The House On Mango Street Literary Merit

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The phrase ‘literary merit' refers to a work of literature that endures time and appeals to a wide diversity of audiences. Works of literary merit have relatable qualities and relative concepts, not only to the time period it had been published in but also throughout time. These kinds novels also have in-depth and insightful qualities that go beyond the words printed on the page. To me, these elements greatly contribute to the definition of a work of literary merit, a work of literary merit also has engaging characters that the readers can be sympathetic to. With the understanding of this definition, the novel The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros falls into the category of a work of literary merit. Reading works of literary …show more content…

In the novel, the Chicana (Mexican-American) protagonist, Esperanza whose name means ‘hope' in Spanish, recounts her days as an adolescent to maturity with struggles along the way. The novel begins with Esperanza and her large family moving into a new house that is an improvement from their previous apartment. Esperanza does not particularly like the house because it is not what she as nice as she dreamed of but she makes do. She matures quickly within the first year of living in the new house. Further down the line, Esperanza endures hardships and begins writing as an escape from the situation and the neighborhood. This in itself is relatable to a wide range of readers. The common and relatable theme of growing up and maturing is something we all experience and people have experienced over time. This specific theme of the novel has and will always withstand time and resonate with readers. While reading the book, I remember a time of my life when I was like Esperanza. I was young and wanted to be grown up in some aspects but not in others, just like Esperanza. I am confident that all readers of The House on Mango Street have encountered or are currently facing. The difficulties the readers may face in life may not measure up to the misfortunes that Esperanza encountered, but the fact that we all, in our adolescence, experienced tribulations creates a sense of sympathy with

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