The House On Mango Street Analysis

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.

Esperanza sees even more graphic examples of physical abuse. In the chapter “Minerva writes poems,” Esperanza describes how Minerva is held back by her husband, “She has many troubles, but the big one is her husband who left and keeps leaving.” The first quote “One day she is through and lets him know enough is enough. Out the door he goes.” and “Then he is sorry and she opens the door again. Same story.” Shows that she is in a perpetual loop of getting mad at him, forgiving him, and then getting beaten by him, “Next week she comes over black and blue.” Her husband has realized this pattern and uses it to his

The third is Sally, who shows Esperanza all the dangers and scary things of adulthood. Esperanza can share almost all her feelings with Sally. “Sally, do you sometimes wish you didn’t have to go home? Do you wish your feet would one day keep walking and take you far away from Mango Street, far away and maybe your feet would stop in front of a house, a nice one with flowers and big windows and steps for you to climb up two by two upstairs to where a room is waiting for you.” (Cisneros 82). This is something Esperanza never even told her family, and shows that she had a big desire to leave Mango Street, but cannot yet. Sally introduced Esperanza to situations in life that Esperanza realized she is not ready for yet, and is still afraid of.  “Sally, you lied. It wasn’t what you said at all. What he did. Where he touched me. I didn’t want it, Sally. The way they said it, the way it’s supposed to be, all the storybooks and movies, why did you lie to me?” (Cisneros 99).  All the situations Sally introduced to Esperanza influenced her the most because Esperanza listens to her advice, and she is closest to Sally. Finally there is Minerva. Only a little older than Esperanza, Minerva already has two kids and a husband who has left her, causing Minerva to regret her life on Mango Street. “Minerva cries because she is so unlucky.” (Cisneros 84) Seeing this makes Esperanza think about how if she stays on Mango Street, She will be trapped

Esperanza has a variety of female role models in her life. Many are trapped in abusive relationships, waiting for others to change their live. A female role model or friends seems to be important to Esperanza. Some of the women that are her role models are, Esperanza's great-grandmother, Marin, and Rafaela. Even though she may not have known these women very well they still impacted her life immensely , some showed the way that Esperanza did not want to live in her life to information about boys she found interesting.

Another example of optimism portrayed by Esperanza was that despite her horrible first experiences with the opposite sex, (as in chapter 21, The First Job and chapter 39, The Red Clowns) she still has dreams of sitting outside at night with her

The vignette “Beautiful and Cruel,” conveys the impact it has on Esperanza. In this vignette, Esperanza feels that she is “an ugly daughter” and “the one nobody cares about” (Cisneros 88). She does not need, or want, a man to lead her life, unlike the women she knows. She does not need, or want, a man to make decisions for her. Unfortunately, she still feels the pressure to look gorgeous and stunning: “Nenny has pretty eyes and it’s easier to talk that way

Eventually, Esperanza decides she does not need to set herself apart from the others in her

Esperanza had always desired a new home, but realizes Mango Street will always be a part of her. “I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t it” (5). At first Esperanza wanted an escape from Mango Street, she was embarrassed of where she came from. But as she grows as a person and is exposed to devastations in other people's lives around her, she realizes something much more ugly than just the looks of Mango Street. “You must keep writing. It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn’t know what she meant” (61). Writing kept Esperanza free, and helped her cope with her problems. Esperanza later perceives why her aunt wanted her to continue writing, because not everyone had something to set them free from Mango Street. “They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones who cannot out”(110). Instead of leaving to never return, Esperanza realizes the women in her community have it

Esperanza is able to look at her great grandmother and realize what she does not want to become, but also she realizes what she does want: to become a strong, independent woman.

For example as stated on page 4, “ Our house would be white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence. This was the house Papa talked about when he held a lottery ticket and this was the house Mama dreamed up in the stories she told us before we went to bed. But the house on Mango street is not the way they told at all.”.When the reality of her parents expectations didn’t go the way hoped it created the initial reason for Esperanza’s dream about leaving Mango Street . If their house wasn’t that much of a downgrade to what they have wanted ,Esperanza may not have felt the need to dream about a whole new house of her own. As her character continues to grow, her reason of wanting her own house becomes much more meaningful . Essentially, Esperanza's house will not only show her taste in real estate, but her true self . In other words , her house will act as a safe haven , the place she can escape to express herself and show her true nature. Illustrated on page 87 ,” One day I’ll own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from. Passing bums will ask,Can I come in? I’ll offer them the attic, ask them to stay, because I

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

However, some may argue that Esperanza's friends are more of an important aspect of Esperanza's identity. This may be because Esperanza spends time with her friends in which they create experiences together that may develop who she grew up to be. In spite of that, Esperanza's family is who she spends the majority of her time with. She wouldn't have learned how to be a role model for others if it weren’t for her family. In addition without her family

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