Option #4

Filled with new experiences and the transitioning from a child to a young adult, adolescence, for many, is a very challenging time. In Sandra Cisnero's "Eleven", I felt that I bonded most with Rachel. Granted, girls may have different experiences than boys do at the vulnerable age of eleven, but that does not mean that there is some overlap. I saw this in the way that Rachel handled her experiences in the classroom and at school.

When I was in grade school and middle school, I was the awkward and shy kid (believe it or not). Whenever it came time for me to give an answer in class or express my opinion, I was mortified by the idea because in my mind, I wasn't the cool kid and therefore my opinion was not "cool", even if it was the same as everyone else. Often times, I would daydream about what life would be like if I was older and able to be more confident in myself, much like whenever Rachel would daydream about scenarios in her head that were simply ridiculous. However, at the time, they did not seem so ridiculous.

As a young kid, we all liked to dream big (and still should, in my opinion) and that's certainly what I did whenever I was in the classroom. I always felt that even though I did not say much, my mind was constantly working and processing deep thoughts, which lead me to feel much older and mature than the rest of my classmates. Rachel often times found herself in moments of deep thought. Like Rachel, my deep thought process usually began when I started to feel a sense like I was uncomfortable and needed a place to escape without actually physically escaping.

Ten years ago, if you were to ask me to compare my childhood experience to that of a fictitious eleven-year-old girl in a book, I would have laughed and said that would not be possible because "girls do stuff differently". Little would I know that I am sitting here writing about it myself at the age of 22. While both boys and girls deal with situations differently, it does not mean that we go through the same experiences.

And no, I did not cry because I was wearing an ugly sweater! Okay, maybe I did a little. Thanks a lot, mom, for choosing my embarrassing clothing for me.