Identity In Cisneros The House On Mango Street

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Identity Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street” beautifully illustrates a young girl’s journey to discovering who she really is. To figure out identity one must go through difficulties to discover themselves that shape a person into a better version of themselves such as Esperanza had to do. She faces many struggles to figure out who she is such as finding her place in a society where men are seen as stronger, living in a place her heart does not connect to, and responsibilities she has towards her family. Furthermore, Esperanza was born the year of the horse which is considered bad luck only if you are a female, her great-grandmother was also born under this year whom she attained her name from. Esperanza believes she will be different from her great-grandmother as she claims, “Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window” (Cisneros 10). In addition, growing up she has seen many women obtain a spot by the window which describes their helplessness to their situations like Rafaela. Rafaela is not allowed to go outside and is kept inside due to her husband so she requests the kids to get her juice,” … Rafaela, who is still young but getting …show more content…

She expresses, “ I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t it. The house on Mango Street isn’t it” (Cisneros 5). She tries so hard to be distant from her house, to believe there is no way she can live in that ugly, small house. However, no matter what Esperanza does she will always be apart of the house. She wants to pretend she does not live in that house, that her memories were all fake as she mentions, “You have a home, Alicia, and one day you’ll go there, to a town you remember, but me I never had a house, not even a photograph … only one I dream of” (Cisneros

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