U3L8W Writing Cycle: Eleven and The Stolen Party Literary AnalysisObjective SWBAT determine the way that differing points of view add tension to a

story by analyzing the relationship between characters in Cisnero’s Eleven and Hekler’s The Stolen Party.

Enduring Understandings

Today, students must:o Determine how differing points of view create tension between

characterso Explain how writers create tension in their stories through

providing detailed character descriptionsEssay Prompt and Full Exemplar

Prompt: In the excerpts from Eleven and The Stolen Party the reader is exposed to characters who have differing points of view from each other. Write an essay analyzing how the differences in points of view create tension in both excerpts. Remember to use details from both texts to support your ideas.

Both Cisnero’s Eleven and Hekler’s The Stolen Party explore tensions that arise on birthdays. In Eleven, Ciserno’s main character struggles to communicate her perspective when she feels embarrassed by an inconsiderate adult. In The Stolen Party, Hekler relates the heartbreak a young girl experiences when she is treated like a servant at a friend’s birthday party. Through the interactions of characters in each text, and the differing points of view presented, both Cisnero and Hekler communicate that when differing perspectives collide on memorable occasions, lasting damage can be done.

In Eleven, the narrator, Rachel, experiences a frustrating miscommunication on her eleventh birthday, one which she unfortunately will not forget. During class that day, the teacher, Mrs. Price, finds a red sweater in the corner of the classroom and asks the students if they know who owns the item. All of the students respond in echo, “Not me” or “Not mine” including the narrator herself. Despite the narrator’s answer, Mrs. Price nonchalantly tells the narrator that “Of course it’s yours…I remember you wearing it once,” to which the narrator has no reply. Mrs. Price’s perspective on the moment is ill-founded, yet unyielding. She believes firmly that the sweater must be Rachel’s, despite having no evidence to prove so, which suggests that she has little interest in Rachel’s feelings on the matter, and/or doesn’t care enough to try to find out. Simultaneously, Rachel views the situation with the sweater as mortifying because of how much she values appearances. She describes the sweater as “an ugly sweater” and “even if it belonged to me I wouldn’t say so,” suggesting that she would never be caught dead wearing something so raggedy and smelly. Once it is clear that Rachel is not going to say that the sweater is hers, Mrs. Price escalates the situation, shouting at Rachel that she must “put on that sweater” right now and stop all the “nonsense.” Mrs. Price’s use of the word “nonsense” suggests that she views Rachel’s

stubborn behavior as defiance or intentional silliness. To this, Rachel pulls on the sweater, and then bursts into tears. Rachel wishes she was “invisible” because in her eyes, wearing such an ugly sweater on her birthday is mortifying. Because Mrs. Price does not value listening to children’s thoughts or feelings, even after it is clear that Rachel does not own the sweater, she also never attempts to close the loop and fix what she has broken. As a result, Rachel ends up wishing that her birthday were “far away already”—an extremely sad thing for a young child. Ultimately, both character’s inability to properly communicate their differing perspectives on a small moment, lead to a very upsetting memory for a small child.

Similarly, in The Stolen Party, the main character, Rosaura is insistent on attending a birthday party for a friend, completely oblivious to the harsh realities that lay ahead of her. The birthday party in question is for Rosaura’s friend, Luciana, whose mother employs her mother as a maid. Upon arriving, Rosaura is met by a woman Senora Ines, who asks Rosaura if she would help serve lunch because she knows the home “so much better than the others.” Even though Senora Ines clearly views Rosaura as the help because of her social class, Rosaura views helping others as a positive thing that shows her familiarity and comfort with the family. This makes her feel victorious and important to the party, despite what Senora Ines thinks. The misunderstanding continues as Senora Ines asks Rosaura to help pass the cake around, which Rosaura “enjoyed…immensely, because everyone called out to her, shouting “Me, me!” Rosaura feels like a queen who has power over her subjects! In her mind, this moment demonstrates she is powerful because she is needed, not a servant. However, the latter is confirmed when at the end of the party, Rosaura receives a rude awakening. After explaining to her mother how much fun she had, and how well people enjoyed her company, Senora Ines walks over to Rosaura, not with a yo-yo for her to take home, but with “two bills” saying “Thank you for all your help, my pet.” Not only does the term “my pet” prove the demeaning perspective if Senora Ines, but offering her money rather than a gift immediately sets her apart from her peers. Rosaura “felt her arms stiffen” and her “eyes had a cold, clear look that fixed itself on Senora Ines’s face.” It immediately becomes clear to Rosaura that she is in fact not like all of the other children as she thought, and that her help during the party was in fact not because she was viewed as powerful. Senora Ines’s classist and fixed perspective on Rosaura’s value clashes with her naivety resulting in a little girl who is forever changed, her joyful memories of the party immediately erased.

Ultimately, the two stories both demonstrate that differing perspectives can result in dramatic and damaging results when they collide, especially on momentous days. Both characters experience somewhat traumatic childhood experiences because of the fixed perspectives of adults. Rachel’s fear of social embarrassment, and Rosaura’s hopeful, yet ignorant view of class, crash headlong into stubborn adult perspectives on how children should act and the way things should be. The two girls will learn that standing up and speaking up for yourself are key to overcoming these tense moments,

but they certainly not forget where they learned that lesson.

Launch for Meaning

(10 minutes/ Minute 70)

Provide context:TW Say: “Today we are going to dive into two texts, one of which you have read before, and look for the ways in which the authors create tension between the characters. As we read, we should look for the ways that the characters are described, the dialogue between the characters, and what is revealed about each character through these interactions. Let’s dive in!”

TW say: “As always, the first step in writing a strong response is to look at our prompt, and properly break it down so that we know exactly what to annotate for. Take the next three minutes to read the prompt and rewrite it in your own words.”o Rewrite : Analyze the different points of view between characters

and determine how this creates tension in the narrative.Monitor I(60 minutes/ Minute 100)

TW say: “You have the next 60 minutes to read and annotate the excerpts, brainstorm using the web, write a strong thesis, and begin to set up your planning page.”

Exemplar Annotations and Planning Page:Prompt: Analyze the different points of view between characters and determine how this creates tension in the narrative.

Thesis: Through the interactions of characters in each text, and the differing points of view presented, both Cisnero and Hekler communicate that when differing perspectives collide on memorable occasions, lasting damage can be done.

BP1 Arg: In Eleven, the narrator, Rachel, experiences a frustrating miscommunication on her eleventh birthday, one which she unfortunately will not forget.

BP2 Arg: Similarly, in The Stolen Party, the main character, Rosaura is insistent on attending a birthday party for a friend, completely oblivious to the harsh realities that lay ahead of her.

Eleven, Sandra Cisneros The Stolen Party, Lilian Hekler

POV of Rachel: “Not me” or “Not mine” “an ugly sweater” “even if it belonged

to me I wouldn’t say so,”POV of Mrs. Price:

POV of Rosaura: help serve lunch because she knows the home

“so much better than the others.” “enjoyed…immensely, because everyone

called out to her, shouting “Me, me!”

“Of course it’s yours…I remember you wearing it once,”

“put on that sweater” right now and stop all the “nonsense.”

Impact of Tension: “invisible” wished this day was “far away already”

POV of Senora Ines: “two bills” “Thank you for all your help, my pet.”

Impact of Tension: “felt her arms stiffen” her “eyes had a cold, clear look that fixed

itself on Senora Ines’s face.”

Aggressive Monitoring Plan Code student work – Check for strong work, Star for poor work. Name the Laps –

Lap 1: “I’m checking for strong habits of literacy.” (100% pen to paper, annotation)

Lap 2: 4C notes (TN with char/setting/conflict) Lap 4: Noting pt of tension in Eleven Lap 5: TN in Stolen Birthday Lap 6: Pt of tension in Stolen Birthday Lap 7: Web of ideas for Thesis Lap 8: Strong Thesis Lap 9: BP Arguments Lap 10: Evidence

Script your response to data plan here. For lap #2: Most don’t have it right- Stop the Show.

o If students are not collecting evidence on the planning page, stop the show and say, “We’re doing a strong job with our annotations. Be sure to translate your best evidence to your planning page so that it is handy when it comes time to write your essay.”

About half have it right-o Turn and Talk: “What evidence have you collected thus far?

Share with your partner.” Most have it right- Allow students to silently continue working, noting

who to call on during discussion.

When students articulate a key understanding, stamp in the momento Chart and engage all studentso Triple-stamp the new understandingo Move to the next text

Guide Discourse I(10 minutes/ 110 minutes)

Guide Discussion: TW CFU by asking the following:

- What are the key interactions that we are looking at in each passage?

- Passage 1: The interaction between Rachel and Mrs. Price- Passage 2: The interaction between Rosaura and Senor Ines- How is tension revealed in each of these passages?

The tension in Eleven through Rachel’s thoughtshots about the sweater and her feelings, and Mrs. Price’s dialogue

In The Stolen Party, it is revealed through Senora Ines requests and dialogue towards Rosaura, and Rosaura’s reaction, thoughtshots about those requests

- We are writing a four paragraph essay. What should we include in each paragraph?

We should refer to both prompts and their similarities in the intro, craft one body paragraph for each text, and refer to both texts in our conclusion.

Final Stamp and Assessment(5 minutes/ Minute 115)

TW display an exemplar planning page and have students analyze it with a focus question. Possible focuses: thesis statement, brevity and/or strength of evidence, very detailed, etc.

SW revise planning pages to include best evidence and clear thesis statements.

Unit 3: Literary Analysis-

Eleven & “The Stolen Party”

Name: _____________________________________________

Team: ___________________________

Prompt: In the excerpts from "Eleven” and “ The Stolen Party” the main characters have differing points of view from other characters in the text. Write an essay analyzing how the differences in points of view create tension in both excerpts. Remember to use details from both texts to support your ideas.

Prompt: Analyze the different points of view between characters and determine how this creates tension in the narrative.

Thesis: Through the interactions of characters in each text, and the differing points of view presented, both Cisnero and Hekler communicate that when differing perspectives collide on memorable occasions, lasting damage can be done.

BP1 Arg: In Eleven, the narrator, Rachel, experiences a frustrating miscommunication on her eleventh birthday, one which she unfortunately will not forget.

BP2 Arg: Similarly, in The Stolen Party, the main character, Rosaura is insistent on attending a birthday party for a friend, completely oblivious to the harsh realities that lay ahead of her.

Eleven, Sandra Cisneros The Stolen Party, Lilian Hekler

POV of Rachel: “Not me” or “Not mine” “an ugly sweater” “even if it

belonged to me I wouldn’t say so,”POV of Mrs. Price:

“Of course it’s yours…I remember you wearing it once,”

“put on that sweater” right now and stop all the “nonsense.”

Impact of Tension: “invisible” wished this day was “far away

already”

POV of Rosaura: help serve lunch because she

knows the home “so much better than the others.”

“enjoyed…immensely, because everyone called out to her, shouting “Me, me!”

POV of Senora Ines: “two bills” “Thank you for all your help, my

pet.”Impact of Tension:

“felt her arms stiffen” her “eyes had a cold, clear look

that fixed itself on Senora Ines’s face.”

ELEVEN

by Sandra Cisneros Sandra Cisneros is an American writer considered to be a key figure in Chicana literature. In this short story, on

a young girl’s birthday, she is accused of owning a sweater that she does not own. In this moment, the teacher has just asked who owns the red sweater that was found in the classroom.

“Not mine,” says everybody. “Not me.”

“It has to belong to somebody, ”Mrs. Price keeps saying, but nobody can remember. It’s an ugly sweater with red plastic buttons and a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could use it for a jump rope. It’s maybe a thousand years old and even if it belonged to me I wouldn’t say so.

Maybe because I’m skinny, maybe because she doesn’t like me, that stupid Sylvia Saldivar says, “I think it belongs to Rachel.” An ugly sweater like that all raggedy and old, but Mrs. Price believes her. Mrs. Price takes the sweater and puts it right on my desk, but when I open my mouth nothing comes out.

“That’s not, I don’t, you’re not…Not mine.” I finally say in a little voice that was maybe me when I was four.

“Of course it’s yours, ”Mrs. Price says. “ I remember you wearing it once.” Because she’s older and the teacher, she’s right and I’m not.

Not mine, not mine, not mine, but Mrs. Price is already turning to page thirty-two, and math problem number four. I don’t know why but all of a sudden I’m feeling sick inside, like the part of me that’s three wants to come out of my eyes, only I squeeze them shut tight and bite down on my teeth real hard and try to remember today I am eleven, eleven. Mama is making a cake for me for tonight, and when Papa comes home everybody will sing Happy birthday, happy birthday to you.

But when the sick feeling goes away and I open my eyes, the red sweater’s still sitting there like a big red mountain. I move the red sweater to the corner of my desk with my ruler. I move my pencil and books and eraser as far from it as possible. I even move my chair a little to the right. Not mine, not mine, not mine. In my head I’m thinking how long till lunchtime, how long till I can take the red sweater and throw it over the schoolyard fence, or leave it hanging on a parking meter, or bunch it up into a little ball and toss it in the alley. Except when math period ends Mrs. Price says loud and in front of everybody, “Now, Rachel, that’s enough, ”because she sees I’ve shoved the red sweater to the tippy-tip corner of my desk and it’s hanging all over the edge like a waterfall, but I don’t care.

“Rachel, ”Mrs. Price says. She says it like she’s getting mad. “You put that sweater on right now and no more nonsense.”

“But it’s not –“

“Now!” Mrs. Price says.

This is when I wish I wasn’t eleven because all the years inside of me—ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one—are pushing at the back of my eyes when I put one arm through one sleeve of the sweater that smells like cottage cheese, and then the other arm through the other and stand there with my arms apart like if the sweater hurts me and it does, all itchy and full of germs that aren’t even mine.

That’s when everything I’ve been holding in since 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. I wish I was invisible but I’m not. I’m eleven and it’s my birthday today and I’m crying like I’m three in front of everybody. I put my head down on the desk and bury my face in my stupid clown-sweater arms. My face all hot and spit coming out of my mouth because I can’t stop the little animal noises from coming out of me until there aren’t any more tears left in my eyes, and it’s just my body shaking like when you have the hiccups, and my whole head hurts like when you drink milk too fast.

But the worst part is right before the bell rings for lunch. That stupid Phyllis Lopez, who is even dumber than Sylvia Saldivar, says she remembers the red sweater is hers. I take it off right away and give it to her, only Mrs. Price pretends like everything’s okay.

Today I’m eleven. There’s a cake Mama’s making for tonight and when Papa comes home from work we’ll eat it. There’ll be candles and presents and everybody will sing Happy birthday, happy birthday to you, Rachel, only it’s too late.

I’m eleven today. I’m eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one, but I wish I was one hundred and two. I wish I was anything but eleven. Because I want today to be far away already, far away like a runaway balloon, like a tiny o in the sky, so tiny—tiny you have to close your eyes to see it.

An Excerpt from The Stolen Party, by Lilian Hekler

Lilian Heker (b. 1943) is an Argentine author who has been writing professionally since she was 17. In this short story, Heker explores social class differences through a story about a young girl who attends the birthday party of a friend whose family employs her mother as their housekeeper. The main character Rosaura’s mother has expressed that she does not want her daughter going to the party because it is for “rich people”, but then allows her to attend. At this moment, Rosaura has just entered the party…

As soon as she saw Rosaura, the girl with the bow had said: “And you? Who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Luciana,” said Rosaura.

“No,” said the girl with the bow, “you are not a friend of Luciana because I’m her cousin and I know all her friends. And I don’t know you.”

“So what,” said Rosaura. “I come here every afternoon with my mother and we do our homework together.”

“You and your mother do your homework together?” asked the girl, laughing.

“I and Luciana do our homework together,” said Rosaura, very seriously.

The girl with the bow shrugged her shoulders.

“That’s not being friends,” she said. “Do you go to school together?”

“No.”

“So where do you know her from?” said the girl, getting impatient.

Rosaura remembered her mother’s words perfectly. She took a deep breath.

“I’m the daughter of the employee,” she said.

Her mother had said very clearly: “If someone asks, you say you’re the daughter of the employee; that’s all.” She also told her to add: “And proud of it.” But Rosaura thought that never in her life would she dare say something of the sort.

“What employee?” said the girl with the bow. “Employee in a shop?”

“No,” said Rosaura angrily. “My mother doesn’t sell anything in any shop, so there.”

“So how come she’s an employee?” said the girl with the bow.

Just then Señora Ines arrived saying shh shh, and asked Rosaura if she wouldn’t mind helping serve out the hot dogs, as she knew the house so much better than the others.

“See?” said Rosaura to the girl with the bow, and when no one was looking she kicked her in the shin.

Apart from the girl with the bow, all the others were delightful. The one she liked best was Luciana, with her golden birthday crown; and then the boys. Rosaura won the sack race, and nobody managed to catch her when they played tag. When they split into two teams to play charades, all the boys wanted her for their side. Rosaura felt she had never been so happy in all her life.

But the best was still to come. The best came after Luciana blew out the candles. First the cake. Señora Ines had asked her to help pass the cake around, and Rosaura had enjoyed the task immensely, because everyone called out to her, shouting “Me, me!” Rosaura remembered a story in which there was a queen who had the power of life or death over her subjects. She had always loved that, having the power of life or death. To Luciana and the boys she gave the largest pieces, and to the girl with the bow she gave a slice so thin one could see through it.

After the cake came, and the magician, it was time to go. Rosaura beamed as her mother entered.

It was strange because up to then Rosaura had thought that she was angry with her mother. All along Rosaura had imagined that she would say to her: “See that the monkey wasn’t a lie?” But instead she was so thrilled that she told her mother all about the wonderful magician.

And now they both stood in the entrance, because a moment ago Señora Ines, smiling, had said: “Please wait here a second.” Her mother suddenly seemed worried.

“It’s nothing; she just wants to get the presents for those who are leaving, see?” said Rosaura.

She pointed at the fat boy and at a girl with pigtails who were also waiting there, next to their mothers. And she explained about the presents. She knew, because she had been watching those who left before her. When one of the girls was about to leave, Señora Ines would give her a bracelet. When a boy left, Señora Ines gave him a yo-yo. Rosaura preferred the yo-yo because it sparkled.

And she said no more because Señora Ines came out into the hall with two bags, one pink and one blue.

First she went up to the fat boy, gave him a yo-yo out of the blue bag, and the fat boy left with his mother. Then she went up to the girl and gave her a bracelet out of the pink bag, and the girl with the pigtails left as well.

Finally she came up to Rosaura and her mother. She had a big smile on her face and Rosaura liked that. Señora Ines looked down at her, then looked up at her mother, and then said something that made Rosaura proud:

“What a marvelous daughter you have, Herminia.”

For an instant, Rosaura thought that she’d give her two presents: the bracelet and the yo-yo. Señora Ines bent down as if about to look for something. Rosaura also leaned forward, stretching out her arm. But she never completed the movement.

Señora Ines didn’t look in the pink bag. Nor did she look in the blue bag. Instead she rummaged in her purse. In her hand appeared two bills.

“You really and truly earned this,” she said handing them over. “Thank you for all your help, my pet.”

Rosaura felt her arms stiffen, stick close to her body, and then she noticed her mother’s hand on her shoulder. Instinctively she pressed herself against her mother’s body. That was all. Except her eyes. Rosaura’s eyes had a cold, clear look that fixed itself on Señora Ines’s face.

Señora Ines, motionless, stood there with her hand outstretched. As if she didn’t dare draw it back. As if the slightest change might shatter an infinitely delicate balance.

Name:_________________________________ Adv:____________________________

Both Cisnero’s Eleven and Hekler’s The Stolen Party explore tensions that arise on birthdays. In Eleven, Ciserno’s main character struggles to communicate her perspective when she feels embarrassed by an inconsiderate adult. In The Stolen Party, Hekler relates the heartbreak a young girl experiences when she is treated like a servant at a friend’s birthday party. Through the interactions of characters in each text, and the differing points of view presented, both Cisnero and Hekler communicate that when differing perspectives collide on memorable occasions, lasting damage can be done.

In Eleven, the narrator, Rachel, experiences a frustrating miscommunication on her eleventh birthday, one which she unfortunately will not forget. During class that day, the teacher, Mrs. Price, finds a red sweater in the corner of the classroom and asks the students if they know who owns the item. All of the students respond in echo, “Not me” or “Not mine” including the narrator herself. Despite the narrator’s answer, Mrs. Price nonchalantly tells the narrator that “Of course it’s yours…I remember you wearing it once,” to which the narrator has no reply. Mrs. Price’s perspective on the moment is ill-founded, yet unyielding. She believes firmly that the sweater must be Rachel’s, despite having no evidence to prove so, which suggests that she has little interest in Rachel’s feelings on the matter, and/or doesn’t care enough to try to find out. Simultaneously, Rachel views the situation with the sweater as mortifying because of how much she values appearances. She describes the sweater as “an ugly sweater” and “even if it belonged to me I wouldn’t say so,” suggesting that she would never be caught dead wearing something so raggedy and smelly. Once it is clear that Rachel is not going to say that the sweater is hers, Mrs. Price escalates the situation, shouting at

Rachel that she must “put on that sweater” right now and stop all the “nonsense.” Mrs. Price’s use of the word “nonsense” suggests that she views Rachel’s stubborn behavior as defiance or intentional silliness. To this, Rachel pulls on the sweater, and then bursts into tears. Rachel wishes she was “invisible” because in her eyes, wearing such an ugly sweater on her birthday is mortifying. Because Mrs. Price does not value listening to children’s thoughts or feelings, even after it is clear that Rachel does not own the sweater, she also never attempts to close the loop and fix what she has broken. As a result, Rachel ends up wishing that her birthday were “far away already”—an extremely sad thing for a young child. Ultimately, both character’s inability to properly communicate their differing perspectives on a small moment, lead to a very upsetting memory for a small child.

Similarly, in The Stolen Party, the main character, Rosaura is insistent on attending a birthday party for a friend, completely oblivious to the harsh realities that lay ahead of her. The birthday party in question is for Rosaura’s friend, Luciana, whose mother employs her mother as a maid. Upon arriving, Rosaura is met by a woman Senora Ines, who asks Rosaura if she would help serve lunch because she knows the home “so much better than the others.” Even though Senora Ines clearly views Rosaura as the help because of her social class, Rosaura views helping others as a positive thing that shows her familiarity and comfort with the family. This makes her feel victorious and important to the party, despite what Senora Ines thinks. The misunderstanding continues as Senora Ines asks Rosaura to help pass the cake around, which Rosaura “enjoyed…immensely, because everyone called out to her, shouting “Me, me!” Rosaura feels like a queen who has power over her subjects! In her mind, this moment demonstrates she is powerful because she is needed, not a servant. However, the latter is confirmed when at the end of the party, Rosaura receives a rude awakening. After explaining to her mother how much fun she had, and how well people enjoyed her company, Senora Ines walks over to Rosaura, not with a yo-yo for her to take home, but with “two bills” saying “Thank you for all your help, my pet.” Not only does the term “my pet” prove the demeaning perspective if Senora Ines,

but offering her money rather than a gift immediately sets her apart from her peers. Rosaura “felt her arms stiffen” and her “eyes had a cold, clear look that fixed itself on Senora Ines’s face.” It immediately becomes clear to Rosaura that she is in fact not like all of the other children as she thought, and that her help during the party was in fact not because she was viewed as powerful. Senora Ines’s classist and fixed perspective on Rosaura’s value clashes with her naivety resulting in a little girl who is forever changed, her joyful memories of the party immediately erased.

Ultimately, the two stories both demonstrate that differing perspectives can result in dramatic and damaging results when they collide, especially on momentous days. Both characters experience somewhat traumatic childhood experiences because of the fixed perspectives of adults. Rachel’s fear of social embarrassment, and Rosaura’s hopeful, yet ignorant view of class, crash headlong into stubborn adult perspectives on how children should act and the way things should be. The two girls will learn that standing up and speaking up for yourself are key to overcoming these tense moments, but they certainly not forget where they learned that lesson.