The Many Sides to Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street is a bildungsroman that is told in a series of vignettes. The main character in the book is a girl named Esperanza Cordero who throughout one year grows so much emotionally,artistically, and sexually. Due to this book being written in the style of many vignettes, there are many important and relevant themes within this novel. The title of this book is very appropriate as the house on Mango Street is the place where Esperanza grows and matures all within a years time and sees and faces struggles with gender and sexuality, foreignness and society, and identity and autonomy, just to name a few. Throughout the book Esperanza never feels she belongs
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at the house on Mango Street and hopes to leave one day. Firstly, one of the reasons Esperanza wants to leave Mango Street, is to return and help the women that are left behind. The women who are nearly powerless and trapped by abusive husbands and needy children within her society. This can be seen when Esperanza was talking about the chinese zodiac for the year she was born in. “She was a horse woman too, born like me in the Chinese year of the horse-which is supposed to be bad luck if you’re born female-but I think this is a Chinese lie because the Chinese, like the Mexicans don’t like their women strong.”(Cisneros 10) Once Esperanza realizes this fact, she has a conflict within herself of wanting to be mature sexually and keeping her freedom.
Throughout the novel, it can be said that most of the men are violent and exploitative, and it’s evident that the women in her community hardly ever help the other women. This is shown when Tito’s mother ignores Esperanza’s plea to help Sally when Tito and some other boys stole her keys and said that Sally has to kiss them all if she wants to get her keys back. Also, when Sally abandons Esperanza twice, once in the Monkey Garden and then again when they are at the carnival.
Furthermore, during her time on Mango Street, Esperanza also faces struggles with foreignness and society. Esperanza constantly faced the struggles of building her cultural identity in a place where Latinos are often seen as foreigners. Esperanza always felt so ashamed of living in the barrio and feeling different from her classmates all the time. When Esperanza first moved to the neighborhood she met a girl named Cathy who ended up being her first friend in the neighborhood-but only for a week. This was because Cathy was going to be leaving soon because the neighborhood was “getting
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bad”. “You want a friend, she says.
Okay, I’ll be your friend. But only till next Tuesday. That’s when we move away. Got to. Then as if she forgot I just moved in, she says the neighborhood is getting bad.”(Cisneros 13)
A dream of having a house of one’s own-Esperanza’s Dream, as well as finding freedom from her writing, grows from these prejudices that she faces.
Esperanza struggles with building her cultural identity in a place where she experiences suffering and prejudice. And also wanting to be independent and in control of her life while at the same time wanting to be loved by men. This is a struggle because most of the females in her neighborhood do not have much freedom and Esperanza does not ever want that for herself. She doesn’t ever want to feel trapped. This ties back in with the title of the book because again, this is an instance which drives Esperanza to dream about getting away from the house on Mango Street and having a house of her own and improving her skill in writing. When she accomplishes these goals, she wants to come back to Mango Street to help the others who are powerless-to return for “the ones left behind”. In Chapter 24, Esperanza visits a fortune teller named Elenita and is quite disappointed by a particular thing she hears when she asks Elenita if there is a house in her future, Elenita says “Ah, yes, a home in the heart. I see a home in the heart”(Cisneros 64). However, this is actually a good fortune for Esperanza. A home in the heart would mean that
she no longer would struggle as much as she does with her self identity because a home in the heart means no matter your surroundings, no matter the house, you will always feel at home with yourself. In conclusion, the title of this book is fitting as Esperanza has faced many struggles dealing with gender and sexuality, foreignness and society, and the struggle between identity and autonomy among many other struggles that she faces in the novel. All of these struggles solidify her dream to one day leave the house on Mango Street and get her own house. A place where she can build her writing skill. Esperanza uses writing to escape from the house on Mango Street emotionally but she hopes it will help her to escape physically as well. And when she leaves, Esperanza has it set in her heart that she wants to come back to help those who can not escape the place on their own.
When Esperanza is struck by the realization that she is not accepted in society, she aspires to bring a more hospitable environment to fruition. At the beginning of The House on Mango Street, Esperanza is questioned by a nun about where she lives. The condemning tone of the harridan shakes Esperanza, causing her to state, “There. I lived there… I knew then I had to have a house. A
In the book, Esperanza doesn’t want to follow the norms of the life around her; she wants to be independent. Esperanza states her independence by stating, “Not a man’s house. Not a daddy’s. A house all my own,” (Cisneros 108.) The syntax of these sentences stick out and are not complete thoughts, yet they convey much meaning and establish Esperanza’s feeling of not belonging. Esperanza’s feeling of not belonging is also emphasized when her sisters tell her that the events of her life have made her who she is and that is something she can not get rid of. Her sisters explain that the things she has experienced made her who she is by saying, “You will always be esperanza. You will always be mango street. You can’t erase what you know” (105.) What her sisters are trying to tell her is that the past has changed her but it doesn’t have to be a negative thing; it can be used to make her a better person who is stronger and more independent. Esperanza realizes that the things around her don’t really add up to what she believes is right, which also conveys the sense of not
Throughout the course of Mango Street, Esperanza’s relationship towards her house change. As time passes her feelings about the house itself change and the emotional impact of the house of her changes as well. Esperanza’s house on Mango Street symbolizes her Mexican culture. For so long she has wanted to leave it. She envisions a different type of life than what she is used to - moving from house to house. “this house is going to be different / my life is going to be different”. One can look at all the things she envisions - the "trappings of the good life" such as the running water, the garden etc. as symbols for the new life.
“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
Esperanza wishes she could change where she lives. Even though Esperanza moved to a nicer house, she still does not like the house on Mango Street. Esperanza’s parents made the house they were moving to seem luxurious. Upon arrival, Esperanza realized “the house of Mango Street is not the way they told it at all. It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath” (4). Even though the house on Mango Street is an improvement, it is still not good enough for Esperanza. Esperanza says, “I knew I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t. the house on Mango Street isn’t it” (5). She dreams of one day having a bigger and better house. The new and improved house will be a place for others to come and stay, “some days after dinner, guests and I will sit in front of a fire. Floorboards will squeak upstairs. The attic grumble. Rats? They’ll ask. Bums I’ll say, and I’ll be happy” (87). Dreaming of moving to a new house not only gives Esperanza the feeling of control and independence, but makes her
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.
Sandra Cisneros's writing style in the novel The House on Mango Street transcends two genres, poetry and the short story. The novel is written in a series of poetic vignettes that make it easy to read. These distinguishing attributes are combined to create the backbone of Cisneros's unique style and structure.
In the short story “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, make Esperanza the main character. Esperanza expresses herself in traditional words, her own feelings about life. The image of the The House on Mango Street is located in a poor neighborhood, where this young girl and her family present emotions becoming into a hope of a better life. These feelings led Esperanza convert the idea to own a beautiful house into an obsession. The image of Esperanza and her House becomes a symbol of different ideas such as shame, fantasy, independence, confidence and hope.
Throughout The House on Mango Street Esperanza learns to resist the gender norms that are deeply imbedded in her community. The majority of the other female characters in the novel have internalized the male viewpoint and they believe that it is their husbands or fathers responsibility to care for them and make any crucial decisions for them. However, despite the influence of other female characters that are “immasculated”, according to Judith Fetterley, Esperanza’s experiences lead her to become a “resisting reader” in Fettereley’s terminology because she does not want to become like the women that she observes, stuck under a man’s authority. She desires to leave Mango Street and have a “home of her own” so that she will never be forced to depend on a man (Cisneros 108). During the course of the novel Esperanza eventually realizes that it is also her duty to go back to Mango Street “For the ones that cannot out”, or the women who do not challenge the norms (110). Esperanza eventually turns to her writing as a way to escape from her situation without having to marry a man that she would be forced to rely on like some of her friends do.
“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.
Although Esperanza is constantly reaffirming that she wants to move away from Mango Street, we know by the end novel that she will one day return to help those who will not have the opportunities Esperanza has had in her life. Indeed, in the closing pages Esperanza admits that she cannot escape Mango Street. She can never again call it home, but it has influenced her dreams, formed her personality, and she has learned valuable life lessons from its inhabitants. That is why, explains Esperanza, she tells stories about the house on Mango Street, revealing the beauty amidst dirty streets and unveiling her true inner self, the peace of knowing that her “home is where her heart is.”
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.
Esperanza dreams of someday having a satisfying life. She doesn't want her path of freedom to be cleared by having a baby or finding a husband. She has no desires to fall into the trap of dependency. As the author writes, "Her power is her own. She will not give it away" (Cisneros 89).
At the beginning of the book, Esperanza is shameful of the financial status of her street and house. She showed this when she said “I knew I had to have a house. A