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Coming Of Age In Sandra Cisneros's Short Story Eleven

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One major theme in Sandra Cisneros's short story “Eleven” is the coming of age. Cisneros opens the short story with our narrator's observations on aging. Rachel has already noticed that birthdays are symbolic, but do not literally represent emotional evolution. Rachel has noticed that her mother cries and gently reminds readers that it's okay for adults to cry. She reminds the readers that no matter the age all human beings can feel vulnerability and pain. She goes on to talk about how people can feel different from their age, such as adults can “feel three”. This short story mostly revolves around this idea that as you get older the more the world changes around you and the more you notice things about other.On the other hand, "Eleven" is an anti-coming-of-age story, too, one that challenges the genre and questions whether one ever truly "comes of age." Traditionally the genre centers on moving from one stage in life to another stage of life as though the two are exclusive life phases. The title to this story has really no other function other than letting the reader …show more content…

Written from the view of the grieving narrator, this story is in documentary type story and revolves around the funeral parlor representative and how the word cremains offends them and how the company made up that word. It focuses on a lesser issue than the one presented to us in the story. The story focuses on how the narrator/writer is upset about how a representative used the word cremains more than the fact that his father died. Davis seems to intentionally lead the reader to focus mainly the narrator's problem rather than the disastrous event that has taken place. So in a way it is a bit of satire because the reader is intentionally focused on a irrelavant subject to lighten the gloomy mood.“Porta Potti or pooper-scooper” words like this are used to lighten the mood and gives the story a less gloomier

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Coming of age is an event that everyone must go through. There are many different types of coming of age events that can happen at many different times. Many different stories illustrate the process of coming of age. Through our studies of different texts we have learned that there is no wrong way to come of age. In “Marigolds” the main character Elizabeth Collier came of age by destructing something someone cared about.

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Aging is a phenomena not only of the body, but of the mind as well. It is situational in practice, giving each journey into adulthood its own “thumbprint”. One’s trials and tribulations gain emotional weight as they are encountered, but the weight one holds at certain periods of time can differ according to their background. The novels Flight, The Joy Luck Club, and The Glass Castle; however, enlighten the possibility of resembling another’s venture into maturity, despite distinct differences in general conditions. Together, these three novels endeavor into their protagonists’ personalities, and they thematically portray coming-of-age transformation.

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The author, Sandra Cisneros, uses literary techniques in “Eleven” to characterize Rachel by using metaphors, comparisons, and repetition. In the beginning of Sandra Cisneros’s short story, she states that when a person becomes an age older they will not feel a difference. The character Rachel explains that in different situations, for example, “Like some days you might say something stupid, and [you will feel ten]” a person might feel different from their actual age. She then competes growing old to layers of an onion, rings of a tree, wooden dolls that fit inside each other because, according to her, “that’s how being eleven years old is”.

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The combination of external and internal struggle while having coming of age experiences represents the balance I speak of within my introductory paragraph. These short stories although fiction have roots in societal truths. Things that although changing, are still alive presently. I feel that Danielle Evans leaves her character’s stories without ending because it is up to us to create an ending. An ending not in her fictional book of short stories but within the lives and people around us.

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“Where is it written” by Adam Schwartz, is a story about a boy named Sam who doesn’t want to live with his mom anymore. Sam first tells his dad to sue his mom for custody of him. Then Sam goes to live with his mom and all they did was argue. Finally Sam ends up going to live with his father. Coming of age is an important theme in which the protagonist goes from being a child to an adult and awakening to a new understanding of his or herself and the world around him or her.

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As one begins to face life challenges, one’s maturity is put to the test. In the story, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the speaker allows his ego to rise above him which ultimately causes the death of his brother. On the other hand, the speaker in “Shaving” by Leslie Norris acknowledges that his father is dying maturely steps up and takes his father’s role in the family. The speaker in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “Annabel Lee,” has an immature response towards the death of his loved one and cannot cope with the reality of the situation. The speaker in each work has to rely on their maturity to lead them through the hardships life has to offer.

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In “The Funeral,” the narrator Henry James shows condescending and playful tone towards the people attending the funeral. But not being focus on the actual funeral and drawing his attention to the people, he grieve at all, as you usually do in a funeral. The author’s diction expresses his mischievous attitude toward the funeral. When the first arrives, he points out that the elements of “groteque” was noticeable.

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The coming of age of a person could be at the age of twelve, or twenty, or forty – it all depends on each person’s ability to reach a certain level of maturity – not necessarily meaning when one is independent, but rather when one seems sensible and reliable. In terms of maturity, humans have different levels of development some mature faster, while others develop quite gradually. Most of the time, the experiences that one goes through determines the speed of the rate of the maturity of that person because past experiences affect the way that we make decisions that benefit ourselves, and the people around us. Louise Erdrich’s The Round House is a coming-of-age story about Joe Coutts, a thirteen-year-old Native American, who is thrust into adulthood

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As verbalized by the diarist Anne Frank herself, “‘Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands’” (Goodreads 1). Coming of age is a process depicted through movies and novels through the Bildungsroman plot line. The protagonist, in this form of a plot line, has to face society and its difficulties. The protagonist inclines to have an emotional loss, which triggers the commencement of the journey itself.

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Sandra Cisneros’ short story “Eleven”, poem “My Wicked Wicked Ways”, and book The House on Mango Street have many similarities and differences in terms of style, tone, theme, character and setting. In the short story “Eleven”, Sandra Cisneros manages to convey a powerful message about growing up from the perspective of an eleven year old. The story starts out with Rachel, the protagonist, who is turning eleven today. It starts out with her at school while she's in math class.

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In the short story “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, Rachel’s attitude is anxious and pessimistic using selective details and imagery. Throughout the short story, there is a continuous theme, birthdays. While most people cannot wait for their birthdays, Rachel feels quite differently. Rachel not only thinks she's eleven, but also ten, 9 , 8 , 7 , and so on. She thinks that when you “sit on your mama’s lap because you're scared,...

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Although she says that she feels like 12 years old and needs help, she later accepts that it is learning about life. Thus, the theme of coming of age is shown through different expriences of the speakers. “Crystal Stars Have Begun to Shine” and “12 years old” both extremely well portrayed the concept of coming of age. “Crystal Stars Have Begun to Shine” portrays the theme by a speaker exploring sexuality for the first time with hopeful mood. “12 years old” portrays the theme by a conflict of an adult with despair mood.

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Age: the length of time that a person has lived or a thing has existed. In the short story“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros. Talks about Rachel the main character on here eleventh birthday. Cisneros uses this to her advantage to characterize using details, specific language, and figurative language to explain her day.

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The coming of age genre is full of short stories and mini glimpses into the world of adolescence. Most coming of age books are set in the past and range from 5-20 minutes in length. They also focus more on thoughts and dialogue rather than actions. In these stories the reader has the ability to witness through the mind of a child and think back on how they handled similar situations, usually realizing how silly they were when they were younger. The specific examples from the stories I chose all focus on this idea of a specific event where the protagonist has to make a fateful decision, and the consequences that follow.

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Turning twenty-one years old puts a person in a position to be universally regarded as an adult. Both Samuel Johnson in his poem, To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age, and A.E Housman’s, When I was One and Twenty, recollect memories when they once dealt with this adamant yet subtle time in their lives briskly unaware of the troublesome times that lied ahead. The writers’ use of provoking details, vivid imagery and a hint of irony, create a visually appealing description regarding the stubborn new adults, while both speakers recall and account their own experiences. The difference in perspectives of both of the poems that hold a lot of weight to the reader.

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