In Rachel’s Tears, Rachel Joy Scott dies in a school shooting at Columbine High School. The reason she is remembered after her death is because of the kind of person she was, and how she treated others before she died. The day April 20, 1999, to Rachel seemed like a normal day, but at the same time knew there was something off about it. Rachel loved to write about her struggles and experiences in her journals, and that day she Rachel did not write something but drew a rose and eyes with tears falling from them. A couple weeks after the school shooting Rachels parents were given back her bookbag and things she had with her the day she died. When they found her journal and found the picture they couldn’t believe what they had discovered. Rachel…
At the beginning,the author reveals Rachel’s mind state,in her persuasive thoughts that being eleven changes nothing on your emotions and attitudes at times. The author defines Rachel’s vision of birthday. However, the author mentions Rachel’s experiences on her eleventh birthday to strengthen the thesis that being eleven,does not quite delete the fact that you might still feel you are younger,and have some break outs at times.…
This story describes a little girl who struggles in her eleventh birthday, and it is supposed to be a happy day. Unfortunately, it became one of the most painful memories in her life. In the story, Rachel tries to become mature, and she wants people to understand her, but finally she fails. The author uses simple words and the view of first person to describe the whole story. In this way, readers feel Rachel’s emotion clearly.…
The following passage is about a girl named Rachel who’s just turned eleven but feels anything but eleven. Some evidence from this passage is “The part of me that’s three wanted to come out. This shows that she feels three even though she is eleven. Another proof is “That’s not, I don’t, you’re not…Not mine”. This shows that she is finding it hard to speak up for herself when she should be able to now that she is eleven. Being eleven is not easy but she should take life in and live each day as it comes.…
“Eleven” is a story by Sandra Cisneros, which is about a girl named Rachel and an ugly red sweater. While in class, Rachel’s teacher is asking the class whose red sweater it is. Rachel is seemingly the only one in class that doesn’t say that it’s hers, which makes one of her classmates, whom she calls stupid Sylvia Saldívar, say that it’s Rachel’s. Rachel is forced to put on the sweater and starts to have a crying fit, feeling like she was three years old again, due to her saying that when you’re eleven, you carry all your previous years (ten, nine, eight, etc.) with you, and the fact that it was her birthday that day didn’t really help her anyway. Finally, another classmate speaks up and says that it’s hers, which lets Rachel take off the sweater in relief and stops her breakdown.…
I think this specific experience is important to the author because it is when she first realized that every year on her birthday she is one year older, but she still acts like every age she passed through. She thinks she is older, but mentally she is still that little kid she was before. It says, “I don't know why but all of a sudden I'm feeling sick inside, like the part of me that's three wants come out of my eyes, only I squeeze them shut tight and bite down on my teeth really hard and try to remember today when I am eleven, eleven”( Cisneros 1). This shows that she is trying not to cry because she thinks that she cannot act like a little kid anymore who cries for everything. The lesson that she learned was that even though she is older, she doesn’t have to grow older mentally. I think she is facing an external and internal…
“Quiet, everyone quiet.” Hector, the duck with a dream, proclaimed as the weekly meeting in Topeka, Kansas got very noisy.…
The message that the short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros tells is that even though you get older you’re still all the same ages you were before. Rather you be five and have to sit on you’re moms lap because you’re scared or when you’re 10 and you might say something stupid. Sandra uses the element imagery quite a bit in her short story. “…When I put one arm through one sleeve of the sweater that smells like cottage cheese, and then the other arm through the other and stand there with my arms apart like if the sweater hurts me and it does, all itchy and full of germs that aren’t even mine.” This particular sentence really describes how awful the sweater must be, she says that one arm of the sleeve smells like cottage cheese and the other is itchy and full of germs that aren’t even hers. The mental image I got from that was a sweater that was a big, ugly, and smelly heap of a very itchy red sweater. Another element of voice Sandra uses is diction. “Only today I wish I didn’t have only eleven years rattling inside me like pennies in a tin Band-Aid box.” This example of diction was one that would stick out the rest of the story. Instead of saying I wish I were older than 11, Sandra uses diction to emphasize how much she would love to be older than 11. All in all Sandra does an incredible job throughout the book in using elements of voice to portray Rachel, not only did she uses imagery and diction but she used detail, syntax, and tone. She very nicely described how all people will revert back to past ages. Overall, she uses many elements of voice to depict the message of this…
“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros is a drama about the main character, Rachel,turning eleven, but still feels ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Rachel’s turning point is that her teacher, Mrs.Price, put an ugly sweater on her desk and no one was claiming it. As stated in the text, ”If I was 102 I’d have known what to say when Mrs.Price put the red sweater on my desk.”. (Cisneros,45). Rachel adapts by trying to think about…
Courageous and full of determination, Jake Garson in one of the short stories I’m Still Here, written by Veronica Ross, shows the set of characteristics that many Canadians regard as expressing their unique place and role in the world. He tried to fight and stand up for his own rights against the government through his act of bravery. By doing this, he had influenced many people in his hometown that faced the same situation as Jake; however, they did not show the same kind of courage that Jake showed. Readers who like to reevaluate and rethink what they are reading are recommended to read short stories such as I’m Still Here. It is one of the stories that teach us the moral lessons of standing up for yourself without anger or violence and to have a positive attitude at all times. This is one of the effects it had made to the short story. Some other effects also include a slow beginning introduction with an unpredictable ending. The author also does an excellent job of capturing the reader’s interest through plots twists, characters, theme, symbolism and much more, which made an effective short story. Although the use of vulgar language had made an unattractive impression, it showed the characteristics and emotions of the character inside the story, which made it more alive for the readers to read. Kezia, the main character from the short story The Wedding Gift, written by Thomas Raddall had a similar situation like Jake. Both of the short stories teaches us the moral lessons of standing up for yourself.…
In the novel “Eleven”, by Sandra Cisneros, she writes a powerful piece about Rachel’s eleventh birthday and the struggle she had to go through on her important day. As most see their birthday to be a joyful experience, Rachel fights for her maturity and age to be shown and understood but fails. When she turns eleven she felt as if all the other ages did not go away such as the layers of an onion. Each year a new layer is added and while she displays her immaturity from her younger ages she still finds a way to show her growth as she gets older. Rachel’s reactions demonstrate her multiple “years” of her eleven year old self throughout the text.…
Addiction is a worldwide epidemic. Many people in all parts of the world have addictions. Whether it be gambling, exercise, illicit drugs, shopping, or sugar. Studies show that nearly 80% of people have some sort of an addiction. I have always found addiction and addictive behavior to be very interesting. Some addicts are believed to have been born with an addictive personality. People born with addictive personalities are thought to form problematic, unhealthy, addictions much easier and much earlier in life. Some even have multiple addictions at the same time. Some people do things like run and exercise every day, but to the point that it is not healthy. When things like running or exercise have become not-so-healthy, it usually goes unnoticed. Most people do not see activities such as exercise as possible problematic, addictive, behavior, but anything that is done excessively can become unhealthy.” The unproblematic addictions are the ones that do not cause any problems. An unproblematic addiction would not cause any type of life disrupting issue and is not life threatening in any way, and those are the addictions that ok to have.…
The use of syntax in Eleven helps you see the youthful voice in Rachel’s thoughts. “Not mine, not mine, not mine, not mine.” (Cisneros 20) The short, repetitiveness shows the quick thinking of a child. It’s easy to see this small argumentative line coming from an eleven year old in comparison to a fifteen year old or a thirty year old even. “ – Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one -…” (Cisneros 20) The continuous counting could be seen as a child counting down on its fingers. This is a way of showing the youthfulness in Rachel’s thoughts. Sandra Cisneros’s uses of syntax make it easier for you to notice Rachel’s youthfulness throughout the story.…
One’s final moments often leave many questions. “What will my final thoughts be?” or “What would my final statement to the world be?” Reflections on death are often avoided because death can be terrifying but, if forced to think about it, what would you do in the final moments of your life? The author of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Ambrose Bierce, wants the reader to focus on his or her final moments and how they might unfold. The author is able to make the reader feel as though he or she is actually sharing the protagonist, Peyton’s, terrifying experience and provokes reaction and deep feeling. The plot is intriguing, unique and takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. By using character development, the author is able to make the main character personable and relatable. Additionally, the setting and it’s description, pulls the reader into the text and transports him/her to Peyton’s world. The author hooks the reader with these elements and ultimately forces him or her to reflect on his/her last moments of life.…
it is life, Mama!” Mama: “Oh—so now its life. Money is life. Once upon a…