The House On Mango Street Nenny Analysis

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Esperanza and Nenny are sisters in the house on mango street who inherit certain traits together like laughter, but differ in opinion on becoming friends because Esperanza craves a friend her own age and Nenny has no one else to play with. Esperanza states Nenny cannot become her friend because,” Nenny is too young to be my friend. She's just my sister and that was not my fault. You don't pick your sisters, you just get them and sometimes they come like Nenny”. One reason Nenny strives to become friends with Esperanza is because she isn't allowed to play with the Vargas children because her mother believes she will end up like one of the children. The Vargas children are able to do whatever they want because their mother has given up. Nenny does not want to be lonely. Consequently, Nenny burdens Esperanza with …show more content…

Esperanza and Nenny do share traits, for instance, their laughter. Esperanza describes Nenny and her laughter as,”sudden and surprised like a pile of dishes breaking”.(#17) On the surface of this quote, Esperanza describes their laughter obnoxiously loud and out of unison. Below the surface of the quote, the quote underlies Esperanza and Nenny are alike and more in common than Esperanza thought she was with Nenny. Rachel and Lucy and Sally are friends of Esperanza but each relationship differs with availability because, on one hand, Sally’s restrictive husband will not allow friends at the house, while on the other hand Rachel and Lucy live across the street and can play whenever they want to. Rachel and Lucy’s close proximity between houses have initiated enjoyable experiences as Esperanza says,”Down, down Mango Street we go. Rachel, Lucy, me. Our new bicycle. Laughing the crooked ride back”. Sally, however, is lonely herself and has a husband who,” doesn't like her friends, so nobody gets to visit her unless he is working”.(#102) Sally explained to Esperanza,”

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