What Is The Setting Of Eleven By Sandra Cisneros

“Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition- such as lifting weights- we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity” (Stephen Covey). In “Brownies” by ZZ Packer and “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, each speaker develops over the course of the story by battling through different confrontations and conflict. In “Eleven” Rachel is disappointed about birthdays and what they embody. The story begins with Rachel describing how when you 're eleven you 're also ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one. As one grows, previous ages are still held inside of them, and sometimes those younger ages will unfold and show themselves. As Rachel is forced into an uncomfortable situation …show more content…
Rachel 's teacher, Mrs. Price, forces Rachel to put on a red sweater that doesn 't belong to her. Rachel 's complete distaste and detest for both the red sweater and Mrs. Price are displayed when, “and all of a sudden [Rachel’s] crying in front of everybody. [Wishing] [she] was invisible but [she’s] not. [Rachel’s] eleven and it 's [her] birthday today and [she’s] crying like [she’s] three in front of everybody. [Rachel] put [her] head down on the desk, [burying] [her] face in [the] stupid clown-sweater arms” (Cisneros 4). Rachel is terribly humiliated by being forced to wear the red sweater in class and wishes to be invisible so she can avoid being made fun of. The desire for invisibility operates as an example of Rachel 's alienated and seclusive characteristics. Sitting at her desk with the red sweater makes Rachel very uncomfortable because she fears what her classmates will think of her. Again, she wants to break away from her surroundings and dump the sweater as it continues to cause her problems. In this short story, social pressure as well as the stories setting, greatly affects the speaker causing her to alienate …show more content…
Rachel 's classroom has become an extremely negative environment with her teacher, Mrs. Price, as the most prominent component. A girl in Mrs. Price’s class, Sylvia, falsely informs her that the red sweater is Rachel 's, so Mrs. Price, believing Sylvia, places it in front of Rachel. Because Rachel is so appalled by the sweater, she tries to deny her teacher but Mrs. Price won 't have it, forcing Rachel to accept that, “Because she 's older and the teacher, she 's right and [Rachel’s] not” (Cisneros 2). The perception of this belittling self-image now placed in Rachel 's thoughts, resonates a sense of bitterness towards Mrs. Price. The bitterness and frustration with Mrs. Price is only heightened by Rachel 's attempt at confronting her problems being shut down so forcefully, implying that she and her thoughts are of lesser value or intelligence. The social setting of this short story conveys a repressive view constructed and supported by Laurel’s teacher and