Character
She is the narrator and is celebrating her eleventh birthday.
Rachel
This object causes Rachel’s terrible experience at school.
The Red Sweater
Rachel explains that when you turn eleven, you still have all of these inside you.
Your younger ages
Comparing two things using like or as is this type of figurative language.
Simile
Something that cannot be seen is described by this word.
Invisible
She is Rachel’s teacher.
Mrs. Price
Mrs. Price places the sweater in this location after Rachel says it is not hers.
Rachel’s experience shows that growing older does not automatically make a person feel this way.
Confident/grown-up
Rachel’s idea that all her younger ages are still inside her is not meant to be understood this way.
Literally
A narrow passage between buildings is called this.
Alley
This classmate says the red sweater belongs to Rachel.
Sylvia Saldivar
Rachel is forced to do this with the sweater.
Put it on
Mrs. Price refusing to listen to Rachel develops a theme about young people sometimes feeling this around adults.
Powerless/Unheard
Rachel describes the sweater as being “like a big red mountain.” This is an example of that.
Simile
Something old, worn, or torn might be described with this word.
Raggedy
This character eventually remembers that the red sweater actually belongs to her.
Phyllis Lopez
Rachel reacts to the situation by doing this in front of the class.
Crying
Rachel wishes she were much older because she believes age would give her more of this ability.
Confidence to stand up for herself
The red sweater can represent Rachel’s embarrassment and lack of control. This makes it an example of this literary device.
Symbolism
Something silly or that does not make sense can be called this.
Nonsense
Rachel’s difficulty standing up to Mrs. Price reveals that she feels this way around adults.
Powerless/Intimidated
Near the end, this event proves that Rachel was telling the truth.
Phyllis Lopez Claiming the sweater
State one major theme of “Eleven” as a complete sentence.
Growing older does not mean we stop experiencing the emotions and insecurities of our younger selves.
Explain why Cisneros repeatedly describes the sweater in unpleasant ways.
To help the reader understand Rachel’s disgust, embarrassment, and negative feelings about the situation
In the story, Rachel compares the sweater to a tiny living thing when describing how unpleasant it seems.
Germ