House on Mango Street Essay

Sandra Cisneros’ novel, “The House on Mango Street,” is about the adventures and ways of a small side street. We get to see how the main character, Esperanza grows and matures throughout her time on Mango Street. Since the book is written in first person, Esperanza expresses her thoughts and feeling straight to the reader. In the novel, Mango street typically houses residents with poor backgrounds, and is used as a temporary home for most. Although many people who live on Mango street move out in a short period of time, Esperanza stays in the house she hates longer than anyone else. She constantly watches her friends leave, and has to make new friends every time someone moves in. After experiencing this many times, I believe that Esperanza no longer continues to see herself as a resident on Mango street, but a part of Mango street. This is her distinct point of view compared to the others on mango street.

Esperanza is not comfortable with exposing her friend Sally and portraying her as an object, but no other women care about it. She decided to take matters into her own hands but only ended getting laughed at. She was not ready to be developed sexually and would rather remain at a slow pace. This idea is different compared to many women in her society who are ok with being mistreated like this.

As Esperanza is becoming more aware of herself and those around her, she displays the common phases of maturity.

The first time Esperanza makes an appearance in the book, she is younger and easily manipulated, especially by her friends. Esperanza meets a girl named Cathy, a snobby girl that lived on Mango Street. When Cathy tells Esperanza “Okay, I’ll be your friend. But only until next Tuesday. That’s when we move away.” Then as if she forgot I had just moved in, she says the neighborhood is getting bad” (13) This was a racist statement towards Esperanza and her family, something she doesn’t quite understand yet because Esperanza thinks Cathy forgot they moved in, yet she was actually being racist. This is the first time Esperanza is exposed to racism in the book, therefore exposing her to the outside world. Later in the book, Esperanza meets Sally, a beautiful girl with shiny black hair, that all she seemingly just wants is to love, and Esperanza wants to be just like her. “I like your black coat and the shoes you wear, where did you get them? I want to buy shoes just like yours.” (82) Sally and Esperanza become friends, but later in the story, in the chapter Red Clowns, Esperanza is put in a dangerous situation where Sally walks off

After being taken sexually advantage of, Esperanza repeats the phrase “you lied” to declare that Sally and the media have lied to her by saying sex is a pleasant experience. Furthermore, constantly repeating “you lied” shows that Esperanza has been traumatized by this experience; Esperanza realizes the women who have been assaulted were not magnifying the devastating psychological effects. Likewise, the statement, “He wouldn’t let me go. He said I love you Spanish girl.” is a statement which is repeated throughout the vignette. A boy saw Esperanza and grabbed her for his own sexual desire. Esperanza repeats the thought of being caressed without her consent and this creates the psychological effect of her seeing men as predators. This illustrates that groping negatively affects the way its victims look at the world. By using these structural elements to describe Esperanza’s first sexual encounter, Cisneros shows the harmful psychological effects sexual assault causes and sympathy for these people is instilled into the readers, because they know the harm that has been

“In the movies, there is always one with red red lips who is beautiful and cruel. She is the one who drives the men crazy and laughs them away. Her power is her own. She will not give it away” (89). Later in the novella, Esperanza wants to transform into the gal of the movies by attempting to be more desirable to men as well as being able to be herself. The lass takes her first shot to begin a “quiet war” by refusing to wash the dishes and pushing her chair in to be like a man that increases the hassle and work for other women, or in this case her mother. Although until later in the book, her mother advises her to be a “smart cookie” to stay in school and depend on herself than anyone else instead of having a childhood that would not lead her to her true potential. Esperanza later on befriends Sally with the same intentions of being sexually bold. Unlike Esperanza, Sally consistently hangs around boys who force her to do wrong things. Ultimately, the protagonist was manhandled, making Esperanza rethink her decision on converting into the movie girl.

Throughout the story Esperanza, the story’s main character, experienced varies traumatic events he caused her to lose some of her innocence. For example, on page 15 Esperanza is attempting to purchase a new bike when she says “I have three dollars saved and I take two of Nenny’s. She’s not home but I’m sure she’ll be glad when she finds out we own a bike.” This passage may seem small to some but this event was a huge turning point in Esperanza’s lose of innocence. This is the first time in the book we really see Esperanza defy her parents and do something not correct. It

Unfortunately, the death of Esperanza’s father forces her to flee to California and she is forced leave everything behind and live amongst those who are below her. Esperanza travels to California with her mother and previous servants Hortensia, Miguel, and Alfonso. The first main encounter Esperanza experiences of growth is an encounter with a poor girl who wants her doll. Her reaction was to hide her doll instantly because this doll was her last gift from her father and the little girl “… is poor and dirty” (pg. 70). She is surprised that her mother apologizes to the child’s mother. Therefore, the author creates this scene to be the first lesson of kindness Esperanza experiences because her mother makes a yarn doll for the crying child. Although, she is relieved that they get off at the next stop because she doesn’t want to be reminded of her selfish behavior (pg. 72). The reader becomes aware of just how rich and spoiled Esperanza was because she sees an innocent poor child to be so repulsive to her. The author writes about the character’s relief when the child is gone because it proves that she has not changed and is still entitled. However, this event is the first step in Esperanza’s realization and awareness of her selfish ways because she acknowledges that her behavior was selfish.

When one is going through life, they will try to find who they are. This can be influenced by people around them and what they do, but they will find themselves eventually. Sandra Cisneros shows this through Esperanza in her novella The House on Mango Street. Esperanza through this aging and learning from her experiences. She very slowly, but very normally learning who she is. Esperanza’s negative view of herself slowly changes as she begins to focus on her larger community and her place within it. Through this, Cisneros shows that knowing and accepting where one comes from is an important part of growing up and determining one's identity.

When she watches Sally go off in the garden to kiss Tito and the boys, Esperanza gets angry. Esperanza hides beneath a tree and tries to make her heart to stop, in other words want’s to die. When she finally gets up she looks at her feet, which look clunky and unfamiliar, she does not feel as the same person. The garden seems unfamiliar too. Additionally, Sally does not want to be saved. The garden has become a place of danger and confusion, and it is no longer hers. This could be a symbol of Esperanza herself, as she feels like she doesn’t know who she is anymore. This scares her, as everyone around her is changing including

“My mother says when I get older my dusty hair will settle and my blouse will learn to stay clean, but I have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain”(88). She knows there are expectations of her based on her gender but she doesn’t want to be like every other girl. “I have begun my own quiet war. Simple. Sure. I am one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate”(89). Esperanza doesn’t believe she has to act like the stereotypical girl but more of who she wants to be. Not defined by gender roles. To her it’s not fair that just because she has hips she has to act a certain

Remaining realistically hopeful throughout the story, Esperanza is a good protagonist, especially since she isn’t all that likeable. Sometimes she was even annoying, but this just made the story feel more real. This may be owed to the fact that Sandra Cisneros based the characters and events off of her own experiences. Even side characters seem as though they could be

At one point women were seen to only cook and clean, it was culture and the norm. Although times have changed, and women have expressed their abilities and shown what they can do more and more. Sandra Cisneros shows this in her novella, The House on Mango Street. Cisneros expresses the thoughts and feelings of the main character, Esperanza, and others through multiple vignettes. They grow up in a culture and society that wants them to express who they are not meant to be. Alicia and Esperanza see their personality and skills as a way to freedom. Between these girls and the characters around them, Cisneros shows that education and belief in oneself will beat the path to freedom.

Many would agree that finding one’s identity is essential to making a life of their own. In the novella “The House on Mango Street” Cisneros expresses the discovery of Esperanza, as well as how it affects her later in life. Throughout the story, the idea of realization is placed on the main character Esperanza, through which she displays by her thoughts and feelings about herself. Esperanza’s negative view of herself slowly changes as she begins to focus on her larger community and her place within it.

However, this contributes to Esperanza’s developmental stage of puberty and aids in the exploration of her identity and sexuality. She struggles in wanting to remain independent, but becomes more intrigued with boys as the plot carries