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Sample Literary Essay #2

A Literary Essay About “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros

When students are bullied by classmates and teachers, they start losing their joy, their confidence – they

lose themselves. Many people read Sandra Cisneros’s essay “Eleven” and think it is about a girl who has to

wear a sweater she doesn’t want to wear. Instead, it is a story about a girl who struggles to hold onto herself

when she is challenged by people who have power over her.

When Rachel’s classmate betrays her, Rachel begins to lose herself by losing her voice. One day

Rachel’s teacher ask who owns a stretched out, itchy red sweater that was left behind in the coatroom. Sylvia

Saldivar puts Rachel in the spotlight when she says to Mrs. Price, “I think the sweater is Rachel’s.” Sylvia is

challenging Rachel, which makes Rachel feel lost. Sylvia’s betrayal is made worse when Mrs. Price agrees

with Sylvia and puts the red sweater on Rachel’s desk. Being challenged by both Sylvia and Mrs. Price causes

Rachel to start to lose herself by losing her ability to defend herself. “When I open my mouth nothing comes

out.”

Rachel loses herself even more when Mrs. Price claims to have seen Rachel wearing the sweater saying,

“Of course it’s yours… I remember you wearing it once.” Rachel protests, trying to tell Mrs. Price it is not

hers, but Mrs. Price does not believe her. Rachel reacts to Mrs. Price’s actions by escaping into her imagination

where her family loves her, daydreaming of her birthday party. She daydreams about getting her power back.

“In my head I am thinking how long till lunch time, how long till I can take the red sweater and throw it over

the school yard fence, or leave it hanging on a parking meter, or bunch it up into a little ball and toss it in the

alley.” Because she is challenged by people who have power over her, Rachel is forced to lose herself into her

imagination.

Rachel completely loses her composure when Mrs. Price forces her to put on the sweater. “That’s when

everything I’ve been holding in this morning, since when Mrs. Price put the sweater on my desk, finally lets go,

and all of a sudden I’m crying in front of everybody.” She doesn’t feel special like it’s her birthday. Instead

she feels humiliated and betrayed by Sylvia and Mrs. Price. School is no longer a place where she can learn.

Rachel is so upset she wishes she could become invisible by running away like a tiny, tiny balloon.

In “Eleven” Rachel is betrayed by her teacher, Sylvia Saldivar, and her entire class because they did not

come to her defense. The bullying causes Rachel to lose voice and her composure, to be unable to concentrate

on learning, and to wish she could escape to be surrounded by her loving family or to a place where she could

regain her power. “Eleven” helped me realize that bullying is not just done by students, teachers can bully

children, too. Unfortunately, people like teachers and popular students in positions of power humiliate many

students. Schools spend a lot of time talking about student bullying. It is time to raise awareness about

teachers bullying students, too, so that students can feel safe and learn at school.

Adapted by Katherine Casey for Marysville School District, 2010, from the work of the Hackensack Literacy Initiative, 2007.

March.5th.wtg.SD.Literary Essay

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