The House On Mango Street Essay

Have you ever had that uncertain feeling inside that something is just not right and needs to be changed? Sandra Cisneros’s novel The House On Mango Street is about a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago who learns more about herself and what she will become in the future. Throughout the series of vignettes, the reader encounters many women who are constrained by poverty and inequality. Women confront situations where they are waiting for men to help guide them, or they get taken advantage of by men. Although Esperanza experiences and witnesses the struggles and hardships that come with being a woman, she eventually understands that being a woman can be powerful, and that she is able to shape her own future.

Throughout the beginning of

the novel, Esperanza places a great deal of emphasis on the constraints that women in her neighborhood face when it comes to pursuing their dreams. Esperanza's great-grandmother wasn’t treated with respect or wasn’t allowed the opportunities her husband or any other man were given. Her great-grandmother, “looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow … she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be.” (11) Esperanza’s great-grandmother merely sat her “sadness on an elbow” and thought about “all the things she wanted to be.” Esperanza, the great-grandmother, wanted to achieve her dreams, but she was restrained because of her gender. Marin illustrated a similar feeling when she stood, “under the streetlight, dancing by herself, is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life.” (27) Marin brings attention to herself by being “under the streetlight” dancing and singing. She does this because she wants a man to “change her life”. Marin expects that she will find a man to do all of the work. She resigns from what she might have been able to accomplish, by “waiting” and thinking that the man will lead her. Finally, Alicia, “whose mother dies, is sorry there is no one other to rise and make the lunchbox tortilla. Alicia, who inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart and studies for the first time at the university.” (31) Alicia’s mom died, so there was no one to help around the house. Therefore, Alicia lives with her dad, and she “inherited her mama’s rolling pin”. Alicia is “smart and studies”, but because she is a woman, she does not get the opportunity to pursue her studies any further. She is expected to do the work around the house, even though she has a lot more to offer.
In addition to the way women at the beginning of the book seem to accept their position in society, Esperanza also emphasizes how the abuse of women, especially as a result of beauty, can be problematic.

Esperanza talks to an old man, and he interupts her and asks, “If I give you a dollar will you kiss me?” Esperanza realizes that in the real world, there will be men who take advantage of women, and thinks, “We are tired of being beautiful.” (41-42) She understands that her beauty attracts men, and she does not want to get taken advantage of again. Rafaela's husband makes sure that she cannot do anything he can do. “And then Rafaela, who is still young but getting old from leaning out the window so much, gets locked indoors because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at.” (79) Rafaela’s husband locks her in their house while he is gone during the day. He is worried that, “Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at”. This reveals how men take advantage of women, just because of the way they look. Rafaela’s husband knows that men will do this to Rafaela, and he doesn’t let Rafaela go out and do what men can do. Men do not allow women to have the same opportunities they do and trap them with a life as their wife, and nothing more. Minerva is getting abused by her husband, and “she comes over back and blue and asks what she can do? Minerva. I don’t know which way she’ll go. There is nothing I can do.” (85) Minerva’s

husband hits her, and when she tries to escape her unhealthy relationship with him, he returns the next week, asking forgiveness. Minerva is being taken advantage of and in a one-way relationship where she can’t leave or get help. She comes home “black and blue”. Minerva still wants to be with her husband, and thinks that it is her fault she is getting abused when she asks, “what can [I] do?” Esperanza knows that this rocky relationship needs to be fixed, but she can’t solve Minerva’s problems and feels helpless.
In spite of all of the sexism that Esperanza experiences and witnesses in her daily life, she eventually learns that there is hope and potential for women to gain even greater success and freedom than men.

Esperanza displays her independence when she announces, “I have begun my own quiet war. Simple. Sure. I am the one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate.” (89) Esperanza is breaking gender stereotypes by saying that she’s “the one who leaves the table like a man.” Esperanza is now concluding that everything a man is allowed to do, she should be allowed to do it too. This shows contrast because earlier in the book, the women resigned and did not want to achieve much. In the quote, Esperanza is allowing herself to do everything men can do. Later, Esperanza sees a couple boys being rude to Sally. She goes up to one of the boys’ mom and declares, “Your son and his friends stole Sally’s keys and they won’t give them back unless she kisses them and right now they’re making her kiss them… They all looked at me like I was the one that was crazy.” (97) Esperanza realizes that Sally is being taken advantage of and tries to seek help, but the boy’s mom can’t help, and resigns like most of the women at the beginning of the book. The mom reacts as if it wasn’t a big deal because girls in society get taken advantage of frequently. Esperanza ends by thinking that she “was the one that was crazy” because usually people don’t do anything

about gender inequality. When Esperanza saw the boys treating Sally poorly, she took initiative and said something about it. Compared to earlier, Esperanza has become confident to help fix unacceptable situations. Lastly, Esperanza demonstrates that she is capable of anything when she states that she wants, “Not a flat. Not an apartment in back. Not a daddy’s. A house all my own.” (108) Esperanza displays her eager nature. She says that she wants “a house all my own” and that she doesn’t want a “daddy’s [house]”. Esperanza knows that when she gets a house, she will not have a man buy it and get it for her. By saying this, she is breaking down gender stereotypes of men doing all the work.
Because the women did not strive for improvement, and the men did not reward women in the 1980s in Chicago, they needed people like Esperanza to alter this stereotype. Even with all of the unpleasant experiences that the women in the novel encountered, many of the women did not realize that what happened to them was wrong. Thanks to Esperanza, she understood that the stereotyping had to end, and brought this realization to others. Even with all of the people who now stand up for women rights, there are still people and places where women are treated unfairly. Whether it is women being underestimated in jobs or women getting paid less, it still occurs today. Despite the efforts of some well-educated people, like Esperanza, the people in Chicago and throughout the United States continue to face gender stereotypes. Hopefully, with gender equality spreading, there will be a change and everyone can be educated on the topic of gender, and more people can take initiative, like Esperanza.