Summary Of Eleven By Sandra Cisneros

In the story “Eleven,” written by Sandra Cisneros, Rachel, a shy, quiet girl, remembers an emotional unfortunate event at school. It was her birthday that day. She has expected to feel older, although she feels the same as when she was ten. "Like some days you might say something stupid, and that's the part of you that's still ten. Or maybe some days you might need to sit on your mama's lap because you're scared, and that's the part of you that's five. And maybe one day when you're all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you're three." She feels as though she can unintentionally be younger and immature. But, her birthday was one dramatic one.
In addition to being quiet and shy, Rachel is a very deep thinker. She accepts her thoughts and actions, but wishes sometimes that they could have been better. She wants to speak her mind, but her body doesn't allow her to. She stays silent. She normally reflects on past events and how they could have been better.
In the beginning of the story, it is after school of her birthday. Rachel expected to feel more mature and like she was truly eleven. She understands that to fully feel eleven years old takes time to fully grasp. She wished she was one hundred and two years old so she would feel smarter and speak

words to Mrs. Price earlier that day. Rachel was just silent and she wished she would just say something to her. Thanks to the red sweater.
The middle of the story takes place at Rachel's school.

Mrs. Price, Rachel's teacher holds a sweater in front of the class and asks whose it is. Nobody claims it. Sylvia Saldivar suggested it belonged to Rachel, which she denied, but Mrs. Price overpowered her. " The red sweater's still sitting there like a big red mountain," she thought. She felt so helpless, she started to cry. She cried, which made her sweaty, uncomfortable and embarrassed herself even more. She hid herself under her arms, but just before the lunch bell rang, Phyllis Lopez says that the red sweater was actually Sylvia's. Rachel quickly removed it and was relieved that the sweater was not touching her body anymore. She began to feel normal

again.
At the end of the story, Rachel accepts that she is eleven. Although she doesn't perceive for it to be true, she accepts it. "I'm eleven today. I'm eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one, but I wish I was one hundred and two."