Eleven by Sandra Cisneros

Summary: Rachel turns eleven and describes the feelings of turning eleven.

Characters:

Rachel: It is her birthday and is turning eleven and explains how she feels about turning eleven (Rachel is the narrator of the story)
Sylvia Saldivar: Another student in class that convinces the teacher, Mrs. Price that an ugly sweater belongs to Rachel
Mrs. Price: Forces Rachel to wear the ugly sweater because Mrs. Price imagined that Rachel wore it once
Phyllis Lopez: The real owner of the sweater

Section :

Rachel on her birthday feels like when she's eleven she's also all the other ages below (she points out things she might do at age 5 or 3 with her mother)
Rachel feels like she's 10 when she's 11
Rachel wishes she was 102 so that she would know what to say to Mrs. Price about the sweater not being hers
Rachel is forced to wear an ugly, old sweater by her teacher, Mrs. Price after Sylvia Saldivar points out that she thinks that the sweater belongs to Rachel
Rachel is pushed to cry in front of her class as she feels all of her years "push" at the back of her eyes
Phyllis Lopez claims the sweater, Rachel gives it to Phyllis and the teacher thinks it's okay
After thinking about the party for her birthday that is to come later, Rachel again wishes she was 102 so that she would be far away from 11

Other Notes:

Rachel seems to be wise beyond her years
Rachel seems to have a good idea about the meaning of birthdays and how they relate to her life
Rachel thinks that she is skinny
Rachel seems that she is shy and is unable to defend herself very well
Mrs. Price, Sylvia and Phyllis seem insensitive to Rachel's feeling
Rachel tends to feel like she doesn't have the strength to defend herself against the teacher because Mrs. Price is "older and the teacher"