Responsibility?

I once had a teacher tell me that I was responsible for everything that happened to me.

I quickly challenged her. I asked: Do you mean to say I am responsible for my father's alcoholism? And she said flatly, 'Yes."  Immediately I was infuriated. I, in no way, had caused or promoted his struggle with alcohol. I knew that to be a fact just like I knew my own name.

She then explained herself. Here is what she said in paraphrase:

You have the ability, the opportunity to respond to every situation that happens in your life. It is the "response" in "responsiblility. Literally a response ability. Taking that on as a truth gives you power. Not taking responsibility, takes all your power away.

H'mmm....what do you think? (This is a tough one.) Talk about a situation in which you did or could have in hindsight taken on my teacher's view of responsibility.

"Eleven" Analysis: Symbols

We've just finished writing personal narratives, sharing experiences from our lives that carry weight and have meaning. Now we are transitioning to analysis writing, using Sandra Cisneros's essay "Eleven" as the text. 

There is a symbol in the passage. What is the symbol? What does it represent?