I really enjoyed the short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros. Although I have not had a specific
incident that I can relate to the little girl in the story, but I feel like
there are many themes and messages that can be relatable for anyone at all ages.
The main message is that everyone at some point in their lives will act like a
five year old or a 13 year old or a 20-year old- even if they are 40 years old.
“Acting your age” is something that should be taken lightly. A college student
could cry to their mom on the phone like an elementary student would if they
were homesick, for example. The author compares growing old to the rings of a
tree trunk, “each year inside the next one.” (Cisneros) I think that is the
perfect allusion, because it paints the picture of having all those qualities
of a 3 year old or a 10 year old still inside of someone deep down.
Another important theme in the story is embarrassment
because every single human being has been embarrassed at least once in their
life, and can relate. This is the very reason that I would recommend this story
to a friend; it can be enjoyed by anyone. On almost all TV shows and movies,
the main character isn’t the popular girl who bullies everyone, it is the
normal person that gets embarrassed and pushed down, but ends up winning the
guy or saving the day by the end. Reading this makes me think of Lizzie
McGuire, which I grew up watching, because Lizzie was the unpopular girl who
got bullied by Kate Sanders, and even has to wear an ugly sweater in one
episode, just like the narrator in Eleven.
Even though there is no happy ending in Eleven,
you can’t help but feel bad for the little girl, and hope that her day turns
around.
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