The House On Mango Street Character 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

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

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 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).

Esperanza was glad to be able to live in a different home that they can actually call theirs, but what she doesn’t realize is that they are still being greatly impacted by poverty. She doesn’t realize this partly because her parents have been protecting her and her siblings from the neighbors and the bad things that happen. A good example of her father protecting them is on page 5 when Esperanza says, “Papa has nailed on the windows so we wouldn’t fall out”. This quote goes to show that once again the family is subject to their poverty and that it is almost controlling their lives. Esperanza continues to believe that the neighborhood they live in is safe and that it is a good place to live in until her friend Cathy tells her about the white families in the neighborhood, and how it isn’t good enough. This is when she starts to realize what others think about the place she lives in. On page 28 Esperanza says, “Those who don't know any better come into our neighborhood scared. They think we're dangerous. They think we will attack them with shiny knives”.( SThis quote is another really good example of how the poverty that Esperanza grew up in is affecting her life. With Esperanza starting to notice all of these things that are bad about her neighborhood, she begins to get embarrassed about who she is and where she is from. As the book continues, Esperanza continues to grow up and understand the life

In The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, a little girl from a Latino heritage is given birth to. Not literally, but in the sense of characterization. Esperanza is a fictional character made up by Cisneros to bring about sensitive, alert, and rich literature. She is the protagonist in the novel and is used to depict a female’s life growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Cisneros creates the illusion that Esperanza is a real human being to communicate the struggles of growing up as a Latina immigrant in a modern world, by giving her a name, elaborating her thoughts and feelings, and illustrating her growth as a person through major events.

One of the biggest role models in Esperanza's life is Alicia. Alicia goes to the university Alicia is Esperanza's friend. Alicia listens to Esperanza when she tells her about her sadness about not having a home. Alicia understands what Esperanza is feeling because she is from Guadalajara. Alicia’s mother died, so she is pretty much the mother of the family. Alicia wants to do well in school because she wants to have a better life than what her mother did. She wants to be more than a wife, a mother, and the person that cooks for the family. Esperanza says, “Alicia, who inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart and studies for the first time at the university. Two trains and a bus,

With this in mind the internal conflict is important, because it shows Esperanza’s sensitivity about everything what concerns herself and her being insecure. One of the vignette that tells about is called “ Chanclas.” It recounts about her being non confident, because of her old shoes that she gets every year. For example, the quote says, “ Then Uncle Nacho is pulling and pulling my arm and it does not matter how the new dress Mama bought me is because my feet are ugly.” (Cisneros 46). This quote shows that she cares so much about one detail and even the prettiest dress cannot divert her attention. She does not pay attention to the dress, because she just thinks about her shoes and she assumes everyone will look at her feet. Another quote which supports her insecure, is “ Meanwhile that boy who is my cousin by first communion or something asks me to dance and I can’t. Just stuff my feet under the metal folding chair stamped Precious Blood and pick on a wad of brown gum that’s stuck beneath the seat. I shake my head no. My feet growing bigger and bigger.” (Cisneros 47) According to this quote Esperanza does not want people to notice her imperfection so she stays out of society contact. It is not because she does not want to she explains it as a cannot thing. She does not want to embarrass herself. The quote which stays for her having low self esteem is “Until my uncle who is a liar says, You are the prettiest girl here, will you dance, but I believe him, and yes, we are dancing. And Uncle spins me, and my skinny arms bend the way he taught me, and my mom watches, and my little cousins watch, and the boy who is my cousin by first communion watches, and everyone says, wow, who are those two who dance like in the movies, until I forget that I am wearing only ordinary shoes, brown and white.” (Cisneros 47) There is a clear statement that supports, that she thinks about

If Esperanza’s great-grandfather would have cared enough to treat Esperanza as a person rather than a prize, he would have gotten to know her. Only then would he have known that Esperanza was like a wild horse and should not have been domesticated as so many women are. Many women were treated this way simply because most people and even many of the women believed they were meant solely to be wives and to give their husbands children. What they did not realize is that women have the right to choose what they want to do with their lives. They do not have to be mothers.

Esperanza uses her mother as an example to be successful in life when her mother says, “I could have been somebody you know?”(90). Even though that can be considered a negative role model trait, Esperanza turns it into something something positive as she grows. Her mother influenced her to stay in school and to study hard. An important key is to not quit school just because

My Characterization of Esperanza in the book The House On Mango Street In class we have completed a book called The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This book is about a young Latino girl who is about 15 years old and how she is adjusting to life. Esperanza has moved a lot she has moved about 5 or 6 time her entire life. Esperanza is the oldest out of her 4 siblings and has a mom and dad both Latino.

Esperanza’s mother is the type of role model that does not want Esperanza to be like her . She tells Esperanza “I could have been somebody, you know? Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard” (91). Esperanza’s mother, who refers to herself as Madame Butterfly, was a smart cookie but quit school? Now you may ask yourself, if she was a smart cookie then why did she quit school? Well, she says “ because I did not have nice clothes. No clothes, but I had brains”( 91). Esperanza can use Madame Butterfly as an inspiration to stay in school and use it to overcome her

Objects, events, and phases all define a person. When a person is put through social experiences, that is what develops their traits as well as influences or inspires them as an individual. Esperanza is a key example of this, she develops immensely as a person throughout the book, finding who she truly is as a person. As she progress she develops a greater understanding for things like how she refers back the house on mango street “The house I belong but do not belong to”. She realizes that if she leaves things will be different for her and the community.

In this novel, Esperanza has a lot of moments where she is realizing that her life has changed and will never be the same again. She is finally realizing how good her life was back in Mexico before the tragic death of her father. Most of these experiences happen when she and her mother have already left for America and are working and trying to make themselves a home there. Here in the beginning of the book the author gives us an example of Esperanza’s life being altered. “’She has eight children and sells eggs to survive. Yet when she can barely afford it she gave your mother two hens and helped the crippled women,’ said Miguel. ‘The rich take care of the rich and the poor take care of those who have less than they have.’” (Ryan, 2000, p. 79) In the part of the text Miguel, Esperanza’ s childhood friend from Mexico, is attempting to explain the differences between the rich and the poor and how they both help each other. Esperanza realizes that being the daughter of a wealthy landowner is not everything and giving money is not the only way to help people. There are different ways to help people like; giving your support, and just helping people in times of need. Esperanza starts to see the