Eleven By Gary Soto

“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros and “The Pie” by Gary Soto, both highlight the significance and experiences of young characters fighting with personal challenges in their story. Their personal conflict involves both characters being pushed by their own thoughts for the things they had done or what they were told to do. Both stories are told from a first-person point of view, which allows the reader to see their conflict and emotions around the issue. Both stories show a development as a person but in “Eleven” the character shows more development as she struggled to stand up for herself, she also does not feel or act her age and does not know how to maturely solve her problems but towards the end she finally finds herself and the issue resolved.
Through flashback and perspective, Cisneros weaves together past and present moments to highlight Rachel’s journey towards self-discovery. The story progresses as Rachel navigates the complexities of childhood and the pressures to conform, realizing that age does not dictate one’s identity. She does this by expressing the character to act all the ages before as she still is a child and wishes to be old so people can leave her be as she believes that older people cannot be talked back like she cannot make the teacher understand since she is younger.

On the other hand, “The Pie” by Gary Soto follows a young boy’s temptation and guilt over stealing a pie from a neighborhood store. Soto intricately describes the sensory experience of eating the stolen pie, while also allowing the reader to understand the character's wishes and guiltiness on the act he has done to get the pie. The plot unfolds as the boy beats himself with the consequences of his actions and seeks redemption, culminating in a moment of self-awareness and remorse. He does this as he is religious and is guilty of the sin he has committed and asks the God for