Esperanza's Quest For Identity In The House On Mango Street

This story is Sandra’s first work of fiction that was recognized amongst other emerging writers in Chicana. The book exhibits her skills in poetry as the forty-six vignettes that make up the novel combine aspects of poetry and short stories. The novel is characterized by tiny chapters rich in metaphor, with each section remianing autonomous with its own title. The novel is generally a quest for identity, moving from one event to another, revisitting settings and characters. The House on Mango Street tells the story of a girl in search of her identity. Written in the Latina syntax and sensibility, the book looks at one crucial year in the life of Esperanza while employing some Spanish phrases to create effect and mood. The analysis of this story

centres around the literary element of characterization, with Esperanza being the character to be analysed.
Esperanza is a character that gives the reader all the information either directly or indirectly. Some of the information she gives can be deemed true only at the moment she says them. She presents other forms of information through actions, thoughts, and feelings. With a direct and intimate voice, the reader gets to know her in many ways better than her friends and family.
Esperanza has two sides; that of a child and that of an adult. At some point, she jumps ropes with her friends, rides a bike and loves cartoon. As one reads the novel further, she presents a childish locution when she says "I like Alicia because once she gave me a little leather purse with the word GUADALAJARA stitched on it . . . " This is childish because her feelings of admiration towards Alicia are not all that simple.
Despite exhibiting such childhood behaviors, Esperanza can show mature behavior as well. Through the manner in which she assesses Sally ("all you wanted was to love, . . and no one could call that crazy") and Marin ("waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life"), she displays her ability to recognize a person’s motive while empathizing with others. This is a clear display of intelligence that ranks her as a child who is above average. She is bright and loves to read. She seeks to learn new things and put new information together. Through imaginative imagery, she displays admirable originality and creativity.
Through her intelligence, Esperanza is able to suspect that the traditional path to womanhood through courtship and early marriage is a trap; a trap that makes her feel that she is becoming a sexual being who should be away from parents’ control. She sees the traditional way to womanhood as dangerous and finding a new way as lonely and difficult. What makes her different is her ability to mix her adolescent impulses and feelings and channel them to independence, ambition and courage such that enables she can say no to social pressures that may make her a conformist.
Through self-dramatization, Esperanza manages to make these transformations.

She becomes ‘beautiful and cruel’ and forms a mental picture of her being flexible enough to adjust. For example, she keeps her feelings to herself and speaks as little as possible. This leaves the reader to always infer about her. In the chapter “Four Skinny Trees," her identification with trees makes her work on her self-image. In the chapter "Red Clowns", Esperanza breaks down through her own mental picture of Sally and returns to her usual terse style in the next chapter. Towards the last three chapters in the book, she comes out as a person who will feel everything deeply and quietly. She loves channeling her experiences and feelings into

creativity.
Esperanza gives us knowledge of other characters. She understands then at her own level. Thus, throughout insights and what she says, we can always know more about other characters in the story. Let’s pick a character like Earl, the jukebox repairman. Through Esperanza, we can know that he is lonely and displaced, though Esperanza cannot fully understand all these issues. Other minor characters can be examined through Esperanza’s eyes and the hints she gives us. It is worth noting that the hints that Esperanza gives to readers does not interfere with her integrity of her character. Therefore, it is easier for us to know that the most important people in Esperanza’s life are girls and young women whom she takes as role models.
The setting and events that revolve around Mango Street are all filtered in the sensibility that Esperanza possesses.

The reader will realize that every character that Esperanza describes affects her life in a significant way. In her youthful stage of life, we can make an inference that she is a reliable narrator. This is because what she observes is accurate, honest and unexaggerated. In her narration, she takes the dual approach. First, she tells the story of her own identity, where she wants to become an artist. The second part of her narration focuses on her Latino neighborhood, in a manner that the reader comes to know her

neighborhood.
It is worth noting that Esperanza’s narration portrays the themes of racism and classism. Through her voice, the reader can tell that her awareness of thee social problems is still young. Her stories about women in their Latinas life are characterized by humor, joys, desperations and frustrations
She alludes to racism and classism, although her child’s voice suggests that her awareness of these social problems has only just begun. The humor, joys, frustrations, and desperation she describes in the women’s stories create a mosaic of Latina life.
With regard to instances of vivid description in the story, Esperanza focuses on women she knows. Through these descriptions, she reveals how women pass through a difficult life in a male dominated society. According to her, the society oppresses Latina American women. These women live in a partriarchal society chracterized by fear of violence, lack of self-expression and struggle for survival. The reader realises that Esperanza wants to escape such kind of a life that other women as passing through.
How does she go through this idea of self-independence? She insists on having a house of her own in order to help grow her interest as a writer. Her house, in her imagination and decription becomes the symbol of freedom and artistic epxression. The house also links her to her community and gives her and her stories a sense of identity. Therefore, Esperanza is an example of those characters whose artistic creation strengthens identity together with her stories.
The problems that face women in the society, especially Latino women makes them feel as second class citizens. Cisneros advocates for a society that is not dominated by men and respects and values women. In order to achieve that freedom, the reader must envision the challenges that Latino women must face before they are treated equally.
Through Esperanza, we can see that women are despised as objects by men whether they are boyfriends, friends , father or husbands. For example, the girls in the novel always grow knowing that looks and appearance are the most important. The women are supposed to be loyal to thier husbands, while the men take full conrol of the relationship.
Esperanza comes out differently becuase she is not happy with the culture. Even though she is born and riased in the same cultures as these other women, she is optimistic that someday she will break free from its ties. She believes that she is mentally strong and has a talent for telling stories. Through her stories, she reminds women that they can be independent and live in their own cultures.
In conclusion, ‘The House On The Mango Street’ By Sandra Cisneros is a reflection on the place of women in every society. Through the life of Esperanza, the reader can conclude a number of injustices that women go through and how such actions affcet their lives. Esperanza is a symbol of hope for the youg girls coming in the near future. She displays unwillingness to tie her life round these cultures and remain free to make her choices. Can women get a chance to thrive in a partriarchal society? Yes they can, depending on the choices they make.