support the theme (a theme is don’t bully) to make you not like what’s happening to Rachel. For example Sylvia Saldivar, and Mrs. Price bully Rachel. This shows readers to be nice because when you are not nice, someone’s feelings could be getting hurt. Mrs. Price is a big bully especially since she’s the teacher of the class.
And most of all, Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself. The sweater is not Rachel’s. She only protests once or twice. She hates the sweater so much she moves the sweater to the edge of her desk with a ruler, and won’t say she hates the sweater, and she stopped protesting. She listens and puts on the sweater, even though the sweater is ugly and itchy. Rachel gets bullied so much that instead of standing up for herself, Rachel cries in the class, in front of her classmates. In her head, Rachel is thinking, “Not mine, not mine, not mine,” yet she still doesn't stand up for herself. Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself, and because of that people are really mean to her, but if she were to stand up for herself, maybe, just maybe the bullies in the book would listen to her and stop bullying her. The author: Sandra Cisneros, might have tried to use a technique of 1st person narrator to tell the reader Rachel’s perspective. For example the story says what Rachel is thinking. This shows readers what Rachel is currently thinking.
As you can see, bullies aren’t a good thing, so they should stop. Rachel gets bullied by multiple people, including her classmate: Sylvia Saldivar, her teacher: Mrs. Price, and most of all Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself. From now on, I will be nice, and if I see someone being bullied I will stand up for them. Bullies might just need someone to show them the other (nice) door.
“Eleven”, by Sandra Cisneros, Literary Essay
Everyone faces hard times. Sometimes you don’t know what to do about them, especially if you’re a kid, but that’s not about what the hard time is, that’s about what you do about the hard time you go through. In the story, “Eleven,” by Sandra Cisneros. Rachel faces a hard time, when she gets bullied in class. “Eleven,” teaches to not let others bully you. That is true because Rachel gets bullied by her classmate: Sylvia Saldivar, her teacher: Mrs. Price, and most of all Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself. Rachel should learn to not let others bully her no matter what happens then.
One reason is that Rachel’s classmate: Sylvia Saldivar bullies Rachel. Sylvia lies about a ugly sweater being Rachel’s. She makes that up or possibly thinks she remembers the sweater as Rachel’s from vague memory. Sylvia Saldivar might have said the ugly sweater was Rachel’s to make fun of Rachel since the sweater is, “An ugly sweater like that all raggedy and old”, that quote shows that because the sweater was ugly and old, so not many people would admit the sweater is theirs. The author: Sandra Cisneros might have tried to use a technique of tone to show how rude Sylvia Saldivar is. For example Rachel calls Sylvia Saldivar “stupid.” This shows readers how bratty Sylvia Saldivar is.
Another reason is that Rachel’s teacher: Mrs. Price bullies Rachel. Mrs. Price believes Sylvia Saldivar, and gives the ugly sweater to Rachel, even though Rachel says,“Not mine.” Mrs. Price completely ignores
Rachel’s protest. Rachel thinks that Mrs. Price thinks that, “because she’s older and the teacher she’s right and I’m not.” Rachel has the sweater hanging from her desk, and Mrs. Price forces Rachel to put on the ugly and itchy sweater. Mrs. Price even lies and says, “I remember you wearing it once,” to Rachel as if Rachel had actually worn and owned the sweater. When Phyllis Lopez says the sweater is actually her’s and takes the sweater back, Mrs. Price doesn’t even apologize to Rachel. I think that the author: Sandra Cisneros, might have tried to use the goal of Stir empathy, and Support the theme (a theme is don’t bully) to make you not like what’s happening to Rachel. For example Sylvia Saldivar, and Mrs. Price bully Rachel. This shows readers to be nice because when you are not nice, someone’s feelings could be getting hurt. Mrs. Price is a big bully especially since she’s the teacher of the class.
And most of all, Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself. The sweater is not Rachel’s. She only protests once or twice. She hates the sweater so much she moves the sweater to the edge of her desk with a ruler, and won’t say she hates the sweater, and she stopped protesting. She listens and puts on the sweater, even though the sweater is ugly and itchy. Rachel gets bullied so much that instead of standing up for herself, Rachel cries in the class, in front of her classmates. In her head, Rachel is thinking, “Not mine, not mine, not mine,” yet she still doesn't stand up for herself. Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself, and because of that people are really mean to her, but if she were to stand up for herself, maybe, just maybe the bullies in the book would listen to her and stop bullying her. The author: Sandra Cisneros, might have tried to use a technique of 1st person narrator to tell the reader Rachel’s perspective. For example the story says what Rachel is thinking. This shows readers what Rachel is currently thinking.
As you can see, bullies aren’t a good thing, so they should stop. Rachel gets bullied by multiple people, including her classmate: Sylvia Saldivar, her teacher: Mrs. Price, and most of all Rachel doesn’t stand up for herself. From now on, I will be nice, and if I see someone being bullied I will stand up for them. Bullies might just need someone to show them the other (nice) door.
February 8, 2020
Eleven is one of my favorite short stories, although the last time I read it was about 25 years ago. I like that Cisneros...
I read this story as part of the short story challenge for GR's Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) group.
... gets what it's like to be caught betwitx and between childhood and adulthood – not wanting to be immature and emotionally uncontrolled, but not yet having the emotional and cognitive skills to be able to handle life well. Still, eleven-year-old Rachel comes alive for me, and her voice remained memorable decades later.I hope I don't wait decades to read Eleven again.
... recognizes that you don't stop being 10, just because now you're 11, but that some days you might say something stupid, and that’s the part of you that’s still ten. Or maybe some days you might need to sit on your mama’s lap because you’re scared, and that’s the part of you that’s five. And maybe one day when you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and that’s okay.
... exactly nails what it feels like to be 11 and to have a teacher who believes she knows best and who doesn't listen to you, who doesn't even recognize that she should try.
... tells me that when I'm 102, I will know how to respond to difficult situations – or at least the narrator expects she will. ☺
...moves from the abstract to the concrete, giving me an abstraction that helped me understand myself and my world better, then shows me how that abstraction looks in the real world: I put one arm through one sleeve of the sweater that smells like cottage cheese, and then the other arm through the other and stand there with my arms apart like if the sweater hurts me and it does, all itchy and full of germs that aren’t even mine.
I read this story as part of the short story challenge for GR's Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) group.
May 12, 2021
Eleven is a well known story of multiple pictures the story shows unfairness, emotions revealing actions, first person thinking it's well-known that Rachel wishes but she wasn't 11. On that day she could be 10 or 9 or 6 or 5 or 4 or 3 or 2 or 1 just not 11 what she wanted is go have a different teacher she wonder why her teacher is acting rude like she it was never been so what if she says something about “revealing actions” something that you never experienced with someone it's a life lesson that you know people are different the voices are different there are hair different. Even their skin color are different even are jackets are different some people have the same mask because maybe there's not a lot of masks out there we're. Different because it was a way we came out we are not the same we may have similarities that's all even with your mom and dad you have similarities with them Just not the ones that you expect another life lesson from God and I know that everyone has different ways.
:I Think
Eleven teaches every year more emositons tag along and life isn’t fair. This is true for Rachel:Because her teacher made her put on a sweater that wasnt hers. This shows revealing actions. After that Rachel did cry as if she was three. “Yelled at her for pushing the sweater to the tip coner of her desk saying not mine it by the teacher. Rachel thinking why me?” This shows first person thinking. “ Why on my birthday? Still not understanding why she got yelled at” “And why a girl says it's hers''.
:I Think
Eleven teaches every year more emositons tag along and life isn’t fair. This is true for Rachel:Because her teacher made her put on a sweater that wasnt hers. This shows revealing actions. After that Rachel did cry as if she was three. “Yelled at her for pushing the sweater to the tip coner of her desk saying not mine it by the teacher. Rachel thinking why me?” This shows first person thinking. “ Why on my birthday? Still not understanding why she got yelled at” “And why a girl says it's hers''.
May 14, 2021
I think in the book eleven it teaches you to not blame someone even if you know that it was them. And this happened to Rachel and what happened was that the teacher Mrs price found a red sweater and she ask whos it was and no one said anything but then sylvia sadivar said that it was Rachael and the teacher agreed but rachel said it wasint hers .but the teacher said it was hers and puts it on her desk she push it to coner of her desk and the teacher says to put it on and Rachel say no and then the teacher get mad so she put it on and she says it smelled bad.then she started to cry because it wasent hers and she made her put it on but she was sad with the bad smells and she felt like she had to cry. But at the end of school phllis lopez says that the red sweater is Actually hers and Rachel takes it off fast and gives it to phyllis and goes home sad.and so the reason was that the red sweater was not her and she sayed it was her and it made her feel bad at the end phllis sayed it was her’s to make her feel bad and it not very respectful and they all blame her for being rude and her pushing off the sweater to the eage of her desk. This why you should not blame other for any thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2018
I recommend this book to all readers that likes short. In our class the problem is
March 22, 2021
That one book the teacher forced you to analyze in middle school
May 17, 2021
Man! This is why Sandra Cisneros is one of the best writers out there! The story is so short and yet it makes you feel a lot more than many novels.
The power of Sandra is that she makes her characters relatable and makes YOU feel as if it where you or someone you know in her stories.
If you want to introduce her to someone, show them this short story. Great and amazing! ❤
The power of Sandra is that she makes her characters relatable and makes YOU feel as if it where you or someone you know in her stories.
If you want to introduce her to someone, show them this short story. Great and amazing! ❤
February 9, 2021
i can remember nearly every line of this three-page short story and specifically i can remember the voice of my fourth grade teacher reading this to the class eight years ago and every time i've read it since it has hit the exact same.
December 1, 2020
4.5
Again - what a difficult age. This is a super short story and full of so much emotion that I'm sure most of us have felt at least once around that age. If not, you're one of the few lucky ones I guess.
“That’s not, I don’t, you’re not…Not mine.” I finallyOh to be eleven. Such a hard age to begin with. Rachel, the main character, is disappointed about her birthday. She doesn't feel like she turned eleven. She doesn't feel any different. She explains how in reality, we are all the ages at once. Sometimes she feels the need to be comforted by her mom - at that moment, being 5. Sometimes you say something stupid - being 10. Today, on her birthday, she is struggling with age. She wishes she was older because maybe then, people would listen to her and believe her. Her teacher even makes her put on this sweater to prove a point - causing Rachel to completely bubble over and give in to tears..
say in a little voice that was maybe me when I was four.
“Of course it’s yours,” Mrs. Price says. “I remember
you wearing it once.” Because she’s older and the teacher,
she’s right and I’m not.
But the worst part is right before the bell rings for
lunch. That stupid Phyllis Lopez, who is even dumber than
Sylvia Saldivar, says she remembers the red sweater is hers. I
take it off right away and give it to her, only Mrs. Price
pretends like everything’s okay.
Again - what a difficult age. This is a super short story and full of so much emotion that I'm sure most of us have felt at least once around that age. If not, you're one of the few lucky ones I guess.
September 6, 2018
On the story Eleven The main idea of this story is your actions and thinking doesn't represent your physical age. This story is a little girl called Rachel din't know how to express her on opinion bravely. For example when she say I don't, you're not.......not mine it shows that she couldn't express her opinion bravely. For a eleven years old girl, she suppose to express her opinion bravely, but she was too shy to say a word, it make her feel like a four year girl; however I really recommend you read this book because there are a lot of interesting thing you can learn from this book.
September 6, 2018
In the short story, "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros, I recommend this book a little because it's a little fun. I liked this book because it was a little funny in the part of the sweater, well I am not going to spoiled it to you but it was a little boring at the beginning. When we read it with the class most people give it a 4 stars but I give it a 3 stars. I recommend this book but read it with another person too I'll sound better.
December 1, 2020
There are so many times I have felt exactly like the main character in Sandra Cisneros’ short story “Eleven”. She says we are like an onion or Russian nesting dolls- all of the previous ages existing within the current age. So even if you are 11, you are also still 10 and five and three. And sometimes those other ages rule the day.
There is much for children to relate to and talk about in this story. It is one I will continue to read with my class.
There is much for children to relate to and talk about in this story. It is one I will continue to read with my class.
February 1, 2021
This literally three page short story is either really relatable and beautiful or it's bizzare. If you think it's bizzare, lucky you. For those that can relate, I think this short story was a beautiful way to think about things and yet feel so much simultaneously. It was a nice quick read that made me think for some time.
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September 2, 2025"What they don't understand about birthdays and what they never tell
you is that when you're eleven, you're also ten, and nine, and eight, and
seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one."
you is that when you're eleven, you're also ten, and nine, and eight, and
seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one."
September 6, 2018
I recommend this book to you. First of all, it is very funny how at the end a girl said the sweater was her's. Secondly, I it really think this book is a good influence of a girl that girl. Lastly, I am very impressed of Rachel. I really think you should read this book.
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