Diversity In The House On Mango Street

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.

In the chapter “Boys and Girls” Esperanza discovers the issue of gender separation between the things that boys can do and the things that girls are allotted to do.

“ They've got plenty to say to me and Nenny inside the house but outside they can’t be seen talking to girls” (8,1,3) She discovers that there are different boundary lines that each other are not allowed to cross. Or else the boys may be seen as weak.
Esperanza is relying on her childhood to help her through life she feels like “a red balloon tied to an anchor” (9,1,3) This passage describes that Esperanza singles herself out for her differences instead of her similarities and she knows it. She also sees her differences as a source of her isolating herself. She floats in the sky for all of the rest of us to see, dangling from a string. Esperanza is longing on for an escape like a balloon similar to her experiences with our society. However against the face that Cisneroz gives her a light voice, doesn't mean that it's not just as strong and

powerful.
“Beautiful and Cruel” marks the start of Esperanza's war against the Machismo which is a hispanic culture that is powered by men. She will not accept that she can't let herself fly and that she needs to tame herself just to get a man and be a mother and wife. “But I have a decision not to grow up tame like the others who lay on their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain.” (89,1,3) This act of rebellion is reflected in her leaving the table “like a man” she didn't push her chair in nor pick up her plate she just left. That moment she had taken on an empowered voice “ Her power is her own she will not give it away”(89,2,,1) That had lit a spark in her “I have begun my own quiet war” Cisneroz embarked onto the theme of maintaining your own power and not letting someone else control you with it. She wants to keep her power away from men. From the women who only wanted to get married and have children and were pushing her in their direction. The character of esperanza war based on Cisneroz own coming of age story to be taught to be strong.
In the beginning Esperanza used to look at others for answers first her neighborhood boys. Than the woman in her life that she chose to take a different path from. She now knows how to make her own conclusions to learn, and to grow