Which of the following statements describes Rachel's strongest memory of her eleventh birthday?
She can't wait to get home from school and celebrate with her family.
She feels humiliated by Mrs. Price's insistence that she put on the sweater.
She thinks that turning eleven makes her smart and mature.
The story takes place in...
a courtroom
the principal's office
at school
"Eleven" is told from which point of view?
1st person - a young girl on the day of her eleventh birthday
3rd person limited - the teacher telling a story about a little girl
3rd person omniscient - a girl telling what happens to each of the kids in her class
To whom does the red sweater really belong?
Rachel
Phyllis Lopez
Mrs. Price
Why does Rachel get so upset?
No one remembers her birthday.
Mrs. Price makes her wear the sweater.
She is no longer ten years old.
Rachel wishes she were 102 years old so that she would...
not be in school anymore
know what to say to Mrs. Price
be able to wear anything she wants
You can tell by Rachel's reaction that she...
has strong feelings
doesn't let much affect her
is pleased by the attention she receives
One can infer that Rachel probably believes that she was...
treated fairly by Mrs. Price
treated unfairly by Mrs. Price
treated with consideration by Phyllis
What does the red sweater symbolize to Rachel?
Something terrible and shameful
The fear of getting older
Something mature and wise
The author hints at a possible theme in the story when she uses the symbolism. What theme can we infer that Rachel (and the author) is trying to express when she compares growing old to an onion's layers or to the rings inside a tree trunk?
Like onions and trees, people grow if they get food and sunlight.
People have many layers of emotion -- some childish and some mature.
As tree rings indicate age, so layers of cells indicate a person's age.
What do you learn in the simile, "...the red sweater's still sitting there like a big red mountain"?
The sweater is too large for Rachel to wear comfortably.
The sweater presents a problem too big for Rachel to solve.
The sweater is blocking Rachel's view of the chalkboard.
Rachel uses a hyperbole (extreme exageration) in the story to show her feelings. Why does Rachel want to disappear into the sky?