Story Review of Eleven

The small-moment story “Eleven”, written by Sandra Cisneros, talks about a girl named Rachel who turns eleven. On her 11th birthday, Rachel feels she hasn’t quite reached eleven yet. Rachel feels the same as she did the previous day. Rachel thinks it takes time to actually become eleven years old, even after her 11th birthday. Rachel perceived herself as unchanged, with each year adding a new layer to her birthday, much like an onion or a little wooden doll. However, on Rachel’s 11th birthday, something unsettling happened in the class. A dirty, red sweater is mistakenly attributed to Rachel by Mrs. Price who trusts Sylvia Saldivar’s word over Rachel’s. Mrs. Price forced Rachel to put it on. Overwhelmed with emotions, she cries in front of her classmates behaving like a three-year-old instead of expressing herself confidently like an eleven-year-old. The situation resolves when Phyllis Lopez finally claims that the red dirty sweater was hers. But Mrs. Price acted as if nothing happened, leaving Rachel unset on her 11th birthday. Later, Rachel finds some warmth from her family. Her mom makes a birthday cake and her father comes home early to celebrate with her. To graph the depth of this small-moment story, it is essential to explore three key themes: Growing up/ Coming of Age, the Misuse of Authority, and Love within a Family. 

People tend to become mature unconsciously when they experience some unexpected events, which helps them realize important lessons and to learn from these experiences. Growing up, or coming of age, usually characterized by major change in life, development related to emotions, and holding adult rights and responsibilities, signifies the shift from one’s childhood to adulthood. To Rachel, growing old is like an onion, adding a new layer of the onion, or the new self on the outside while maintaining the old layer of the onion, or the younger self within. When Rachel is forced by Mrs. Price to put the red dirty sweater on, she cries like a 3-year-old child instead of speaking up for herself like an 11-year-old young lady. Growing up or growing old physically sometimes does not equal your birthday happening. Even though people are turning one year older today than the previous day, it does not necessarily mean they are growing up mature. Just like the story, Rachel doesn’t feel like she is eleven. She still feels ten. For Rachel, being 11 years old also encompasses the ages of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. Because the way people grow old or grow up is like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk. When Mrs. Price ordered Rachel to put on a dirty red sweater which was not hers, Rachel cried like a 3-year-old child. It takes time for people to act and think with maturity. Definitely Rachel is growing. She learns a lesson, something bad/ negative/ unfair. That's part of life. Like on a birthday usually is full of love from parents or loved ones, birthday cakes, presents...etc. But it is not always the case. Sometimes things are not what you expected and things could be very cruel, bad or humiliated. Sometimes it could be challenging for people to resist acting like their younger selves even though they are already at a certain age. 

The misuse of authority not only harms individuals which might leave an unerasable memory but also it could have far-reaching consequences in the near future. Misuse of authority, or abuse of power, means using one’s position or influence in an improper or unethical way, often to gain an unfair advantage which might cause harm to others. Mrs. Price believes Sylvia Saldivar’s word and mistakenly assumes that the red dirty sweater belongs to Rachel without verifying with Rachel. Mrs. Price forces Rachel to wear it even though it is not hers. Eventually, Phyllis Lopez claimed that the sweater was actually hers, but Mrs. Price pretends nothing happened. In the story, Rachel learns the hard lesson that growing up isn’t always joyful. Who causes Rachel to learn such a lesson? The teacher, Mrs. Price. Specifically, Mrs. Price not only misuses the authority as a teacher but also treats her students with unfairness. Some people exert control over others, possessing the power to do so, yet some abuse this authority. Mrs. Price is an example of this abuse in the classroom. Mrs. Price thinks she has the great authority in the classroom to say what her students could do. She knows that students dares not fight with her and students will obey just because she is the teacher. In addition, Mrs. Price is so unfair. In one stance, Mrs. Price could have spent a couple minutes investigating the ownership of the red dirty sweater, but she did not. Instead, Mrs. Price just quickly accepted Sylvia’s claim without looking at further details. When Mrs. Price finally learns that Phyllis Lopez is the right person who owns the red dirty sweater, she fails to make an apology to Rachel as if nothing had happened. This behavior all explains Mrs. Price’s unfair treatment of her students. She forces everyone to do what she says, and no one can say “NO” to her. When she made a mistake, she refused to acknowledge her mistakes, embodying a message that Mrs. Price is very bossy. In essence, the misuse of authority by a teacher can harm teacher-student relationships and bring negative effects on students’ minds and their learning outcomes.  

Home is a permanent safe harbor, with parents always as the staunch backing of their children. Home is the place where parents provide emotional stability and encouragement for their children, especially when the children suffer wronged by others. Mrs. Price’s misuse of her authority as a teacher, Rachel had a very bad day about a red dirty sweater at school. But when Rachel comes home, her mom makes a birthday cake and her dad comes home early to celebrate her 11th birthday. Rachel also makes several birthday wishes. On the same day, Rachel’s 11th birthday, what Rachel experienced in the classroom with Mrs. Price and her classmates were totally different from what Rachel received from home; Rachel was misunderstood, wronged or embarrassed at school by her teacher Mrs. Price. Rachel even cannot speak up for herself because Mrs. Price did not give her a chance to explain. But at home her parents fully supported Rachel by preparing a birthday cake, coming home earlier from work, and having Rachel make birthday wishes, to make Rachel feel welcomed and loved. Classroom by Mrs. Price and home with parents are a whole contrast of situations. Home is a place where your parents give you support. When children experience negative things or to be wronged, parents are the first ones to jump out and give their children the biggest support for their children. Parents unconditionally give their children many hugs and kisses, encouraging them to be themselves and always standing by them. Parents offer their children suggestions, wisdom and life lessons, acting as primary mentors, that could shape their children’s values and decision-making processes. A loving home is the place where parents give unconditional love and support to develop their children’s confidence and resilience, helping them overcome life’s challenges. 

“Eleven” is a small-moment story focused on a young girl named Rachel and her 11th birthday. Despite officially turning 11, Rachel didn’t quite act her age and felt the presence of all her previous years within her. In her mind, she carried those earlier years with her, illustrating that as people age, they still keep their younger selves and cannot completely erase those memories. Moreover, birthdays aren’t always full of joy and can bring negativity or cruelty due to certain reasons. Mrs. Price, by misusing her authority as a teacher, made Rachel unhappy and caused her to cry. This highlights that when authority is misused, especially in an educational setting, it can result in negative outcomes, like hurting students’ feelings. Nonetheless, home remains a secure place where children feel safe, loved, and backed by their parents. Regardless of discouraging events at school, home serves as a lasting place, with parents consistently providing steadfast support for their children.