The author of The House on Mango Street and the producer of The Color Purple are able to integrate numerous important thematic ideas. Many of these ideas still apply to our current world, teaching various important lessons to many adolescents and adults. The House on Mango Street is a collection of vignettes written by Sandra Cisneros, a Mexican-American writer. The novel depicts many aspects of Sandra Cisneros’ life including racism, and sexism that she and the main character face. The novel revolves around Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl, who is growing up in Chicago as she faces the various struggles of living in America. The various vignettes reveal many experiences Esperanza has with reality and her navie responses to such harsh …show more content…
experiences. Much like The House on Mango Street, the movie The Color Purple, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, focuses on the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South, who tries to survive abuse and bigotry from her husband, Albert Johnson. She also dreams of reuniting with her sister, Nettie, in Africa. In the movie The Color Purple and the novel The House on Mango Street, many thematic ideas portray the treatment of women, affecting the feminine characters, specifically including abuse towards women, discrimination of the female gender, and the phase of maturity although the thematic concept is only shown in The House on Mango Street. Among the many thematic ideas, abuse is prevalent among both the novel and the movie. There are many instances in which the women and young girls are abused and often looked down upon. In The House on Mango Street, there are many instances in which many characters are forcefully abused by their husbands for unknown reasons. For instance, Minerva is a little older than Esperanza, already has a husband who “left and keeps leaving,” and has two children. Minerva considers her husband a “trouble” which soon results in him leaving and attacking the house and then he apologizes later. This process repeats many times and Minerva is tired from this continuous cycle and often claims her “luck is unlucky.” One day “she comes over black and blue and asks what can she do? Minerva” (Cisneros 85). One can deduce that “black and blue” is a reference to physical abuse in which the victim is sore and hurt. Furthermore, it is her husband who abuses her, however she knows that his presence is important to the family. Minerva needed her husband to help the family financially. Minerva always wanted to give her children a good future and kept her husband to aid in the children’s success in the future. Much like The House on Mango Street, The Color Purple also has many instances in which the women are abused. One situation includes when Celie’s abusive husband, Albert Johnson, forcefully separates Celie and her sister, Nettie. Celie was brutally dragged as Albert carried Nettie out of the ranch. Nettie is thrown out since she declined Albert’s sexual advances. Albert Johnson expects the only woman in his life, Celie, to follow all his instructions without rejection or question. Although Celie, got used to this expectation, Nettie is new to the ranch after she just ran away from her abusive father, Alphonso. Although, the women in both the novel and the movie have thought about equalizing the opportunities among men and women. They were aware that such a movement would cause only more harm to themselves and their family. Since many of them depended on their husbands for financial support, revolting would require many sacrifices that they cannot afford for their children and their future. Additionally to abuse to women and young girls, they also face much discrimination from the masculine influences in their society. In The House on Mango Street and The Color Purple, there are many prominent instances in which the female gender is discriminated. To Esperanza and Ceile, they are growing up and begin to learn about reality and the way it functions. However, Esperanza and Celie both have dreams and visions for their future not involving the typical stereotypes of a Latina and African woman. However, throughout the story, both characters realize the truth of the male-dominating world. To illustrate, Esperanza notices how girls and boys “...live in separate worlds. The boys in their universe and we in ours” (Cisneros 8). She emphasizes on the different gender roles in society, in which the women are expected to work in the house and maintain the household, while men are expected to work in the fields and make money for the household. These drastic differences in gender responsibilities leads to Esperanza's belief of boys and girls living in “separate worlds.” Nevertheless, she notices how boys and girls interact with each other differently inside and outside the house, as a result to the gender stereotypes. In the same manner, Celie is lead to believe that men and women live in different worlds and must live up to the gender stereotypes made by society. For instance, girls are not allowed to a proper education, while the men are expected to attend school and soon work in the fields. In both situations, the women are soon lead to the horrifying truth in which society has made the male gender superior to the female gender. Although coming from different backgrounds and different ethnicities, the issue of discrimination against women is present in all parts of the world and does not only apply to a certain region or race. Although there are many prevalent thematic ideas in the novel and the movie, there are many concepts only dominant in one, among them include maturity in The House on Mango Street.
As Esperanza grows there is much significance on her life experiences. Furthermore, she begins to understand the benefits and consequences of her actions. On the other hand, the producer of The Color Purple does not go in dept about Celie’s learning moments from life and instead spans over 40 years of Celie’s life. As a result, only so much can be covered in movie and is not able to cover the maturity of Celie and possibly her sister as well. Instead the movie focuses on Celie and her sister, Nettie, and their personal relationship. It can be seen that characters often times make the same mistake multiple times during the course of the movie. For example, Celie is not able to reflect on her experiences and instead just goes through the movement. Although she wanted to rebel many times, they were declined by her will preventing her from discovering who she truly was. In addition, she was lost with her identity and was classified as a African-American wife who is abused by her husband. However, The House on Mango Street is able to go in depth about the maturity of its main character, Esperanza. For example, “One day you wake up and they [hips] are there. Ready and waiting like a new Buick with the keys in ignition” (Cisneros 49). Esperanza is learning about her body as she undergoes physical and …show more content…
mental changes through her body, more commonly known as puberty. She learns to adapt to these changes and tries to make the best of the current situation. Likewise, she applies this process to her life experiences in which she is able to mature and learn from past experiences. Esperanza is also able to truly discover herself and her lost identity. She often complains how she is not able to fit in the new community and often feels left out. However, towards the end of the novel, she discovers who she is and make Mango Street a part of her identity. These small acts portray Esperanza’s ever growing mind and body as she learns to adapt to her environment. Throughout The House on Mango Street and The Color Purple, there are many similarities and differences between the two works.
However, each work is special and focuses on a different aspect of life as compared to the other. In addition, the thematic ideas between the two works are often correlated and often overlap between the two. Moreover, the multiple thematic ideas in the novel and the movie can still apply to the people of today as they also go through many hard times much like Celie and Esperanza. The House on Mango Street is able to focus on abuse of women, and discrimination of the female gender much like The Color Purple. However, The House on Mango Street is able to elaborate on the topic of maturity especially through the various experiences of Esperanza. Nevertheless, many important lessons can be learned from both the novel and the movie, among these include treatment of women, discrimination, and maturity. The novel and the movie do a wonderful job at emphasizing and focusing on these relatable topics that are vital to the growth of
individuals.
In the story the house on mango street there are both young girls, Sally and Esperanza. Both girls desire adventure, love, and beauty. However, Sally is more outgoing and confident than Esperanza. She has confidence that she is beautiful. She play the role of a strong female that never get hurt by any boys. Esperanza admires and looks up to Sally. Esperanza does not want to be a "weak woman" and she sees Sally as her role model. Their home lives contrast also Ironically. Sally is physically abused by her father each time he catches her with a boy. On the other side Esperanza and her family communicates well. Sally sees her self as a women and not the type of women a person that isn't confident of herself and that's what Esperanza likes.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is about a girl who struggles finding her true self. Esperanza sees the typical figures like Sally and Rafaela. There is also her neighbor Marin shows the “true” identity for women on Mango Street. She also sees her mother is and is not like that at the same time. The main struggle that Esperanza has is with beauty. This explains why most of the negative people that Esperanza meets on Mango Street, and her gender, helped her see the mold she needed to fill in order to give herself an identity.
“The House on Mango Street” emphasizes on this issue, even broadens to explain other controversial matters such as abuse, misogynistic views, and stereotypes. The protagonist, Esperanza Cordero moves to Mango Street where she must witness the abuse affecting her friends, neighbors, and family. Either Sally a close friend, Mamacita a neighbor, or her own mother handling 4 children. Over the course of the novel Esperanza changes physically and mentally. Through the use of imagery as well as complex, descriptive vignettes Cisneros epitomizes the misogynistic views within Esperanza’s
Symbolism is the key to understanding Sandra Cisneros’ novel, “The House on Mango Street”. By unraveling the symbolism, the reader truly exposes the role of not only Latina women but women of any background. Esperanza, a girl from a Mexican background living in Chicago, writes down what she witnesses while growing up. As a result of her sheltered upbringing, Esperanza hardly comprehends the actions that take place around her, but what she did understand she wrote in her journal. Cisneros used this technique of the point of view of a child, to her advantage by giving the readers enough information of what is taking place on Mango Street so that they can gather the pieces of the puzzle a get the big picture.
Esperanza was able to provide the audience with an image that was vivid of her surroundings through her diction and tone. Esperanza presents a series of stories that she deals with in her neighborhood as she grows up. Esperanza arose from poverty and always dreamt of having a house of her own. Sandra Cisneros' strong cultural and gender values have a tremendous influence on The House on Mango Street. Cisneros feels that the Mexican-American community is very abusive towards the treatment of women because men are seen as the powerful, strong figure.
In The House on Mango Street, Cisneroz agitates the theme of diversity through her use of characters and setting. Cisneroz paints a multitude of events that follow a young girl named Esperanza growing up in the diverse section of Chicago. She is dealing with searching for a release from the low expectations that the Latino communities often put women whether young or old are put against. Cisneroz often draws from her life growing up that she was able to base Esperanza's life experiences on and portray an accurate view on Latino societies today. Cisneroz used the chapter “Boys and Girls” and “Beautiful and cruel” to portray Esperanzas growth from a young curious girl to a wise woman. She came into her own personal awareness and her actions that she has to now be held accountable for.
A role model an influential person whom one imitates. Role models contribute key life lessons to anyone looking up to them. Role models provide basic structure both to achieve greatness and to learn from the mistakes that they have made in their lifetimes. Role models provide many benefits to those who look up to them, making life decisions easier because of the examples they have set. The book The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros reveals many role models for the young, female Latina protagonist, Esperanza. As expected, the women in the Mango Street neighborhood significantly influence Esperanza. She has a variety of female role models. Many are trapped in abusive relationships, waiting for others to change their lives. Some are actively trying to create change on their own. Through these women and Esperanza’s reactions to them, Cisneros not only shows the hardships women face, but also explores their power to
Who does not want a home? A shelter to sleep and a roof to dine under. Of course no one wanted to stay home forever, but once in awhile and even when far away, they will long to return to that sacred place, the place where they grew up and the place they have left behind, home. The desire for a home (or house to be precise, though there was not much of a different for this case) was realistically reflected through a fiction work of Sandra Cisneros, a Mexican American write, a story called The House on Mango Street, where we shall discuss about its setting, plot and character.
The House on Mango Street presents mainly women who are “assenting readers” and who influence Esperanza to change. She does not realize in the beginning of the novel that she can challenge the male supremacy because she has grown up with it. She never realized that she simply agreed with their viewpoints until she becomes aware of her own sexuality. Esperanza then realizes this can be used against men but that it can come with a price when she is raped.
“Someday, I will have a best friend all my own. One I can tell my secrets to. One who will understand my jokes without me having to explain them” (9). These are the longing words spoken by Esperanza. In the novel The House on Mango Street, Esperanza is young girl experiencing adolescence not only longing for a place to fit in but also wanting to be beautiful. This becomes complicated as Esperanza becomes more sexually aware. Throughout the novel, Cisneros argues the importance of beauty and how Esperanza deals with beauty as a part of her identity. When Esperanza meets Sally a new friend, Esperanza’s whole world is turned upside down. Esperanza’s views on beauty change from a positive outlook to a negative one by watching how beauty has damaged Sally’s life.
“Home is where the heart is.” In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros develops this famous statement to depict what a “home” really represents. What is a home? Is it a house with four walls and a roof, the neighborhood of kids while growing up, or a unique Cleaver household where everything is perfect and no problems arise? According to Cisneros, we all have our own home with which we identify; however, we cannot always go back to the environment we once considered our dwelling place. The home, which is characterized by who we are, and determined by how we view ourselves, is what makes every individual unique. A home is a personality, a depiction of who we are inside and how we grow through our life experiences. In her personal, Cisneros depicts Esperanza Cordero’s coming-of-age through a series of vignettes about her family, neighborhood, and personalized dreams. Although the novel does not follow a traditional chronological pattern, a story emerges, nevertheless, of Esperanza’s search to discover the meaning of her life and her personal identity. The novel begins when the Cordero family moves into a new house, the first they have ever owned, on Mango Street in the Latino section of Chicago. Esperanza is disappointed by the “small and red” house “with tight steps in front and bricks crumbling in places” (5). It is not at all the dream-house her parents had always talked about, nor is it the house on a hill that Esperanza vows to one day own for herself. Despite its location in a rough neighborhood and difficult lifestyle, Mango Street is the place with which she identifies at this time in her life.
Esperanza, a strong- willed girl who dreams big despite her surroundings and restrictions, is the main character in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza represents the females of her poor and impoverished neighborhood who wish to change and better themselves. She desires both sexuality and autonomy of marriage, hoping to break the typical life cycle of woman in her family and neighborhood. Throughout the novel, she goes through many different changes in search of identity and maturity, seeking self-reliance and interdependence, through insecure ideas such as owning her own house, instead of seeking comfort and in one’s self. Esperanza matures as she begins to see the difference. She evolves from an insecure girl to a mature young lady through her difficult life experiences and the people she comes across. It is through personal encounters and experiences that Esperanza begins to become sexually aware and acceptance her place and self-definition in her community.
Sandra Cisneros' strong cultural values greatly influence The House on Mango Street. Esperanza's life is the medium that Cisneros uses to bring the Latin community to her audience. The novel deals with the Catholic Church and its position in the Latin community. The deep family connection within the barrio also plays an important role in the novel. Esperanza's struggle to become a part of the world outside of Mango Street represents the desire many Chicanos have to grow beyond their neighborhoods.
In the novel, The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros describes the problems that Latino women face in a society that treats them as second class citizens. A society that is dominated by men, and a society that values women for what they look like, and not for what is on inside. In her Novel Cisneros wants us to envision the obstacles that Latino women must face everyday in order to be treated equally.
In class we read the book House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the main character Esperanza lives in a lower working class neighborhood and street called Mango Street dealing with poverty. Her house is an important symbol in House on Mango Street. It represents Eperanza’s process of maturing as a person and the change in her perspective of poverty and struggle being shameful, to it being something to embrace and use as motivation. This is a very important part of the story because it is in many aspects where we are from that make us who we become. This is interesting to see in the book as her opinions and perspective of things inside and outside of her neighborhood are shaped by her experiences.