Final answer:
Mrs. Price from the short story 'Eleven' is characterized as insensitive, as her lack of empathy is revealed through her actions and words when insisting Rachel owns the red sweater.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the short story Eleven, the character trait I would assign to Mrs. Price is insensitivity or lack of empathy. It's evident in the way she handles the situation with the red sweater and Rachel, the protagonist, who is turning eleven. Mrs. Price is dismissive of Rachel's feelings, insisting that the sweater belongs to her without taking into account Rachel's discomfort and embarrassment. This is shown when she says, "Of course it's yours. I remember you wearing it once." Because the text directly quotes Mrs. Price, it reveals how her actions and speech contribute to the reader's understanding of her character. It shows that Mrs. Price is not attuned to the emotional states of her students, which is an important trait for teachers to have, and it is one of the reasons why this character might be disliked or seen unfavorably by readers.