Women Influences on Esperanza The House on Mango Street is the story of Esperanza, a young girl, who hopes to one day leave her small, crumbling house. Esperanza’s desire to be independent and find a way out of her poor neighborhood has her observing and learning from many female peers. Esperanza perceives and grasps from: Sally, who escapes an abusive father only to fall into the hands of an abusive husband; Rafaela, whose husband forces her to stay inside; and Minerva, whose husband keeps leaving. Sally is a companion of Esperanza who demonstrates that by relying on others, she faces one poor situation after another. Sally experiences trouble with herself when she wants more, but ends up with less. Her incident becomes evident when Esperanza tells Sally needs to take on her past when she speaks about being vigilant of herself and caring what others think. According to Esperanza, “You could go to sleep and wake up and never have to think who likes and doesn’t like you” (Cisneros 83). This quote conveys that even when Sally was young, she was dependent on others to care for her. Another example of Sally counting on others and winding in the same situation is when Sally wants to be free from her abusive …show more content…
father. Sally explains, “He thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed” (Cisneros 92). This quote shows that Sally wants to be free, but knows her dad has good intentions. Sally influences Esperanza by revealing that counting on others can end with her in the same situation. Rafaela faces the same problem as Esperanza’s grandmother. When Esperanza states Rafaela’s relationship with her husband, “her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at,” (Cisneros 78), the reader can comprehend the connection between the two. Rafaela also has a great amount of impact on Esperanza than her grandmother does, due to the fact Esperanza is witnessing it; she can actually see what can happen to her if she gets married, rather than hearing a story about it. Esperanza explains that, “And then Rafaela, who is still young but is getting old from leaning out the window to much” (Cisneros 78). Esperanza may be trying to convey that commitment is a cage and if Esperanza were to not get engaged, she would have freedom. Rafaela impacted Esperanza greatly, for she does not want to end up like her. Upon encountering Minerva, Esperanza was influenced in a unaccommodating way.
Esperanza soon picks up that,“Minerva cries because her luck is unlucky. Every night and every day” (Cisneros 84). Esperanza realizes that Minerva has tried to make a life with her husband work, but life gave way on her. As the consequences are often unpleasant, Minerva experience has Esperanza wanting to choose a single life. For example, Esperanza states that, “She is always sad like a house on fire- always something wrong” (Cisneros 84). This shows that Minerva regrets her marriage because her husband always left her. After being continuously abandoned by her husband, she becomes emotionally weak. Seeing what happened to Minerva, she is determined to not let the same happen to
her. Sally, Rafaela, and Minerva were some of the women who influenced Esperanza to become a young, independent woman. Sally’s life was made up of an abusive father going on to an abusive husband. This made her realize that counting on others can result in having the same situation. Rafaela had a husband who forbid her from leaving the house. Minerva, whose husband kept abandoning her, but soon comes back. Rafaela and Minerva’s experience has Esperanza wanting to be single so the same does not happen to her.
The House on Mango Street is a novel by Sandra Cisneros. It is set in a poor, Latino neighborhood around 1960. The main character, Esperanza, is expected to get married in order to support herself. However, Esperanza strives for independence, and seeks to end the cycle of abusive patriarchy that holds Mango Street in thrall. Through the use of syntax and figurative language, Cisneros establishes that a sense of not belonging can fuel an individual’s desire for a better future.
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.
Esperanza, the main character of The House on Mango Street, a novella written by Sandra Cisneros in 1984, has always felt like she didn’t belong. Esperanza sought a different life than the ones that people around her were living. She wanted to be in control of her life, and not be taken away by men as so many others around her had. Esperanza wanted to move away from Mango Street and find the house, and life she had always looked for. Through the use of repetition, Sandra Cisneros conveys a sense of not belonging, that can make a person strong enough to aspire to a better life.
In the story the house on mango street there are both young girls, Sally and Esperanza. Both girls desire adventure, love, and beauty. However, Sally is more outgoing and confident than Esperanza. She has confidence that she is beautiful. She play the role of a strong female that never get hurt by any boys. Esperanza admires and looks up to Sally. Esperanza does not want to be a "weak woman" and she sees Sally as her role model. Their home lives contrast also Ironically. Sally is physically abused by her father each time he catches her with a boy. On the other side Esperanza and her family communicates well. Sally sees her self as a women and not the type of women a person that isn't confident of herself and that's what Esperanza likes.
When Esperanza tries to help Sally she tells Esperanza to go away and that she doesn’t need to be rescued. Esperanza feels ashamed and hides in the garden to cry by herself.
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
The author of The House on Mango Street and the producer of The Color Purple are able to integrate numerous important thematic ideas. Many of these ideas still apply to our current world, teaching various important lessons to many adolescents and adults. The House on Mango Street is a collection of vignettes written by Sandra Cisneros, a Mexican-American writer. The novel depicts many aspects of Sandra Cisneros’ life including racism, and sexism that she and the main character face. The novel revolves around Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl, who is growing up in Chicago as she faces the various struggles of living in America. The various vignettes reveal many experiences Esperanza has with reality and her navie responses to such harsh
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.
“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.
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 is a very strong woman in herself. Her goals are not to forget her "reason for being" and "to grow despite the concrete" so as to achieve a freedom that's not separate from togetherness.
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).
In class we read the book House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the main character Esperanza lives in a lower working class neighborhood and street called Mango Street dealing with poverty. Her house is an important symbol in House on Mango Street. It represents Eperanza’s process of maturing as a person and the change in her perspective of poverty and struggle being shameful, to it being something to embrace and use as motivation. This is a very important part of the story because it is in many aspects where we are from that make us who we become. This is interesting to see in the book as her opinions and perspective of things inside and outside of her neighborhood are shaped by her experiences.
The House on Mango Street is a novel composed of connected vignettes. The novel is told through the eyes of Esperanza, the main heroine. Throughout the novel Esperanza expresses her desire to leave Mango Street for a better, wealthier, and happier life. Esperanza makes many references to her feelings about her family's poverty; in multiple vignettes Esperanza expresses her sadness,resentfulness, and disappointment of her poverty