The irony of life is that as you grow older you want to experience your youth again, while at the time you are young all you want is to be older. In "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros, Rachel is only eleven years old, yet she would rather be one hundred and two. She feels that the old age will give her the respect and wisdom to be able to stand up for herself. Through the use of point of view and diction, Cisneros develops Rachel’s character and shows that despite her youth, Rachel is capable of feeling and expressing ideas and emotions universal to all ages. Rachel is a round character who has learned a lot about growing up from the experience she has had on her ele