A Summary Of Esperanza

Esperanza and her mother made the choice to leave Mexico and go to California to work and escape Tio Luis, which I believe to be a good decision. Before going, Esperanza was spoiled, rich, and quite full of herself, living in a high social class family, and in general thought of herself better than others. At first, she was against leaving everything she knew and loved, but in the end, found herself liking California. Esperanza made new friends, in particular, Isabel, who taught her many things, even though she was younger. She taught her how to appreciate what she had, and how to get a job done. She taught her how to deal with the fact that

All the people on Mango Street were struggling to get by, but they seemed satisfied with just making it. Esperanza was not. There were characters like Esperanza’s mother who was a “smart cookie,” and could’ve been anything, but she let shame get the best of her and dropped out of school. There was also Rafaela who got married before the 8th grade just so she could move into her own house, but her husband never let her leave the house afterward. He never let her see her friends, and the highlight of her week was getting coconut or papaya juice from someone who would send it up in a paper bag attached to a clothespin since she couldn’t leave the house. Lastly, there was the time when she was left stranded by the tilt-a- whirl waiting for a friend that never came back and got molested by a group of boys. The only witnesses were the red clown statues that seemed to be laughing at her. Nevertheless, she let none of this stopped her from going forward and perusing her dream. She still seemed to be struggling with a sense of belonging, but maybe that’s because she didn’t.

First, the book starts off telling the story of how Esperanza grew up in a loving wealthy family who owned El Rancho de las Rosas in Aguascalientes, Mexico. She was surrounded by generations of family members who loved her. The family had lots of servants who worked for them during the grape harvest season and they also helped them with everything else during the off season. Esperanza was a young girl who really didn’t understand poverty and was known to have a snobbish attitude at times when she was little because of her family’s wealth. She was surrounded by families that were just as wealthy as her own so poverty was not a norm in their community. There are many examples of her snobby ways in the beginning of book like when she first boarded a train in Mexico and realizes that she and her friend definitely wouldn’t be traveling first class. Her reaction to this was basically like: "You expect me to travel coach?! Yeah right." It was evident Esperanza did not use to a present lifestyle. Esperanza father was her biggest mentor and she followed his teachings very closely. After the death of her father, it was people like Abuelita, Mama, and Miguel that help keep Esperanza diva 'tude in check which helped keep her

A time in the story where Esperanza feels ashamed of her home is when a nun points “...to a row of ugly three-flats, the ones even the raggedy men are ashamed to go into" (94), and asks if one of the homes belongs to Esperanza. Even though the house did not really belong to Esperanza, she knew her real house wasn't much nicer than the houses the nun pointed to. Esperanza also shows negativity when she complains about her name. Esperanza didn't always like the name she was given, because she doesn't want to end up like her great grandmother, who was forced into marriage, and is basically trapped inside. Esperanza inherited her name, but "[doesn't] want to inherit her place by the window" (51). Esperanza also shows a negative attitude is when she explains that her name “...means sadness, it means

Esperanza has a variety of female role models in her life. Many are trapped in abusive relationships, waiting for others to change their live. Esperanza had many struggles in her life, not growing up where and how she wanted to so role models were very important to her. These role models showed her the way she didn't

Esperanza is new to the neighborhood, and was never proud of her previous houses, but the negative intonation that the nun uses on her makes her feel like she is being judged, not on who she is, but what her family can afford. There is the place Esperanza now has to call home and the degrading presumption that the neighborhood already has causes her to accept that she can’t change her image without money and let her personality shine through. She seems to accept her label as poor in the story, “A Rice Sandwich”, where she believes the special, also known as rich, kids get to eat in the canteen and she wants to be part of that narrative, so she begs her mother for three days, to write her a note to allow her eat in the canteen. When she couldn’t endure her daughter’s nagging anymore, she complied. Thinking this would be enough affirmation, Esperanza went to school the next with the note and stood in the line with the other kids. She wasn’t recognized by the nun who checks the list, and has to face Sister Superior, who claims that she doesn’t live far enough to stay at school and asks Esperanza to show where her house is. “That one? She said, pointing to a row of ugly three -flats, the ones even the raggedy men are ashamed to go into. Yes, I nodded even though I knew that wasn’t my house,”(45). Esperanza was compared to the most raggedy men, and had to accept

While Carmen helping poor people Esperanza confused because she didn’t think of poor can help each other. She was confused because the way she raised were different compared to other people. Finally, Esperanza realized that there are more profound aspects in life than being

With all of the bad things going on around Esperanza, she was very optimistic and made the best of everything she could. For example, in chapter one, Esperanza explain how she and her family had always grown up poor and that they always had dreams of one day owning a big beautiful house like the ones that they saw on television. One with a back yard and a basement. When Esperanza's family was forced to move her parents had purchased the first house that they could afford so they wouldn't have to continue paying rent. The house was nothing like what they had spoke of or dreamt about. But Esperanza states, "I then knew I had to have a house. One I could point to. But this isn't it. The house on Mango Street isn't it. For the time being, Mama said. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go.." Within this paragraph it shows that Esperanza isn't exactly happy about where she is living but she is going to make the best of it and do what she has to do to get out of there and have a house of her own. One that she can point to.

Esperanza’s insecurity about where she lives and how she lives is the conflict of the story. A tradition her father, Nenny, and herself has is going to the houses on the hills, she believes she looks like the hungry asking for food so she no longer goes. Esperanza is so ashamed of her house that when someone ask which house she lives in she denies living in those flats. She becomes aware of how poor her family is when she must go to work to help pay for private school, this encourages her to get out of the flats. Esperanza sets out to be able to support herself on her own and buy the house she has been dreaming of since she was little.

Esperanza's mother was also a very influential role model for Esperanza. Esperanza learns how important an education is by looking at her mother's situation. Her mother laments, “I could have been somebody, you know?” (91). Her mother could have had a better life and a better job if she continued to go to school, and she imparts this wisdom upon her daughter. “Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard” (91). Esperanza does not want to end up in her mother's situation. Without a proper education, a successful life is nearly impossible to achieve. Esperanza's mother teaches her the importance of being strong, educated, and independent: “Got to take care all your own” (91).

“Don’t be afraid to start over.” Immigrants everywhere have to move and start their whole life over. Esperanza Rising is a book about a rich Mexican girl that loses everything when her house burns down. This book was written by Pam Munoz Ryan, and her life was much like Esperanza’s when she had to move from Mexico and had to work for very low pay as an immigrant. Esperanza faced many challenges like Marta and her friends trying to get workers to go on a strike, mama getting sick with Valley Fever, and other Mexicans facing discrimination in the U.S.

Esperanza has hopes far beyond the stereotypical expectations of Chicanos within society at the time but her status and mindset does not match those goals. As far as her status, she is apart of the lower class class family who were dreamers and fed unrealistic concepts into their children minds of one day having this “dream” house but in all actuality, they knew it would never happen. For example, on page 4, Esperanza

Throughout the novel, Esperanza tells us that she doesn’t like the house on Mango Street. When we first meet her, she tells us about the places that her family have moved. “...Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor, and before that we lived on Keeler. Before Keeler it was Paulina, and before that I can’t remember” (Cisneros 3). Each time they’ve moved, the kids had to go to a new school and the parents had to find jobs that are closer to them. Meaning that they are learning things that could have learned before or they are just now learning the material and not really understanding the information. When you beg for something your parents you can get it most of the time. “In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls watched while I cried and ate my sandwich, the bread already greasy and the rice cold” (45). This just shows that begging your parents for something it not always a good idea. Greasy bread and cold rice does not seem too appealing for a lunch meal. Even though Esperanza and her family seem like they have a poor life, they are not really that poor. At least they have a

Esperanza is a shy but a very bright girl. She dreams of the perfect home now, with beautiful flowers in their luscious garden and a room for everyone to live in comfortably all because of the unsatisfied face the nun made that one afternoon--when she moves to the house of Mango Street. She thinks it’s going to be a “grand house on a hill that will have a bedroom for everyone and at least three washrooms so when they took a bath they would not have to tell everybody.” (Cinceros 4) Reality is so different for her when her dream is shot down in a heartbeat when she

Esperanza's mother threw everything away because she was embarrassed of her physical appearance. She is a very talented woman who is bilingual, sing, fix a t.v., and more. Now, her mother's job is just to take care of her children. She doesn't want Esperanza to be like her because she was embarrassed of who she is. Esperanza needs a good education, so she doesn't have to be the person her mother is