Summary Of Eleven By Sandra Cisneros

In the short story “Eleven” the author, Sandra Cisneros utilizes several different literacy devices to bring to life the character of Rachel. The author’s decision to write from Rachel’s viewpoint greatly affected how realistic the characterization felt. She writes as if she is truly an 11 year old herself while also coming back to an almost outside viewpoint. The style of writing makes it feel like the author is relaying an old memory and telling the story from her 11 year old viewpoint and her adult viewpoint. An example of this when she says “You don’t feel eleven. Not Right away It takes a few days, weeks, sometimes even months before you say Eleven when they ask you” this is said in past tense like She’s looking back. Another way Cisneros builds the characterization of Rachel is by using repetition. When you’re younger you tend to emphasize a lot about age. Its usually an important factor in many young people’s lives because its how most young people generalize and categorize people. Older people are wiser and know more than younger people, or at least that’s what you are taught to think. By repeating the other ages “ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one” Cisneros is

An example of this is when She is describing the Sweater. She describes it as an 11 might saying “It’s an ugly sweater with red plastic buttons and a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could use it to Jump Rope” by relating the sweater to a toy it makes Rachel and her age more believable. Later on when she’s talking about the sweater she says “ I’ve shoved the sweater to the tippy-tip corner of my desk and its hanging all over the edge like a waterfall, but I don’t care.” By describing the corner of the desk as the “Tippy-tip” and the sweater as a waterfall it adds to the idea that the story is from the viewpoint of a