Noah Bachman

Honors English
Period 3
September 22, 2015
CFA
Today is Rachels birthday and she is turning eleven. Although she doesnt feel eleven.
Rachel said, "When youre eleven, you're also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and
six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one." As stated in the first paragraph of
the story. That statement is saying that even though she is eleven years old, you can
still act ten or four depending on the situation, and how you are feeling. The author
Cisneros did an excellent job with the narrative techniques, such as Imagery, sensory
detail, repetition, metaphors, and similes are used throughout the story and she used
them well. She gives Rachel emotion that the reader can relate to and reflect on their
own lives, so that the readers can relate to Rachel.
Rachel is very mature for her age because she understands what is going on, and that
you dont feel different on your birthday. At the end of paragraph one Rachel says . . .
everything is just like yesterday, only its today. And you dont feel eleven at all. You
feel like youre still ten. . . This relates to readers in the way that, when you get asked
how old you are it will take most people a couple of days or weeks to even say that
they are eleven instead of ten. The author used sensory detail in this line because she
described how Rachel is feeling. It gives the reader perception of what Rachel is going
through. Rachel knows that you don't suddenly feel like you're eleven years old. Rachel
understands that it takes some time for you to grow, and actually feel your age.
Mrs. Price, Rachels school teacher, held up a coat asking who it belonged too. It was
not Rachel's sweater in fact, Rachels thoughts on the sweater were that Its an ugly
sweater with red plastic buttons and a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could
use it for a jump rope. Cisneros used imagery in this line because it gives the reader
an image of what the sweater looked like. All of a sudden, Sylvia Salvador said I think
it belongs to Rachel. Without asking Rachel if it belongs to her, Mrs. Price puts the ugly
sweater on Rachels desk, Rachel looked at the teacher and said hesitantly thats not, I
dont, youre not. . . Not mine. Yet Mrs. Price insisted it belonged to Rachels by saying
of course its yours. I remember you wearing it once. Rachel thinks that because
shes older and the teacher shes right. Rachel kept saying Not mine, not mine, not
mine, but Mrs. Price already moved on. Rachel started to feel sick. She closed her eyes
tight, bit down on her teeth really hard, and she tried to remember that today she was
eleven.
The sweater is still on Rachels desk sitting there like a big red mountain. This is an
imagery and a metaphor being used by the author Cisneros giving us an image of how
the sweater looked on Rachels desk. Rachel later pushed the sweater farther and
farther off her desk with a ruler and moved her pencil, books, and eraser as far from
the sweater as possible, when Mrs. Price saw her she said in a mean voice in front of
the whole class now Rachel, thats enough, getting even more angry, Mrs. Price
demands You put that sweater on right now and no more nonsense. Rachel puts the

sweater on that she says . . . smells like cottage cheese. . . using sensory detail we
the readers get an idea of what the sweater smelled, and looked like. Rachel does not
like the sweater at all; as she explains that the sweater is all itchy and full of germs
that arent even mine Rachel then starts to sob in front of the whole class. Rachel
describes what she is feeling my face is all hot and spit coming out of my mouth
because I cant stop the little animal noises from coming out of my mouth until there
arent any more tears left in my eyes. Cisneros uses sensory detail to give the readers
an idea of what Rachel is smelling, feeling, touching, seeing, tasting, hearing, and
seeing. We know from this detail that Rachel is feelings hot and uncomfortable, her
mouth is getting watery, and that there are uncontrollable animal noises coming from
her mouth.
Right before the bell for lunch rings; Phyllis Lopez remembers that the sweater is hers!
Rachel, feeling relieved, yet frustrated took off the sweater as fast as possible, while
Mrs. Price pretends like everythings okay. Rachel tries to remind herself that today is
her birthday and that she is eleven. And as already said in the story multiple times
Rachel for repetition she says today Im eleven. Theres a cake mamas making for
tonight and when papa comes home from work we'll eat it. Therell be candles and
presents and everybody will sing happy birthday, happy birthday to you Rachel. Only
for Rachel her day was ruined by how she was treated, and she did not feel eleven at
all.