The World Before Eleven Rhetorical Analysis

In this passage, Sandra Cisneros explains the world of a small eleven-year old girl named Rachel who has been disappointed but taught by her experiences. The author uses several literary devices such as simile, imagery, foreshadowing, tone, diction, etc., to address the neglected and sad feelings of Rachel and to portray Rachel as a character who changes as a result of experience. Rachel, as she explains her difficulty in growing up, she is embarrassed and feels helpless. Though she just turned eleven, all the years before eleven are "pushing at the back of her eyes". The author shoots all these emotions out from Rachel and characterize her actions as that of which small kids would do so they can solve problems. Cisneros uses all these various literary techniques to create the development of the character of Rachel in that she is complex and round

It brings out the complexity and frustration of this character symbolizing how this sweater that is "ugly with red plastic buttons and a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could use it for a jump rope" has become Rachel's lifelong battle. It's a battle that lasted for 11 years and how she builds up as a stronger person as she grows up but is still hesitant to stand up and act as the eleven year old she really is and confidently tell the teacher that the sweater is most definitely not hers. Rachel compares growing old as "kind of like an onoion or like the rings inside a tree trunk or like my wooden dolls that fit inside one another". Her confidence rattles like "pennies in a tin Band-Aid Box" showing how she is always on the edge of bursting into tears and feeling sad about who and what she is. Another comparison to when Rachel describes the sweater as "smelling like cottage cheese" it not only compares the sweater to "cottage cheese" but also her