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What is figurative language in eleven by sandra cisneros
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Displaying one's emotions in public is often not planned nor wanted especially when it comes to crying due to humiliation and shame. In the short story “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, literary terms such as simile, diction, and repetition are utilized in characterizing emotional “eleven” year old Rachel. The figurative language used, support the images that were intended for the reader to perceive. Diction and repetition help guide the audience with a certain point of view towards the characters. Not only does Cisneros exploit these literary terms to explain and characterize Rachel's feelings but to exhibit how one may not always have the courage, personal strength, or maturity to handle certain situations. Sandra Cisneros illustrates Rachel …show more content…
Of course, Rachel being 11 years old, she does not have a broad mindset which is the cause of her simplistic phrases that include repetition that help reflect her true age. “Not mine, not mine, not mine” repeating that the “ugly sweater” was not hers but clearly not being understood, Rachel must repeat this phrase -only in her head- just like any child would when not being listened to. Not only does this phrase inform the reader of Rachel’s weakness to stand up for herself but also of how she is accustomed to not being listened which has her thinking that she must repeat herself. Finding comfort in not only burying her face but in the thought of “mama's cake” and “everybody singing happy birthday”, she demonstrates that she feels smaller physically and emotionally so she continues this saying in her head to get her through her moment of the “sick feeling”. After constant wishing of being “102”, or “invisible” Rachel finally decides that it is too late for “mamas cake, “candles, presents and everybody will sing happy birthday” because she no longer feels “ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, one” she no longer needs closure of her
In the short story "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros, a young girl named Rachel is characterized. Through a specific incident, Cisneros shows how Rachel does not act as old as eleven ideally should. Through repetition and metaphor, Cisneros alludes to Rachel?s personality and childish views.
The title of the short story, “Four Directions” is symbolic for Waverly’s inner misconceptions. As she goes about her life, she is pulled in different ways by her past and her present. She is torn between her Chinese heritage and her American life. She never thought that instead of being pulled in four directions, she could take all of her differences and combine them. In the end she realizes this with the help of her mother. “The three of us, leaving our differences behind...moving West to reach East” (184), thought Waverly. Her whole life she misconceived her mother’s intentions. Lindo never wanted Waverly to solely focus on her Chinese heritage, but rather combine it with her new American ways. The idea of being pulled in four
During World War II, countless Japanese Canadians, and Americans, were relocated to internment camps out of fear of where their loyalties would lie. Because of this, those people were stricken from their homes and had their lives altered forever. Joy Kogawa’s Obasan highlights this traumatic event. In this excerpt, Kogawa uses shifts in point of view and style to depict her complex attitude and perception of the past.
The short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros, focuses around the main character Rachel as an insecure developing girl who lacks the experience to handle everyday encounters. Rachel, an eleven year old girl truly encapsulates the thoughts that are present within an adolescent. The lack of confidence in herself, excessive fear of being judged, and ideas of growing up are ideals that are relevant within each and every one of us. The reader is able to relate to Rachel because her feelings and experiences that are described by the author are similar to what most people have been through and are currently experiencing. The characterization of Rachel is expressed through the author’s usage of point of view, imagery, and repetition.
In his article, “What Secrets Tell”, writer Luc Sante, Columbia University graduate accredited with multiple awards in writing and literature, discusses the unique types of secrets in the world along with reasoning people need to know, conceal, and reveal secrets. During the time of the publication of “What Secrets Tell” in the year 2000, America experienced low unemployment, the economy was strong, and America was not at war. Besides these positives at the time, America’s society had still not experienced the frightening and unforgettable event commonly known as 9/11. Sante develops this discussion by describing secrets through figurative language along with implementing historical and cultural allusions relating to United States lifestyle
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, The Road describes a father and son’s fight for their lives as they journey the road south for the winter. An unknown catastrophe has plagued the world, leaving hell on Earth for all who inhabit it. Rotting corpses, abandoned homes, and devastated landscapes are an everyday sight. Worst of all, human beings have reverted back to barbarism, leaving humanity and any sense of morals behind. Critics argue that The Road has “no plotline or story arc of character development” (165). Although even though The Road explains nothing, it actually explains everything. In fact, the novel consists of deeper meanings intended for readers to uncover themselves. In particular, the road itself is a major symbolic aspect of the
In Sandra Cisneros’ short story “Eleven,” Rachel’s transition into adolescence is filled with anxiety and conflict, but she understands that the experience it brings will help her in future situations. Her building anxiety becomes more and more apparent after Mrs. Price gives her the red sweater; she suddenly feels “sick inside, like the part of [her] that’s three wants to come out of [her] eyes” (Cisneros 35). The red sweater acts as a symbol for Rachel’s looming adolescence, and arouses feelings of unease inside her; she sees it as a threat to the safety of childhood that she longs to remain rooted in. Comparing herself to a rampant three year old, Rachel also highlights the lack of control she has over her emotions in this transition. However,
The imagery really helps in believing this is an eleven year old telling the story. This voice doesn't feel like a grown-up essayist putting his or her words in an eleven year-old storyteller's mouth, and these pictures develop a world originating from a kid's perspective. All devices that are used in this short story really do help the reader relate to Rachel. Cisneros does a very good job in showing relation to any age group to whatever the reader is. It really does feel as if the reader is the one in the place of writing this instead of reading it. This short story is real enough to make the reader believe that it is their own words and that is exactly what Cisneros is trying to do so that she could show the emotional experience that everyone
Have you ever felt like your alone and can’t get up but you really can? Well keep reading you will notice you can build yourself up to get up.“Eleven” is a story about a girl in school on her birthday and she is in class and the teacher found a red sweater and ask who’s is it. No one answers except the mean girl sylvia and says it’s probably hers because it is ugly just like her. So the birthday girl went along with it because she was afraid to talk. Later on in the story she stands up for herself and speaks. This family have a lot of things so they are trying to change some reasons are she wears the sweater that is not hers, Kids who need help, are most likely upset, and When girls cry they are embarrassed. In the story, “Eleven, “ Sandra Cisneros writes to show how you can start your day off bad but can change it into a good day.
Sandra Cisneros uses the literary technique, simile to characterize Rachel. A simile is a comparisons between two things, cohesively used by like or as. Rachel wakes up to her eleventh birthday and a clueless red sweater from Mrs. Price’s coatroom. The author compares growth and aging to “an onion or the rings inside a tree trunk or little wooden dolls.” She urges that this is finally when one understands themselves to be as old as the things they’ve done in the past. The diction of Sandra Cisneros’ writing in the short story builds the idea and main focus of how she characterizes ignorant and forgetful people like Rachel. The simile in the short story is written in a stylistic and persuasive manner to show how people don’t
story but also to show Rachel’s feelings throughout the story. As Rachel talks about her
How would you feel if you put into a situation just as Rachel was? In Sandra Cisneros “Eleven”, we feel Rachel’s humiliation just as if it was our own. You are able to experience her pains through the many literary devices and techniques that Cisneros uses. Sandra Cisneros creates a clear and vivid picture of Rachel’s embarrassment on her eleventh birthday. Her use of point of view, imagery, diction, dialogue, syntax, and many more, allow you to place oneself in Rachel’s shoes and feel her discomfort.
As opposed to fiction literature, nonfiction writing is not traditionally viewed as literary Carl Perkins held this common viewpoint. I believe that any piece of literature that is written using techniques to convey a story or produce an emotional response within the reader is literary. Based on the book The Witches by Stacy Schiff I believe that nonfiction writing can be literary. In her book Schiff uses figurative language, gives vivid descriptions of the setting and people, and includes details that invoke sympathy for individuals within the book which are all elements used in fiction writing to create a story.
In the story “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, it follows a girl named Rachel as she talks about growing up and becoming an eleven-year-old. By using details, imagery, and language, the author creates a character with many different emotions that get the reader’s attention and creates a compelling story.
Individuals may or may not go through a situation where they would enjoy nothing more than to yell, scream, or even fight another person for something that he or she said or did. It is challenging to hold back such intense emotions, but it is the wise thing to do in order to avoid further conflict. In Carolyn Kizer’s “Bitch”, the speaker demonstrates holding back her emotions in front of her ex-lover. It was tough for her to do so because she wanted him to understand how she felt. Overall, Kizer establishes the importance of being the better person by holding back one’s feelings in order to avoid further consequences. She illustrates this through portraying the speaker’s true emotions, revealing information of her ex-lover, and showing how the speaker carries herself on the outside.