Eleven

The story opens with Rachel’s thoughts on age. These ruminations, presented in first-person, stream-of-consciousness-style narration, reveal that Rachel is a bright, thoughtful, and expressive young girl. Her observation that “the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk,” or like matryoshka dolls “that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one” (Paragraph 3), demonstrates her capacity for deep reflection and imaginative thinking. Rachel shows further maturity in acknowledging that the path to adulthood is nonlinear; she notes that one day “you might say something stupid, and that’s the part of you that’s still ten,” or another day “maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and that’s okay” (Paragraph 2).

Of course, there is a difference between knowing something is true and experiencing it firsthand. Rachel is wise for her age, but her immaturity becomes apparent as the story unfolds. In her conflict over the red sweater with Mrs. Price, Rachel grows frustrated with her impotence and voicelessness, which she credits to her youth. She wishes she was 102 rather than 11, believing that then she’d “have known to what to say […] would’ve known how to tell [Mrs. Price] it wasn’t [hers] instead of just sitting there with that look on [her] face and nothing coming out of [her] mouth” (Paragraph 5). As Rachel’s paralysis gives way to devastation, her frustration morphs into embarrassment over her emotional outburst. As this transition from confident reflection to emotional anguish demonstrates, the journey from childhood to adulthood is often fraught. Rachel’s impatience to grow older is another common theme in coming-of-age stories, reflecting the childlike belief that life gets easier with age.

Two factors exacerbate Rachel’s distress. The first is an intense fear of social stigma and isolation. When Mrs. Price asks who the sweater belongs to, the entire class replies, “Not me” (Paragraph 6). This universal denial, combined with the fact that the sweater sat in the coatroom for a month, marks it as undesirable. Rachel’s narration gives context for this by implying a connection between the sweater and poverty. She describes the sweater as “ugly,” with “plastic buttons” and “a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could use it for jump rope” (Paragraph 7). She goes on to call it “raggedy and old” (Paragraph 8) and notes that it “smells like cottage cheese” and is “itchy and full of germs” (Paragraph 18). Her total mortification at being associated with this grungy, old sweater suggests that wearing such a garment is cause for judgment. This is supported by the class’s collective rejection of it: No one wants to claim the sweater due to what it might convey about them and the isolation likely to result from that stigma.

Rachel doesn’t explain the underlying cause of her revulsion, and the limited point of view prevents readers from gleaning any external insight, but there are indications that this stigma stems from poverty. Rachel posits that Sylvia Saldivar claims the sweater belongs to Rachel because she’s “skinny” (Paragraph 8). This word choice seems deliberate, as “skinny” carries more negative connotations than alternatives like “slim” or “slender,” which are often associated with gracefulness or beauty. The surnames in the novel are another indication that class dynamics underlie this incident. The last name “Price” has European roots, while “Saldivar” and “Lopez” suggest Hispanic origins. Cisneros is of Mexican American descent, and her work often examines the obstacles that immigrant families face, including poverty and social inequity. This choice of surnames is a subtle indication that these issues are at work in this story too.

The second cause for Rachel’s distress is Mrs. Price’s handling of the situation. The teacher occupies a position of power and authority in the classroom. Mrs. Price abuses that power in disregarding Rachel’s voice and refusing to acknowledge her role in Rachel’s emotional breakdown. It is possible that Mrs. Price, likely a white woman teaching a class of immigrant or minority-culture children, is perpetuating stereotypes in assuming the sweater must belong to Rachel. The fact that she immediately accepts Sylvia’s word as true at least suggests some kind of implicit bias.

Though this incident leaves Rachel feeling cornered, isolated, and humiliated, she fights back in her own way. She internally fortifies herself by remembering who she is outside the classroom: a girl beloved by her parents who will soon be celebrated with cake and singing. In finding comfort in thoughts of her family, Rachel demonstrates some emotional maturity. For a moment, this coping mechanism works: Rachel successfully centers herself, and “the sick feeling goes away” (Paragraph 13). But it only works so long as she ignores the problem; the second she opens her eyes, she “red sweater’s still sitting there like a big red mountain” (Paragraph 13). This use of simile, comparing the sweater to something as immovable and imposing as mountain, signifies the depth of Rachel’s revulsion and distress. She creates physical distance between herself and the sweater, attempting to reclaim some of the power she lost to Mrs. Price. She pushes the sweater to the very edge of her desk with a ruler, keeping it far from her pencil, books, and eraser, as if to avoid contamination. Rachel even moves her chair, creating as much separation as possible between herself, the sweater, and all that it represents—another indication the sweater spells social ostracization or stigma for anyone associated with it.

At the climax of the story, Rachel loses the fight in a humiliating way. When Mrs. Price sees that Rachel has not quietly and obediently accepted the sweater, she forces Rachel to put it on, thereby making Rachel and the red sweater one and the same. By forcing Rachel to wear the sweater, Mrs. Price disregards Rachel’s attempts to defend herself, essentially disempowering her and invalidating her feelings. Rachel’s notion of herself as a special birthday girl is ruined, and she is reduced to crying in front of her classmates, making “little animal noises” (Paragraph 19).

The story’s conclusion ultimately releases Rachel from ownership of—and conflation with—the red sweater. Phyllis Lopez remembers that it belongs to her, and Rachel removes it. Though Rachel escapes the sweater, she describes this moment as “the worst part” (Paragraph 20). Mrs. Price shows no sense of remorse and does not acknowledge her mistake; she “pretends like everything’s okay” (20). Mrs. Price’s indifference underscores her position of authority, as those in power are often not held accountable or taken to task for their mistakes.

Rachel, meanwhile, is deeply hurt by the incident. The humiliation she endured before her classmates lingers, and when she next thinks of her family and the impending birthday celebration, the thought rings hollow. Now, her thoughts are melancholy, anchored by the regretful line, “only it’s too late” (Paragraph 21). This emphasizes Rachel’s emotional devastation: She is so defeated that she finds no joy in her birthday and is no longer excited to be 11. She would rather be invisible or else much, much older; both wishes indicate her desire to escape this difficult day and the powerlessness Rachel feels due to her youth. The lingering shame is so unbearable that she wishes the day was “far away already, far away like a runaway balloon, like a tiny dot in the sky, so tiny-tiny you have to close your eyes to see it” (Paragraph 22). Rachel feels so small and inferior that she would rather not be seen at all.