WT2, 2nd Semester The book The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, goes to show the hard life of the Latinos and how they have to struggle to make it as Latino minorities in the hostile, unresentful land of America. The book was written with the intentions of bringing to the surface the Latino struggles and how they are excluded, marginalized, and even silenced in the surrounding culture they reside in. The book presents a lot of good points on how their problems and struggles have been dismissed, ignored, or have even worsened over some time because of neglect or continuing abuse. However, in the book The House on Mango Street, the majority of the Latino culture presented throughout the book is silencing and marginalizing its …show more content…
The book shows the horrible thoughts and presentation of the culture and society Esperanza, the main protagonist we follow, is surrounded by. “I believe she doesn’t come out because she is afraid to speak English… She only knows eight words.” From the vignette “No Speak English” This is one of the moments that show the silencing of themselves. She “is afraid to speak English” and by not learning the language of the new land she resides in, she silences herself and makes it difficult for her to have a standing in the community and society she lives in. “No speak English, she says to the child who is singing in the language that sounds like tin.” A silenced child who, when older, will be marginalized for his poor English …show more content…
The book shows the hard truths about growing up in a silenced, struggling community. That is completely right. However, this books more prominent ideals that it shares across the many vignettes is the idea that these people actually struggle amongst their selves more rather than the new land they have to inhabit. Over the course of this powerful book, it is shown many a time over that the people in the surrounding society silence and marginalize their own people. This presents the real, true struggle within the book and actually focuses less on Esperanza trying to fit in amongst her peers and more so on the people and how they treat each other. The House on Mango Street and the culture in the book are silencing and marginalizing itself and the Latinos presented in the
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.
Sandra Cisneros once said “'Hispanic' is English for a person of Latino origin who wants to be accepted by the white status quo. ’Latino' is the word we have always used for ourselves.” In the novel I read, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros the main character a twelve-year-old Chicana (Mexican-American girl), Esperanza, saw self-definition as a struggle, this was a major theme in the novel through Esperanza’s actions and the ones around her. Esperanza tries to find identity in herself as a women as well as an artist throughout the novel through her encounters. Esperanza was able to provide the audience an image that was vivid of her surroundings by her diction and tone. Esperanza presents a series of stories that she deals with in her neighborhood as she is growing up. Esperanza arose from poverty and always dreamt of having a house of her own. Sandra Cisneros' strong cultural and gender values have a tremendous influence in The House on Mango Street. Cisneros feels that the Mexican-American community is very abusive towards the treatment of women because men are seen as the powerful, strong figure. Women are seen as failure and can’t strive without men in a Mexican-American community. In this novel you can see a cultural approach which examines a particular aspect of a culture and a gender studies approach which examines how literature either perpetuates or challenges gender stereotypes.
Communities are meant to be a space of security in where community members help each other. In The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza, a growing child feels the absence of the community’s help. Through a series of vignettes, Esperanza’s child-like voice reveals the dysfunctionality of the community. Esperanza doesn’t find anyone who she can rely on to help her through her coming of age. The situation is made especially difficult because of her Mexican-American heritage label. The ambiguity of her name presents a bi-cultural identity dilemma. Esperanza’s character represents what many female minorities experience, the lack of agency and solidarity their communities offer to them. The constant similes, through a child’s eyes, are also used to compare the lack of agency females have in this community. Although the community seems to be hopeless, ultimately, Esperanza’s character grows to find that there is hope for her community, igniting a desire to come back and help.
Throughout the story, Esperanza describes how she feels ashamed because of her environment; “Those who don’t know any better come into our neighborhood scared. They think we’re dangerous. They think we will attack them with shiny knives,” (28). Esperanza lives in the bad part of town. Her neighborhood is known for having sketchy and mysterious people in it. Because she lives in this neighborhood people also make assumptions about her. At school one day, Esperanza wanted to stay and eat her lunch but only the privileged kids got to stay and eat. One day, Esperanza decides she wants to stay and eat too. But, when she gives the note to Sister Superior she decides Esperanza she have to still eat at home. she makes Esperanza point to her house and makes her feel ashamed and upset of where she lives; “Which one? Come here. Which one is your house?... That one? She said pointing to a row of ugly three-flats, the ones even the raggedy men are ashamed to go into,” (45). Towards the end of the book Esperanza’s view on Mango Street doesn’t change. She is talking to her
In the book The House on Mango Street, author Sandra Cisneros presents a series of vignettes that involve a young girl, named Esperanza, growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Esperanza Cordero is searching for a release from the low expectations and restrictions that Latino society often imposes on its young women. Cisneros draws on her own background to supply the reader with accurate views of Latino society today. In particular, Cisneros provides the chapters “Boys and Girls” and “Beautiful and Cruel” to portray Esperanza’s stages of growth from a questioning and curious girl to an independent woman. Altogether, “Boys and Girls” is not like “Beautiful and Cruel” because Cisneros reveals two different maturity levels in Esperanza; one of a wavering confidence with the potential to declare her independence, and the other a personal awareness of her own actions and the decision to take action and wage her “own quiet war (Cisneros 89).
The issues Esperanza faces have shaped who she is as a person. She has seen what she is and what she is not. She believes she is not going to be trapped by the cultural expectations that the community imposes. The personal change she goes through is quite apparent as you see her transition from an innocent girl to a driven woman. Mango Street has shaped Esperanza for the good. From that, identity is not forced upon a person, but shaped by
Esperanza, who faces multiple struggles while living in a Latino community in Chicago on Mango Street. Esperanza is not happy being raised in the same culture as the other women around her and living as a Mexican American in the U.S. culture. Throughout the novel, Cisneros describes the problems women face, like fighting for equality, respect, and freedom within a Hispanic society. In her novel, Cisneros emphasizes the struggles that Esperanza and Latino women had to face in the U.S. society during the middle of the twentieth century.
Sandra Cisneros' strong cultural values greatly influence The House on Mango Street. Esperanza's life is the medium that Cisneros uses to bring the Latin community to her audience. The novel deals with the Catholic Church and its position in the Latin community. The deep family connection within the barrio also plays an important role in the novel. Esperanza's struggle to become a part of the world outside of Mango Street represents the desire many Chicanos have to grow beyond their neighborhoods.
In the book, Esperanza doesn’t want to follow the norms of the life around her; she wants to be independent. Esperanza states her independence by stating, “Not a man’s house. Not a daddy’s. A house all my own,” (Cisneros 108.) The syntax of these sentences stick out and are not complete thoughts, yet they convey much meaning and establish Esperanza’s feeling of not belonging. Esperanza’s feeling of not belonging is also emphasized when her sisters tell her that the events of her life have made her who she is and that is something she can not get rid of. Her sisters explain that the things she has experienced made her who she is by saying, “You will always be esperanza. You will always be mango street. You can’t erase what you know” (105.) What her sisters are trying to tell her is that the past has changed her but it doesn’t have to be a negative thing; it can be used to make her a better person who is stronger and more independent. Esperanza realizes that the things around her don’t really add up to what she believes is right, which also conveys the sense of not
Esperanza’s struggle to achieve the American Dream is defined when she fantasizes about living in a “real home”, and not the one on mango Street: “They always told us that one day we would move into a house, a real house that would be ours for always so we wouldn’t have to move each year” (Cisneros [page number is missing from file: insert here.]) of course, Esperanza is continually told that they will achieve the American Dream by getting a “real house”, but the reality of life for Mexican-American minorities is that they must live in temporary apartments. In this manner, a Mexican-American could work very hard, yet they do not have the same opportunities that white Americans have in realizing this goal. Certainly, Esperanza must live in a continual state of poverty and transience because her parents cannot afford to buy a house in their income. This part of the problem of racial bias in American life, which often favors the white American as being able to afford a house and get a high paying job. Cisneros is, much like Baldwin and Gish, talking about the barriers to the American Dream to minorities that are barred from having access to the comforts of American life often given to predominantly white Americans. These are important aspects of Cisneros “The House on Mango Street”, which define the underlying racial
At first, Esperanza is young, insecure, and immature. Her immaturity is apparent when she talks about her mom holding her, saying it is, “sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you and you feel safe” (Cisneros 6-7). This shows Esperanza’s insecurity because her mom is still a big comfort source to her. She feels a false sense of comfort because her mom is there and will protect her. In addition, Esperanza’s immaturity is shown through her dislike for outsiders of the neighborhood when she says, “They are stupid people who are lost and got here by mistake” (Cisneros 28). This indicates how defensive and protective Esperanza is towards her barrio by calling outsiders stupid for reacting the way they do, even though she dislikes Mango Street....
This novel is about the shame cycle and whether Esperanza will chose to grow from it or to let it ruin her. Esperanza didn’t know this, but she had to go through the most shaming experience possible in order to be forced to make a choice about how to use that shame. Other major themes of the novel include Hoping versus Waiting, Finding Freedom through Marriage or Education, and the Anchors of Race, Poverty, and Gender. Cisneros ties these themes together using the theme of The Shame Cycle, making it the most important. Esperanza hopes for a better life and chooses not to let her anchors stop her. To earn a better life, Esperanza decides to find freedom through education. She decides not to get married young as an escape. She decides to keep hoping and dreaming by not letting shame ruin her.The resolution and escape from the shame cycle helps Esperanza chose education,the rel path to freedom. Additionally, the plot of the novel only comes to a resolution when Esperanza finally overcomes her shame and escapes the
Dealing with racism and sexism is never any easy task, especially when you are at a rather young age when you are experiencing those things. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros tackles these issues through the view of Esperanza and her interactions with the people she encounters in her neighborhood. The development of different groups and people’s identity is formed by providing examples of racism and the various aspects that tie in with it. The themes of racism and sexism are also helpfully developed through Esperanza’s growing and changing views as she matures and comes to realize that everyone's stereotypes of the people who live in her neighborhood are unfounded and discriminatory.
The idea of the alienated artist is very common in feminist works. Esperanza, the protagonist, is alienated from the rest of society in many ways. Her Latino neighborhood seems to be excluded from the rest of the world, while Esperanza is also separated from the other members of her community. Members of other cultures are afraid to enter the neighborhood because they believe it is dangerous. Esperanza seems to be the only one who refuses to just accept Mango Street, and she dreams of someday leaving it behind. She is considered an artist because she has an extremely creative imagination which creates a conflict with the type of liberal individuality she seeks. This creative "genius survives even under the most adverse conditions..." (Gagnier 137). To escape the pain of this division, Esperanza turns to writing. She says, "I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much" (Cisneros 110). Gagnier sees a "distinction of the writer who nonetheless sees herself as somehow different, separate..." (137).
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.