Eleven Is Rachel's Character Revealed More Through Direct Or Indirect Characterization

Task 1

Read “Eleven” : https://www.serflo1.com/Eleven%20story.pdf

Literary Focus: Characterization

Characterization is the art of creating and developing a character. There are two types of characterization: direct and indirect. In direct characterization, writers make direct statements about a character’s appearance and personality. In indirect characterization, character’s traits are revealed through their own words and actions, as well as through the comments and actions of other characters.

1. In “Eleven,” is Rachel’s character revealed more through direct or indirect characterization? Explain. Use textual evidence to support your answer.

In “Eleven,” Rachel’s character is revealed more through indirect characterization. Rachel narrates

In paragraph three, the author includes figurative language. How does the figurative language in the text help the reader understand the character’s feelings about getting older? Use textual evidence to support your answer.

The figurative language in the text helps the reader understand the character’s feeling about getting older by creating a simile between human maturation and “the rings inside a tree trunk” for example (Cisneros). The number of rings in a tree trunk can tell the age of the tree. Every year, a new ring develops around the previous. This supports her statement that “when you're eleven, you're also ten, and nine, and eight, seven, and six, and five, and four, three, and two, and one. A simile is a comparison between two things containing the words like or as. Rachel also uses a metaphor to compare maturation to her dolls. She argues that her “little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one” is what it's like “being eleven years old” (Cisneros). A metaphor is a comparison between two things without the words like or as. Her use of figurative language connects her previous observation about growing

b) Create a slide with an image and a brief caption for each question.

c) Include a title page that includes your name, class and personal picture.

Task 3

2. Narrative Essay a) Write a multi-paragraph narrative essay (three to five paragraphs) about your best or worst birthday memory.

b) Include a reference to “Eleven,” a short story by Sandra Cisneros in your introductory paragraph.

c) Do not directly state the theme of “Eleven” or your essay. (If the essay is properly written, the theme will be evident.)

All day today I couldn’t sit still. I was almost bouncing off the walls just like how I behaved when I was five and had some sweets. Today was my birthday and I would be spending it with my mother, sister, auntie, and two best friends. I couldn’t wait to go to the nail shop and then out to eat. That was all I could think about all day. My best friends were in my class and they were just as excited. My mother brought cupcakes to school for my class to enjoy which made everything even better.

“I can’t wait for 5:00,” Rielle squealed with