Figurative Language In Eleven By Sandra Cisneros

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

as childish yet capable of abstract language and thought with literary terms such as similes.Demonstrating Rachel's self-awareness of her age and inexperience she uses hyperboles when wishing to be “one hundred and two” in order to be capable of standing up for herself. Wishing to be such a high age, Rachel emphasizes her inner child by over exaggerating to be heard. When comparing the “ugly sweater” to being “ a thousand years old” and “ a jump rope” - which are children activities- Cisneros gives the audience an idea of the unstable emotional child. Rachel uses many analogies of the little experience she does have in the situation in which the audience interprets as childlike even though her comparisons are the only subjects a kid like her would have.
In addition to her use of literary terms, the author uses a choice of words to reflect Rachel’s wording as children diction. One would call Rachel intelligent for deep thinking her previous ages at the level she is at, although childlike diction such as “tippy-tip” and her insecurity “ maybe because I’m skinny” is distributed across “Eleven”. “ I move the red sweater to the corner of my desk with my ruler” Rachel's choice of words reveal her eagerness to get rid of the sweater which does not belong to her as soon as possible. However, her diction informs the audience of not only her insecurity but hatred towards others.“that stupid Phyllis Lopez, who is even dumber than Sylvia Saldivar” Cisneros characterizes two classmates as the mean ones who are against Rachel. With diction that is used towards a character in an insensitive way, the audience is captured and has already created some type of emotion towards them and pity for Rachel. Cisneros uses diction to not only characterize but to supply the reader with sensory details in which they can picture actions and emotions. “shaking like when you have the hiccups”, “head hurts like when you drink milk too fast” these comparisons not only do they help perceive how Rachel is feeling but it has the reader remembering a similar experience.
Furthermore, repetition is applied in various areas in the short story to evoke the actions that Rachel commits or plans to .

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

age.
A shameful or embarrassing time is a moment that implants into one's mind, which causes them to cringe in remembrance of the humiliation. Sandra Cisneros conveys the speaker, Rachel, as an immature juvenile by utilizing literary terms such as figurative language, diction, and repetition. The comparisons used in the short story reflect Rachel’s age due to the fact that the analogies used are not frequently said by adults but more by children. Diction and repetition are mainly distributed throughout “Eleven” to allow the audience to visualize and interpret the mood, and setting as if it was their own situation. Courage, personal strength, and maturity are three points that are learned with growth and experience, one can only hope to obtain all three when a situation is to come.