The House On Mango Street Summary

In the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, Esperanza is the main character who is the protagonist. Esperanza is a thirteen-year-old child that has been faced with more tragic events from the age of nine to thirteen than some may experience their whole life time. Her character is very smart, determined, and compassionate just like some of the kids you may know. The author does a great job with allowing the reader to get inside Esperanza’s head to understand her thinking and logic. The author uses Esperanza life to encourage children who may be going through some of the same experience, that they could make it through to. Although Esperanza is just a normal kid trying to have fun, the constant tragic events in her life forces her to mature instantly becoming a strong young adult. This paper will discuss how Esperanza grew up and some of Esperanza reactions that shows her growth in maturity, while exploring some of the conflicts Esperanza experienced that causes her to change her thinking.

After Esperanza reads Aunt Lupe one of her poems, her aunt tells her that she might be able to use her writing to be set free and find her real identity; however, Esperanza didn’t figure out the real meaning of her aunt’s words until her aunt passed away. After her aunt dies, Esperanza is confronted by shame and guilt, which also happen to be the feelings that Aunt Lupe felt in the years that took her to pass away (she was embarrassed to be a burden on her family for so many

Esperanza is an only child in her family, and during this time it was not acceptable for woman to own land. When Esperanza’s papa gets killed there were no other men in the family, so the land that Esperanza had grew up on and loved would soon all be taken away, unless her mama sacrificers herself and marries the rude brother of Esperanza’s papa. This idea of men owning land is one main reason why Esperanza’s family must migrate to California. If Esperanza was male, this story would not exist because the land would be given to her. Since Esperanza is a female, the story has a complication in the plot that needs to be overcame. This is the first obstacle that Esperanza must triumph over: leaving home to somewhere unknown.

Esperanza does not want to be like the other women in her town, always locked inside and the only freedom they have is a small window. Her great-grandmother was a role model, she showed Esperanza the way she did not want to

This upsets Esperanza that they would exploit her like that, and so she runs off to tell the boys mother. “Your son and his friends stole Sally’s keys and now they won’t give them back unless she kisses them and right now they’re making her kiss them (Cisneros, 97). Esperanza can not believe that the mother would not help her friend Sally. When Esperanza goes back to try and save sally for herself, they all laugh in her face and tell her to go away. “They all looked at me as if I was the one that was crazy and made me feel ashamed (Cisneros, 98).”

"She sits at become afraid to go outside". The leave home, she would need permission. She evolves from a victim of child abuse to a slave-like wife. Esperanza sees this despair throughout her story.

Esperanza is faced with several major events that forces her to mature at a young age. In these events readers can see how she grows as her emotions change. In the beginning of the book, Esperanza’s father passes away (p. 22) and their family home on the ranch, El Rancho de las Rosas, catches on fire (p.40). This is the beginning of Esperanza's quickly changed young life. As a young girl she realizes life will never be the same. She once was wealthy and lived life with the help of housekeepers. Papa also had field workers to help with his needs on the farm. Raised with a positive perspective on life, her hopes and dreams are soon challenged. Esperanza is forced to leave everything she has ever known to move to the United States. The fire is symbolic because the family is forced start all over, in life, along with her social

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 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.

That’s very good, she said in her tired voice. You just remember to keep writing, Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn’t know what she meant.” This describes Aunt Lupe’s reaction to Esperanza reading to her from her own writings. I think this scene was written into the novel by Cisneros to show an opportunity for Esperanza, to give her hope. It shows a positive mood in the story at a depressing time. You really start connecting more with Esperanza and how she views life because of how the vignette talks about her relationship with Aunt Lupe. Esperanza gains some confidence and hope when she hears that writing can provide a sense of freedom from her trapped life. “Born Bad” makes me think about how the life Esperanza is living isn’t under her control and it’s sad that due to her gender she is treated as lesser of a person, but here she realizes she may have some

Her mother is the one who motivates and teaches Esperanza the do's and don't's of life from her experiences. Esperanza would have never have turned out the way she is did without her mother.

When Esperanza sat down Mama started talking while she got up and got the breakfast that she had wrapped it with a foil for Esperanza. It was tortillas with beans and lettuce filled in it. She explained that she had got the job at the cotton cloth making factory near the El Rancho, so that Abuelita and she wouldn't wait too long. “I will be starting the work tommorow,” Mama said. “Tomorrow?!” exclaimed Esperanza. “Mama, she continued,”You won’t be okay since papa had died few days ago, it is also dangerous out there, and I will be staying alone until you come. I’m not prepared yet!” said Esperanza. “No, I will be alright, plus, you will be staying with Abuelita till I come.” said Mama calmly. It will be alright Esperanza, added Abuelita. But before they could calm her down, Esperanza was already dropping into tears. She didn’t want Mama to have a harsh living working in the factory. She hurried back to her room and closed the door hardly. She sobbed pushing her face against the pillow. When hours past, Esperanza woke up in sleep from the noise of Mama calling her name to unlock the door to talk to her. She jumped out of her bed and opened the door. She quickly then hopped back in. Mama carefully sat on the edge of her bed. She talked about how the factory was very secure, and she also met a guy, who was the owner, that was very kind and generous. Esperanza

As a young girl Esperanza is asked one day where she lived by a nun from her school who happened to be walking by. Now before this moment Esperanza never really notice her living situation, all she knew is that her parents loved her and wanted her to go to school. When the nun rudely said “You live there” (Cinceros 5) and pointed at the shoddy apartment building, it is then Esperanza started to build a dream inside of her head because of the look on the nun’s face, unsatisfactory.

In chapter nine, we get to witness yet another of Francisco’s relocations, this time to Fresno, to a strawberry farm. We also get to see Francisco go to school again, this time in the sixth grade, and make a new friend. This new friend is none other than his teacher, Mr. Lema, and he helps him improve his English, whilst also agreeing to teach him how to play the trumpet. Francisco’s hopes to learn the trumpet are quickly shattered when he goes home to see all of his belongings packed into cardboard boxes.

It means sadness, it means waiting” (10). Not only is Esperanza’s name a way to trace her origin but it is also symbolic to the book as a whole. Her name illustrates how the Spanish inside her is sad and it is putting her in a position that is weighing her down and keeping her from becoming someone. The English counterpart is what is keeping her going and motivated to find a way to escape Mango Street and all it encompasses. Just like a genuine immigrants dream when they come to America, Esperanza’s name means “hope” and she uses this hope for a better life to “One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away” (110). Cisneros uses the name of her character to give her a place in a Latino setting and start expounding on her thoughts and feelings that come with that life.