The House on Mango Street
The short story, “The House on Mango Street” is a fiction writing focused on a family as they move from house to house. The story is written by Sandra Cisneros. This paper will focus on three literacy elements that are significant in “The House on Mango Street.” Literacy elements are important, in fiction writing, because the different components allow the author to become more creative within their writing. The first literacy element that will discussed in this paper is the point of view, the second element will be the theme, and the last element will describe important symbolism throughout the story.
The point of view is the narrator’s position in relation to the story being told. In the story, “The House on Mango Street” the readers do not get to know much about the narrator. The readers do know that the story is written in first person. The author has written the main character to be a girl with a family of five. The narrator describes what the old houses used to be like and the description of the house on Mango Street. The narrator shares her personal feelings and thoughts about the situation she is in. The author does an
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exceptional job picking whose point of view to write from. Although, the readers do not know much about the other characters the girl seems to be vulnerable enough to describe her feelings but also the author leaves room for this character to grow: “There. I had to look where she pointed- the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the windows so we wouldn’t fall out. You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing. There. I lived there. I nodded. I knew then I had to have a house” (Cisneros, 392). The author picked one person to tell the story of, “The House on Mango Street” because then the story could revolve around what this one character was experiencing. This character would explain the hopes, dreams, and beauty they would want their house to be one day. Not only does the author writes for this character to express the positive, the author writes for the narrator to also explain the feelings of loneliness and shame. The point of view of this story connects with all of the other literacy pieces. The theme of a short story is defined as the main idea. Not only is the theme the main idea, but it is also an underlying meaning that may be stated indirectly. One of the themes in, “The House on Mango Street” is hope, dreams, and beauty. The narrator and her family have always dreamed of purchasing their own home, yet the one on Mango Street is not what they quite have in mind: “I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t it. The house on Mango Street isn’t it. For the time being, Mama says. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go” (Cisneros, 392). It is clearly stated in the quote that the narrator is not satisfied with the house on Mango Street. This is where the theme of hope, dreams, and beauty comes into play. The overall effect the author is trying to create is, the feeling of insecurities and not being comfortable. The author then creates the theme of hope, dreams, and beauty for the characters in the story. The author wants the characters to present the dream of having their own house, one they can be proud of throughout the entire story. The theme of hope, dreams, and beauty also presents in other ways throughout the short story. Symbolism, in fiction stories, is usually not a favorite topic for people. Symbolism can be difficult to discuss due to the fact the author uses symbols to project ideas or certain qualities. As stated in the above paragraph the theme of this story is hope, dreams, and beauty. The author uses symbolism in the story to enhance the context of the theme. A prime example of this is the house: “And our house would have running water and pipes that worked. And inside it would have real stairs, not hallway stairs, but stairs inside like the houses on T.V. And we’d have a basement and at least three washrooms so when we took a bath we wouldn’t have to tell anyone. Our house would be white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence” (Cisneros, 392).The idea of creating a beautiful home offers a way for the family to dream and have an escape. The house is an important element of symbolism because it stands for more than just a gorgeous home. It stands for the idea of happiness and the sense of security. Not only is the house a symbol in the story so are the trees.
The main character describes the trees in their current backyard as four little elms. The trees in this story symbolize growth and beauty. The family one day imagines their house to be filled with breath taking large trees, but as of right now the trees in their yard are hideous. This portrays the element of growth because throughout the story the family possibly could be able to accomplish this dream of a beautiful back yard. Another element of symbolism in this short story is the nun. A nun is a lady of a religious community who is living under vows. Nuns are supposed to act like Godly women to all they meet. When the nun encounters the main character, the nun is judgmental. The nun symbolizes that not everyone is who they may seem to
be. The author does an excellent job using literacy elements to enhance, “The House on Mango Street”. The point of view is clear to the readers. The theme of hope, dream, and beauty is portrayed throughout the entire story. Although, symbolism may be difficult for readers to find, the author does a well thought out job of using bold symbols.
Reading is similar to looking into a mirror: audiences recognize themselves in the experiences and characters on the pages. They see the good, the bad, and are brought back to experiences they had overlooked to learn something more about themselves. Some characters touch readers so intimately that they inspire readers to be better than they already are. House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, follows a young girl named Esperanza and her experiences while living on Mango Street. She is introduced with her desperate wish to escape her poor mostly-Latino neighborhood and live in a house of her own. Esperanza compares herself to her family, innocently knowing what she wants from a young ages. She is observant and holds insights into the lives of others, learning lessons from each person she encounters. While
My vignette “Him” is based off of “Sire”, a vignette in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. In the book, the main character Esperanza talks about her feelings and experiences relating to a boy named Sire. She describes his eyes with a metaphor, comparing them to “dusty cat fur” which portrays them as easily moved and shifted, like cat fur blown by the wind (Cisneros 72). In my vignette “Him”, I incorporated a metaphor by using words like: “Dark melted chocolate” (Curry 1). I used this figurative language to illustrate my perception of the boy’s eyes as I know them: warm like a melted dessert and comforting, but excitingly different like dark chocolate.
“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
I believe Esperanza thinks she is an ugly daughter because she is not like she is expected to be, and she does not want to be. Her hair is always messy and she always gets her clothes dirty. A quote from the book goes as follows: "Nenny says she won‘t wait her whole life for a husband to come and get her, that Minerva‘s sister left her mother‘s house by having a baby, but she doesn‘t want to go that way either. She wants things all her own, to pick and choose. Nenny has pretty eyes and it‘s easy to talk that way if you are pretty." I believe this quote supports the idea that Esperanza thinks she is not pretty. I think Esperanza believes that she is taking the most different route to independence, which is acting like a man. She says she leaves
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.
The House on Mango Street is filled with beautiful and relatable stories that foretell the development of the main character. In Valdes’ review, she makes a strong analysis of how Cisneros creates “human presence that transcends the time, place, and condition of the composition to create a literary metaphor for a woman coming of age” (55). Valdes explains how Cisneros creates a “metaphor” in which she express and examines her feelings and emotions in an elegant way. Valdez also shows that Cisneros creates a setting in which shows the reader how to become free in a lonely environment that many young women, especially those who are a minority, can relate to when they are
However, each work is special and focuses on a different aspect of life as compared to the other. In addition, the thematic ideas between the two works are often correlated and often overlap between the two. Moreover, the multiple thematic ideas in the novel and the movie can still apply to the people of today as they also go through many hard times much like Celie and Esperanza. The House on Mango Street is able to focus on abuse of women, and discrimination of the female gender much like The Color Purple. However, The House on Mango Street is able to elaborate on the topic of maturity especially through the various experiences of Esperanza. Nevertheless, many important lessons can be learned from both the novel and the movie, among these include treatment of women, discrimination, and maturity. The novel and the movie do a wonderful job at emphasizing and focusing on these relatable topics that are vital to the growth of
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 society that Esperanza and her friends live in, love takes a back seat
Characteristics are what define us as human beings. When comparing and contrasting one person to another, characteristics is used to do so. Characteristics such as physical appearance or emotional perceptions help define how a person is perceived, and how we do, or do not compare in such ways. Authors use descriptions of physical characteristics to help us paint a picture in our mind of characters’ appearance from their books while, characteristics of a character’s mentality help develop a personality for us to relate to. It is important for authors to develop personality so readers can relate or understand the differences from themselves and the characters of their stories. The house on mango street is a book written by Sandra Cisneros which, is about main character Esperanza coming to age. Esperanza speaks frequently about having a house she can be proud to call her own. The house in this story represents both physical and intangible wants and needs of the main character. I cannot compare myself physically due to the difference in sex but, Esperanza and I do have similarities
Over time, the image of men has changed. This is due mostly to the relaxation of rigid stereotypical roles of the two genders. In different pieces of literature, however, men have been presented as the traditional dominate figure, the provider and rule maker or non-traditional figure that is almost useless and unimportant unless needed for sexual intercourse. This dramatic difference can either perpetuate the already existing stereotype or challenge it. Regardless of the differences, both seem to put men into a negative connotation.
The House on Mango Street is the tale about a young girl named Esperanza who is maturing throughout the text. In it Esperanza documents the events and people who make up Mango Street. It is through this community that Esperanza’s ideas and concepts of the relationships between men and women are shaped. She provides detailed accounts about the oppression of women at not only the hands of men who make up Mango Street but also how the community contributes to this oppression. As the young girls and women of Mango Street try to navigate the world they must deal with a patriarchal society that seeks to keep them confined. By growing up in this environment where women are confined Esperanza seeks desperately to depart from Mango Street for fear
“Home is where the heart is.” In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros develops this famous statement to depict what a “home” really represents. What is a home? Is it a house with four walls and a roof, the neighborhood of kids while growing up, or a unique Cleaver household where everything is perfect and no problems arise? According to Cisneros, we all have our own home with which we identify; however, we cannot always go back to the environment we once considered our dwelling place. The home, which is characterized by who we are, and determined by how we view ourselves, is what makes every individual unique. A home is a personality, a depiction of who we are inside and how we grow through our life experiences. In her personal, Cisneros depicts Esperanza Cordero’s coming-of-age through a series of vignettes about her family, neighborhood, and personalized dreams. Although the novel does not follow a traditional chronological pattern, a story emerges, nevertheless, of Esperanza’s search to discover the meaning of her life and her personal identity. The novel begins when the Cordero family moves into a new house, the first they have ever owned, on Mango Street in the Latino section of Chicago. Esperanza is disappointed by the “small and red” house “with tight steps in front and bricks crumbling in places” (5). It is not at all the dream-house her parents had always talked about, nor is it the house on a hill that Esperanza vows to one day own for herself. Despite its location in a rough neighborhood and difficult lifestyle, Mango Street is the place with which she identifies at this time in her life.
In the novel, The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros describes the problems that Latino women face in a society that treats them as second class citizens. A society that is dominated by men, and a society that values women for what they look like, and not for what is on inside. In her Novel Cisneros wants us to envision the obstacles that Latino women must face everyday in order to be treated equally.