Research Paper On The House On Mango Street

832 Words2 Pages

Teen identity is finding who you are or your sense of self through teenage years. In the riveting book, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, it is about a 12 year old girl named Esperanza and how her struggles throughout the story helped her mature physically and mentally in the end. This book is relatable to teen identity because the book shares Esperanza’s involvement on finding her identity. For many teens, forming their identity can be stressful and end up with a bad future. However, with correct guidelines, advice, or inputs, from parents, teens will find who they truly are and lead to a bright future. The idea that teens forming their identity is a crucial process on finding who you are is a fascinating subject that can be …show more content…

Although, she was often confused and curious of certain aspects, she showed a great understanding of being a young adult in the end. In the book, Esperanza starts taking notice of her physical appearance changing and talks about getting hips and looking attractive. During my research, a passage in Coping with a Negative Body-Image, it stated, “…the ability to see herself and know how she appears to the world…[but] she tends to see herself as ugly or fat…[unlike] others see her much more positively.” (Bowen Introduction X). Furthermore, it helps explain how a girl’s way of being accepted is by a physical appearance. However, other teenage girls never feel satisfied with themselves and develop life threatening illnesses. Esperanza starts off being a very shy and insecure girl but later transforms into a strong and optimistic young lady by going through events such as trying on grown up clothes, engaging in different friendships and groups, and developing new feelings to items and people. Not only does this concept apply to Esperanza but also her other teenage friends in the …show more content…

One time, in the book, Esperanza and her friends, Rachel and Lucy, were given beautiful high heels by a woman from a wealthy family. When they tried on the high heels, they felt like young ladies and noticed how much they’ve grown. An article on, Identity…Figuring Out Who You Are, states, “Teens work out who they are by trying on new identities through experimentation with different appearances or new interests.” (Identity…Figuring Out Who You Are). Esperanza, Rachel, and Lucy have only changed their style a little to be more grown-up and received positive attention. However, they have also received too much attention from men and boys, which could lead to sexual harassment. Changing your appearances or trying new hobbies can be good for you by letting you try out new activities, styles, and beliefs. This guideline takes you a step closer to who you really want to be. Teens nowadays may have a different approach or thoughts about teen

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