Efrfects of Childhood Birthdays

Effects of Childhood Birthdays

Rachel is an eleven year old girl who has grown up in a very different world with her parents not telling her what to expect with aging and birthdays. In this short story the teacher and Rachel are worlds apart. However, Rachel’s eleventh birthday is ruined, due to an unforeseen ugly red sweater. A classmate by the name of Sylvia betrays her and tells the teacher, she thinks it belongs to Rachel. Rachel is very emotional and can’t find the courage to stand up for herself in this difficult situation and finds it unfair. What causes Rachel to back away from what she knows is right? Fear? Intimidation? In which case, Rachel doesn’t have the confidence to say anything and is made to wear the sweater, which humiliates her in front of the whole class by her teacher.

Rachel expected to feel eleven on her birthday, but she doesn’t because she feels like she is “still ten”. She doesn’t understand why her parents never told her what is true about birthdays. Her parents probably didn’t tell her the truth about birthdays because they may not remember how it feels for a child. Rachel might be considered older, but the other years of her life; and how she grew up during those years, still make up who she is. She believed the situation that ruined her eleventh birthday could have been handled differently therefore, if she only had been older. In

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addition to Rachel saying, “ kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk” , makes up the years she has lived. Rachel has a real struggle and challenge growing up and getting older.

Rachel is confronted with the sweater situation that makes her wish she were not a child and unable to handle what the teacher has done to her. She feels her age is working against her and leaves her feeling powerless”with nothing coming out of her mouth”. Rachel is frustrated and seems to know that people can “feel free” even as adults, as she becomes older, she hopes she will avoid negative feelings, and can defend herself by the people who have control over her.

She explains the disappointment “everything’s just like yesterday” upon waking up on the morning of her eleventh birthday. For a young child, the idea of growing older is somewhat magical. She expects to see herself differently after opening her eyes on the morning of her birthday, but she sees it is real and not different at all. She is the same as yesterday. Birthdays are no longer as powerful and magical as it once was. Rachel escapes into her mind and starts thinking about her birthday that evening at home with her parents. However, for her age she does very well at dealing and coping with situations, like wishing to be 102 years old so she can have the confidence to stand up for herself.

She wishes happy thoughts to replace the hurt she is feeling. It’s easy for kids at eleven to feel rejected and unsupported. Rachel is really wanting this birthday and creates