The Impacts of Identity in The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, follows an emotional story of a young Mexican American girl named Esperanza coming of age as she matures emotionally and sexually in a tough neighbourhood. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt writing, Cisneros portrays Esperanza’s journey as she explores her identity, home, and societal expectations. Through the explanation of identity, the reader can grasp that it serves as a source of culture, family roles, and trauma for Esperanza. The theme of identity impacts Esperanza in The House on Mango Street, particularly in the vignette “My Name,” where she explores the cultural significance of her name and its origins. When Esperanza said, “‘In English, …show more content…
Because I am the oldest, my father has told me first, and now it is my turn to tell the others. I hold my Papa in my arms”’ (Cisneros, 56-57), the reader can understand the impact of the death on Esperanza's family. Her family and cultural background influence Esperanza's identity, and she feels responsible for her family and struggles to comfort her father but eventually comforts him physically by holding him tightly, showing support in their moment of grief. Additionally, Esperanza imagines her family’s funeral traditions and refers to the customs of “that country,” displaying a distant connection to her cultural heritage. Using distancing language could mean that she senses detachment from her cultural identity, which could be caused by her experiences as a Mexican American girl. Therefore, showing how family roles can impact one's identity. The theme of identity impacts Esperanza in The House on Mango Street, especially shown in the vignette "Red Clowns" because her identity affects her experience and vulnerability. When Esperanza said, “'It wasn't what you said at all. What he
The House on Mango Street, a fictional book written by Sandra Cisneros is a book filled with many hidden messages. The book revolves around a young girl named Esperanza who feels out of place with the life she has. She sees that the things around her don’t really add up. The story is told from Esperanza’s perspective and the events she goes through to find herself. Through the strategy of fragmenting sentences, Cisneros establishes that the sense of not belonging, creates a person’s individuality that makes them who they are.
Modern society believes in the difficult yet essential nature of coming of age. Adolescents must face difficult obstacles in life, whether it be familial, academic, or fiscal obstacles. In the House on Mango Street, Esperanza longs for a life where she will no longer be chained to Mango Street and aspires to escape. As Esperanza grows up on Mango Street, she witnesses the effect of poverty, violence, and loss of dreams on her friends and family, leading her to feel confused and broken, clinging to the dream of leaving Mango Street. Cisneros uses a reflective tone to argue that a change in one’s identity is inevitable, but ultimately for the worst.
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.
Maria Elena de Valdes writes her review based upon the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros analyzing the identity of the main character, Esperanza, and how the text relates to Mexican-American individuals. Valdes’ review evaluates The House on Mango Street with a feminist view on to show the struggles of a young chicana girl coming of age and how she chooses to establish her own identity.
Gabriela Quintanilla Mrs. Allen A.P English 12 12 March 2014 The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros once said “'Hispanic' is English for a person of Latino origin who wants to be accepted by the white status quo. ’ Latino' is the word we have always used for ourselves.” In the novel I read, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, the main character, a twelve-year-old Chicana (Mexican-American girl), Esperanza, saw self-definition as a struggle, this was a major theme in the novel through Esperanza’s actions and the ones around her. Esperanza tries to find identity in herself as a woman as well as an artist throughout the novel through her encounters.
In The House on Mango Street, the vignette "My Name," Esperanza was named after her great grandmother, desires a life outside her interior walls of the barrio. Esperanza’s name means hope in English, while it means sadness and waiting in Spanish. Her great grandmother was wild as a young lady, but was tamed by her Mexican husband. Cisneros states, "She looked out her window her whole life, the way so many women sit with sadness on an elbow . . . I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window" (11). Esperanza is proud of her namesake...
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.
Communities are meant to be a space of security in where community members help each other. In The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza, a growing child feels the absence of the community’s help. Through a series of vignettes, Esperanza’s child-like voice reveals the dysfunctionality of the community. Esperanza doesn’t find anyone who she can rely on to help her through her coming of age. The situation is made especially difficult because of her Mexican-American heritage label. The ambiguity of her name presents a bi-cultural identity dilemma. Esperanza’s character represents what many female minorities experience, the lack of agency and solidarity their communities offer to them. The constant similes, through a child’s eyes, are also used to compare the lack of agency females have in this community. Although the community seems to be hopeless, ultimately, Esperanza’s character grows to find that there is hope for her community, igniting a desire to come back and help.
The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a fictional novel set in 1950’s Chicago. Centering around Esperanza’s Mexican American family and their neighbors on Mango Street, the story illustrates Esperanza’s growth and gain of experience. Throughout the story, Esperanza obtains insight on many diverse aspects of life, one being how different she is from the men and even the other women in her culture and society. She recognizes that many of the women in her life are opressed, and identifies that she craves to be different and more independent. Through the use of figurative language, Cisneros asserts that when women allow themselves to be dominated by men, they may be prevented from pursuing their aspirations.
In the book The House on Mango Street, author Sandra Cisneros presents a series of vignettes that involve a young girl, named Esperanza, growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Esperanza Cordero is searching for a release from the low expectations and restrictions that Latino society often imposes on its young women. Cisneros draws on her own background to supply the reader with accurate views of Latino society today. In particular, Cisneros provides the chapters “Boys and Girls” and “Beautiful and Cruel” to portray Esperanza’s stages of growth from a questioning and curious girl to an independent woman. Altogether, “Boys and Girls” is not like “Beautiful and Cruel” because Cisneros reveals two different maturity levels in Esperanza; one of a wavering confidence with the potential to declare her independence, and the other a personal awareness of her own actions and the decision to take action and wage her “own quiet war (Cisneros 89).
Bo Bennett said “those who improve with age embrace the power of personal growth and personal achievement and begin to replace youth with wisdom, innocence with understanding, and lack of purpose with self-actualization.” In Sandra Cisneros’s novel, House on Mango Street, there is a family who moved into a neighborhood called Mango Street. While living there, a young girl named Esperanza starts to mature emotionally and sexually. Throughout the year, conflicts occur with Esperanza and some of her neighbors. The main character, Esperanza, shows the theme “loss of innocence” when she talked about death, her getting rape, and wanting guys to like her. Loss of innocence is the thought of an experience or period in a child's life that widens their awareness of evil, pain or suffering in the world around them (Wikipedia).
Sandra Cisnero’s The House on Mango Street is an well-incorporated story told through vignettes shorts sections that piece by piece fit into a puzzle and reveal a theme. This unique story is about a disadvantaged young Chicana girl, named Esperanza, growing up in a poor neighborhood where she feels she does not belong. She does not like what she experiences, and constantly searches for a new future. As Esperanza grows and changes throughout the book, she realizes that women in her culture are treated unfairly, and makes a conscious choice not to fall into the same trap as the women around her.
Sandra Cisneros uses the characters in The House on Mango Street, to show the readers how women often are defined by the men in their lives and their struggles. However, some of the characters defy the patriarchal system in which they live. The women see there’s more to life outside of Mango Street than the abuse and the life of the barrio they endure but don’t know how to escape to what they are accustom to. According to Johnson “Patriarchy, the System an It, not a He, a Them, or and US”, he describes how culture imposes gender roles and influences the patriarchy system. In society we tend to see how women are dominantly controlled by the males in
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.
As the Office Manager at Teamsters Local No 324, my role was to ensure that new members returned their applications for membership within 30 days of employment in order for them to continue working. Their applications contained all their personal information including social security numbers and date of birth. The same information for their spouse and additional designated beneficiaries was also included on their application for their life insurance policy. I was accountable to make sure this information was kept confidential and filed appropriately. I also did all the paperwork for any life insurance payouts. These forms contained social security numbers and dates of birth for both the member and their beneficiaries. Additionally, I assisted