Esperanza's Journey of Self-Discovery in House on Mango Street

House On Mango Street Essay Thesis
Introduction
Hook: In the coming–of–age novel, House on Mango Street, the main character Esperanza narrates the story through her perspective of the situations
she encounters as she grows older in her new neighborhood.
Background Info: By writing in vignettes, she illustrates her emotions and the feelings she expresses towards the people that surround her.
Specifically: The roles of Esperanza's neighbors allow Esperanza to compare herself
As Esperanza goes into detail,The more Esperanza describes her neighbors the more Esperanza struggles with her place in society and desires to leave
her neighborhood.
Specifically:
Thesis: As the story continues, Esperanza matures mentally, emotionally, and sexually.
Body1
TS: Throughout the novel, Esperanza...show more content...
CM: At first, Esperanza's mental image of herself changes as she feels more confident with who and how superior she feels while walking in the heels.
CM: This is important because it is one of the first encounters Esperanza is comfortable and brandishes herself throughout the neighborhood.
CD: However, as
CM:
CM:
TRANS:
Body2
TS: Esperanza changes emotionally once she begins to like boys, particularly a boy in her neighborhood, Sire.
CD: In the vignette titles "Sire", Esperanza admits to trying not to look Sire in the eye, but instead stare straight, as she walks past him.
CM: This shows that
CM: This is important because
CD: Esperanza also admits that she would not mind taking Sire's girlfriend, Lois's place.

CM: However, Esperanza's mother continuously refers to Sire as the neighborhood punk which has a girlfriend that is on
CM:
TRANS:
Body3
TS: The final and most critical change Esperanza experiences is a sexual awakening.
CD: At the beginning of the novel, Esperanza describes her relations to the boys in her neighborhood as "a red balloon that is tied to an
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Thesis On House On Mango Street
Min Seo Hyun (Mary)
Grade 8
Ms.Birute
28th/Aug/2017 Mango Street Interpretive Essay
Outline:
A.Introduction
Hook: House on Mango Street is a narrative book about one girl named Esperanza who live in Mango street and tell us that what is happening to
Mango Street at the point view of Esperanza. Thesis statement: Esperanza has a variety of female role models in her life. Many are trapped in abusive
relationships, waiting for others to change their lives. Some are actively trying to change things on their own. Through these women and Esperanza's
reactions to them, Cisneros' shows not only the hardships women face, but also explores their power to overcome them.
Topic sentence: There are many female role models around...show more content...
Lots of things can change when era changes except gender roles but after read this story, gender roles are changing distinctly than others. Even though
it has changed a lot now, woman still has difficulty with when they get a job so we must strive until the equality of man and woman is evenly
distributed. Esperanza make effort to improve her life and cultivate own self but not make effort to gender equality. She has interest ingender role but
not that much so she think about it but not to act. From this essay, I have gave examples of how people might react to the idea about gender roles.
However, we need to realize that women should take action for themselves instead of following

Argumentative Essay On The House On Mango Street
In the book House on Mango Street, the author builds an argument stating that writing is a way to freedom and a better life. The author uses education,
freedom, and the remembrance of Mango Street to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of the argument.
Alicia is a neighborhood girl who lives on mango street on which her mother died. She has to do all the chores such as cooking and cleaning while
trying to attend college. Alicia uses public transportation everyday to go to school so she can escape her life. One night, she stays up all night
studying and sees a mice, her father gives her a hard time about her studies and say the mise?? doesn't exist. He basically explains that her life is to
wake up morning after morning to make tortillas for her younger siblings lunches."Alicia, who inherited her mama's rolling pin and sleepiness, is
young and smart and studies for the first time at university." Alicia tries to use her education to have freedom, to leave herfamily and go have a better
life.
Mama explains to esperanza that she is free and doesn't need to rely on anyone, not even neither a man to take care of her. Esperanza already knows
how to speak two languages, sing, draw, and fix a television but...show more content...
Lucy and Rachel losing their baby sister was an awful tragedy, everyone gathered to view the baby before she was buried. The sisters compliment
Esperanza's name and tell her that she's very special. Her wish was a selfish wish and she starts to feel guilty. They tell her that she will always be
on Mango Street and even though she has to leave , she should come back for others. Alicia is lucky that she has somewhere to call home,
Guadalajara, and she will return there someday. "You live right here, 4006 Mango, Alicia says and points to the house I am ashamed of." Esperanza
refused that she doesn't have a home or come from Mango street until someone makes it better which is

The House on Mango Street and the Style of Sandra Cisneros
Clearly, Sandra Cisneros' writing style is one representative of a minority voice. Her amazing style allows her readers to take an active part in the
minority experience. For this reason, I believe Cisneros has had a lot of influence and success in the status of minority writers, especially in the canon
of what is read and taught in schools today. But, more than anything, Cisneros has shown that liberation can come through creativity and literature, and
not just through geographical excursion.
Cisneros' The House on Mango Street is a novel about the importance of not forgetting where you come from. Esperanza, a young Latino girl and the
story's main character, wants to...show more content...
In other words, Esperanza comes to understand that identity is very much beyond where one's house is located. It may even be connected to art. In
examining these profound themes, Cisneros has been able to achieve a significant amount of influence and success in the role and status of minority
writers.
As stated previously, Cisneros' style in The House on Mango Street suggests to us that liberation can be achieved through an art form, rather than
physically picking up and moving your residence. Esperanza overcomes her condition by creating the realm of literature, rather than the physical
reality of another house in another time and place. In this way, she is able to distance herself from her community and family. But all the while, still
holding on to her heritage and ethnicity. By affirming her own artistic ability, Esperanza is able to blend all of her dreams. Because of this we come to
understand that one can achieve self–discovery and even independence through something so remote as literature. This is where I find Cisneros'
influence the most powerful. I believe she is stressing a theme here, not just for Hispanics, but for all minorities as well. She lets them know that
liberation can be achieved within several realms of the human experience.
I believe that Cisneros demonstrates that individual values can and usually are socially constructed. As critic Ellen McKracken writes, "the volume's
simple, poetic language, with its

The House on Mango Street Essay
As a young girl, Esperanza is a young girl who looks at life from experience of living in poverty, where many do not question their experience. She
is a shy, but very bright girl. She dreams of the perfect home, with beautiful flowers and a room for everyone. When she moves to the house of
Mango Street, reality is so different than the dream. In this story, hope (Esperanza) sustains tragedy. The house she dreamed of was another on. It
was one of her own. One where she did not have to share a bedroom with everyone. That included her mother, father and two siblings. The run down
tiny house has "bricks crumbling in places". The one she dreamed of had a great big yard, trees and 'grass growing without a fence'. She did not want
to abandon...show more content...
"She sits at become afraid to go outside". The leave home, she would need permission. She evolves from a victim of child abuse to a slave–like wife.
Esperanza sees this despair throughout her story.
In "My Name, "She looked out the window her whole life, they way so many women sit, with their sadness on an elbow". Abuse to Rafaela, again
subtle because she does not go out, in fear of husband. Poverty on Loomis, Keeler and Paulina; poverty is a way of life. The impact is for all
generations, the parents who cannot get out, the children that see it and the little ones who cannot know any better. The opportunities are limited in the
barrio. Esperanza was embarrassed when she pointed to her house "there". "There?", as if there was no place for a girl to live. But survival is
instinctive and there is a certain amount of barrio pride "Those who don't know any better come into our neighborhood scared. They think we are
dangerous. They think we will attack them with shiny knives. They are stupid people who are lost and got here by mistake." The victim of being
called a "rice sandwich". Hurt by the sister superior as she points to a row of ugly houses reminding Esperanza of the sin of being poor.
Machismo is something seen in the domestic situations throughout Hispanic people. The violence, the subservience that is expected and the men
believe the women are second and are second class citizens. There role is to be domestic housekeepers and to birth children. Alicia makes

Essay On The House On Mango Street
The chapter, My Name, gives many metaphors and similes that begin to help the reader understand Esperanza's battle to be acknowledged and
approved in society. "In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting," (Cisneros pg.10).
Esperanza explains the meaning of hope for Hispanic people in a few simple words: sadness and waiting. For millions, it represents the wait of a new
life, a better life for them. It's sadness, knowing many reject them in a land they were promised opportunity. This motif of repudiation and racial
discrimination appears frequently throughout the novel, which greatly affects Esperanza's life. The young protagonist also explains her fear of
inheriting her great–grandmother's...show more content...
Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don't want to inherit her place by the window," (pg.11). Cisneros makes the readers visualize awoman, time
creasing her skin, as she stares out the window, time passing by as she accepts the life that has whisked her away so suddenly, "as if she were a fancy
chandelier,". Esperanza is repulsed by the thought of having to follow in the footsteps of her great–grandmother, forced to throw her life away so
easily. She confesses as well that her classmates "say my name funny as if the syllables were made out of tin and hurt the roof of your mouth,".
Esperanza is singled out for this one issue: her name. Which greater delves into her insecurities when she begins talking about giving herself a new
name. "I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees," (pg.11). When people struggle to
accept her, she begins the struggle of accepting herself, desperately trying to find a way to conform to a society that tells her she's substandard. The
House on Mango Street gives many compelling vignettes that affect the main character greatly however, the chapter My Name reveals Esperanza's
insecurities and her willingness to be accepted into this new

House on Mango Street Essay
The Loss of Innocence on Mango Street Often in literature, authors create plot by writing about characters maturing throughout the story. One work
that explores childhood to adulthood is The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. In this novella, Esperanza Cordero is a young girl who lives in
a poverty stricken area in Chicago. During the story, Esperanza grows up from being an adolescent to a young adult. In the novella, the theme is that
losing innocence brings about maturity. Cisneros expresses Esperanza growing up by juxtaposing vignettes. Tone is also used to enhance the change in
Esperanza's thoughts while maturing. Both the juxtaposition of vignettes and tone support the theme that the loss of innocence and the gaining of...show
more content...
Esperanza showing hatred toward Sally indirectly shows how Esperanza has matured. All in all, Esperanza Cordero's lack of innocence and
gaining of knowledge develops her into a more mature character. When a character is exposed to an incident in which his or her perspective is
forever changed, he or she will gain knowledge and maturity. An event such as being raped is an example of how one can lose his or her
innocence. The House on Mango Street leads the reader into analyzing his or her own life. It shows how Esperanza's pure view of life has changed to
become a more sophisticated and realistic one. Growing up is something that everyone, at one point or another, goes through. This loss of innocence is
something that is unavoidable and irreversible. When people lose their innocence, they gain maturity and gain knowledge. When a person losing the
pureness in them, they open their eyes and they are able to see the world for what it really

Essay on House On Mango Street
Women's Escape into Misery Women's need for male support and their husband's constant degradation of them was a recurring theme in the book
House on Mango Street. Many of Esperanza's stories were about women's dreams of marrying, the perfect husband and having the perfect family and
home. Sally, Rafaela, and Minerva are women who gave me the impression of [damsel's in distress].CLICH&Eacute;, it's ok though. It's relevant
They wished for a man to sweep them of their feet and rescue them from their present misery. These characters are inspiring and strong but they are
unable to escape the repression of the surrounding environment. *Cisneros presents a rigid world in which they lived in, and left them no other hope but
to get married....show more content...
Cisneros presents the loneliness that Rafaela feels because of her husband's continuous imprisonment of her. Rafael's beauty is used as an excuse
in order to avoid the truth, male dominance in a woman's home. Esperanza explains that, &quot;Rafaela who is still young gets locked
indoors because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at.&quot; (79). Thanks to these women,
Esperanza is able to avoid problems that come with a marriage. She is young and does not want to &quot;look out the window her whole life,
the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow&quot; (11). Unlike most of the women in the book her escape is no longer the window.
&quot;But that night he comes back and sends a big rock through the window&quot;(85), shattering her glass hopes [???] and making her
turn to poetry as an escape. &quot;Minerva is only a little bit older than me but already she has too kids and a husband who left.&quot;
(83) She is a perfect example of a woman who is subjected to the consequence of suffering because of marriage She &quot;writes... on little
pieces of paper that she holds in her hand for a long time&quot; (84). Like unhappily married women, she always takes him back even after the
incessant beatings. &quot;She has many troubles, but the big one is her husband who left her and keeps on

The House On Mango Street Essay
Esperanza, a young girl is a narrator of The House on Mango Street (Cisneros, 1954). Since she was very young, her family have moved place a lot
as much as she does not remember where she used to live. This story talk about houses she used to live and house she and her family desire to live
in. The main character is Esperanza, and the narrator is also she. The author uses first person point of view in this story. It helps readers evoke some
special feeling to story and give attachment to the story. In this story, a narrator is an ignorant young girl, and it let readers feel sad to her situation. If
the narrator was her parents or third person, probably I could not feel sad to her family. Using first person point of view helps readers imagine easily
the situation described in the story. In this story,...show more content...
Although I have never met her and do not know anything about her besides information given throughout the story, I felt we are friend or I have
close relationship with her and her family. This is an advantage of first person point of view. If a narrator were her parent, instead of Esperanza the
way the story about the house would be totally different. The tone of story would be more serious and their dream house would not be described
because they knew that it is something that will not happen. Also because they are not young as Esperanza was, and understand what their social
situation and real life is. So they would directly mention their financial situation and social status. Moreover, if a narrator was third person, it
might be difficult to let readers evoke some feeling to Esperanza and her family. Readers would not have any feeling to Epseranza and her family
because it is hard to feel close to them. Because the author used first person point of view, readers can feel close to Esperanza, young girl, as a reader
we can have some sad feeling to her and the

Essay about The House on Mango Street
In life many people set goals for themselves. For some people it maybe a goal such as obtaining a high test grade and for others it maybe to one day
own a race car. Everybody has a different outlook on life and everyone has different goals in which they one day hope to achieve. The people who
achieve their goals are those who are motivated and determined to do so. When these goals are achieved it is then when you are a hero to yourself.
Growing up as a child in a poor family, Esperanza Cordero was very ambitious. She was ashamed of her family and her house, and she always had
dreams of one day having a beautiful house on a hill, with flowers all around. A house she wouldn't be ashamed to point to and say it was hers. She
knew...show more content...
With all of the bad things going on around Esperanza, she was very optimistic and made the best of everything she could. For example, in chapter
one, Esperanza explain how she and her family had always grown up poor and that they always had dreams of one day owning a big beautiful
house like the ones that they saw on television. One with a back yard and a basement. When Esperanza's family was forced to move her parents had
purchased the first house that they could afford so they wouldn't have to continue paying rent. The house was nothing like what they had spoke of or
dreamt about. But Esperanza states, "I then knew I had to have a house. One I could point to. But this isn't it. The house on Mango Street isn't it. For
the time being, Mama said. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go.." Within this paragraph it shows that Esperanza isn't exactly
happy about where she is living but she is going to make the best of it and do what she has to do to get out of there and have a house of her own. One
that she can point to.
Another example of optimism portrayed by Esperanza was that despite her horrible first experiences with the opposite sex, (as in chapter 21, The First
Job and chapter 39, The Red Clowns) she still has dreams of sitting outside at night with her

After having read the novel "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros I will now concentrate on the background of the novel that moved
Sandra Cisneros to write it by investigating the novel with special regard to its different dimensions.
1. The Novel
1.1 Summary
The novel "The House on Mango Street" is written by Sandra Cineros. It deals with family, neighbourhood and dreams of a young Mexican girl,
Esperanza Cordero growing up in Chicago. The novel begins when the Corderos move into a new house on Mango Street in the Latino section of
Chicago. The fact that it is the first house they have ever owned, make them proud. But when Esperanza sees it, she is disappointed by the red,
dilapidated house. It is not the one their...show more content...
She gets excited when boys look at her on the streets. But her illusion of true love is destroyed by sexual violence. Her friend Sally's behaviour
towards boys contributes to Esperanza's caution and distance by dealing with the opposite sex, too. Nevertheless, Esperanza does not stop
dreaming of leaning against a car with her boyfriend in a place where that does not bother anyone. But she has set her standards higher than most of
the women around her. She do not search for a man to escape from this place, she has seen too many unhappy marriages. Ruthie exemplifies such an
one. She has run away from her husband and seems to be mentally disturbed. The young Rafaela is locked up by her husband because of her beauty.
Nevertheless the tragic event is Sally's which ends in abuse. Sally, Esperanza's friend, only wanted to dream and share her love like Esperanza. Hurt
and beaten by her father who just wanted to prevent the familiy's ruin by Sally. To escape, despite of her minority, she marries a salesman. But unlike
her wish, the abuse continues.
Saddened but also encouraged by her friends' experiences, Esperanza wants to become a writer, and change her dreams into reality.
Esperanza is led by the dream to leave Mango Street at once, nevertheless she knows that she will have to return one day to help and encourage all
those who will fallen in the big hole of hopelessness. She can leave Mango Street but she can not escape

House on Mango Street essay
Growing Up in Poverty In the novel, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, a young confused girl has trouble finding herself as she
grows up in the Latino section of Chicago. Esperanza and her family move to a small, crumbling red house in a poor urban neighborhood.
Determined, she decides that someday she will leave and move somewhere else and totally forget everything about Mango Street. Throughout the
novel, Esperanza significantly matures sexually and emotionally. The many stories of her neighbors gives a full image of what Mango Street is like
and showing the many possible paths Esperanza may follow in the near future. However towards the end, she begins to write as a way of expressing
herself and as a way to escape the...show more content...
At first, she was a strong woman, but after her forced marriage she spent most of her days looking out a window and hoping for escape. Explaining
the interaction between both sexes of children on Mango Street, Esperanza states that the boys and the girls live in separate worlds. Even at a
young age, divisions between gender are present among the characters. By living in separate worlds, they are demonstrating real life situations that
are already occurring in society at that time period. All in all, unfair gender roles in society is another important theme illustrated in the beginning of
the novel. Lastly, the third theme portrayed in the first few chapters is society and class. Expounding the looks of her house, "Out back is a small
garage for the car we don't own yet and a small yard that looks smaller between the two buildings on either side" (4). The description of Esperanza's
home contains clues about their social class. Obviously, her family lives in poverty by living in a poor quality house in the impoverished Latino
section of Chicago. When a nun from Esperanza's school examines her house, she states, "You live there? The way she said it make me feel like
nothing. There. I lived there. I nodded" (5). She feels immensely judged by the woman who must live in a much higher social class. The way she says
the word there tells Esperanza that there is something wrong with her home.

The House On Mango Street Critical Analysis
In the texts "The House on Mango Street" and "Only Daughter" by Sandra Cisneros, and "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, the authors demonstrate
how one's experiences and environment can both positively and negatively impact their identity through Esperanza Cordero's impoverished
neighborhood, the author Sandra Cisnero's own experiences with her father/Hispanic culture, and Elizabeth Bennet's struggle to break through the
stereotypes of her society.

The House On Mango Street Short Story
After papa died, Mama, Esperanza, Abuelita were in shock. They lived without saying any word or talking until they ran out of money for
livestock.Then soon, Hortensia, Miguel, and Alfonso decided to move to urban areas to get a job to live. Since Esperanza and MamaВґs bank money
was empty, they couldn't pay them for servants. They greeted them goodbye, hugged and told them that they would be back in couple of years. Then
the next day, Mama thought we wouldn't obviously survive without money. So on Saturday, she went out with Abuelita to look out for a job near Г‰l
Rancho, in the late night when Esperanza was sleeping.When the sun was shining in Esperanza's eyes, she woke up with the birds chirping, chickens
crying, but especially Mama...show more content...
When Esperanza sat down Mama started talking while she got up and got the breakfast that she had wrapped it with a foil for Esperanza. It was
tortillas with beans and lettuce filled in it. She explained that she had got the job at the cotton cloth making factory near the El Rancho, so that
Abuelita and she wouldn't wait too long. "I will be starting the work tommorow," Mama said. "Tomorrow?!" exclaimed Esperanza. "Mama, she
continued,"You won't be okay since papa had died few days ago, it is also dangerous out there, and I will be staying alone until you come. I'm not
prepared yet!" said Esperanza. "No, I will be alright, plus, you will be staying with Abuelita till I come." said Mama calmly. It will be alright
Esperanza, added Abuelita. But before they could calm her down, Esperanza was already dropping into tears. She didn't want Mama to have a
harsh living working in the factory. She hurried back to her room and closed the door hardly. She sobbed pushing her face against the pillow.
When hours past, Esperanza woke up in sleep from the noise of Mama calling her name to unlock the door to talk to her. She jumped out of her bed
and opened the door. She quickly then hopped back in. Mama carefully sat on the edge of her bed. She talked about how the factory was very secure,
and she also met a guy, who was the owner, that was very kind and generous. Esperanza

Essay On The House On Mango Street
What does a house represent? For most people a house is a shelter from the weather, a safe environment, a place where one finds stability and
strength, and where family gets together. In the novel written by Sandra Cisneros, "The House on Mango Street", the author tries to explain that
every person owns a home with which an individual identifies, it describes who one is, and determined by how a individual view itself, and so it is
what makes every person unique. However, for Esperanza, the House on Mango Streets symbolizes the struggles they went through and the poverty
they live in. In the first short story The House on Mango Street, Esperanza Cordero, describes the place where she and her family were living in as a
deteriorated building...show more content...
She wanted to be a successful woman one day, and to be one she needed to go to the Catholic school, as her father had told her. The Catholic school
was expensive and her parents did not have the means to cover with all the tuition that is why she was in need to start working. Esperanza says
that in order to get hired at the Peter Pan Phone Finishers, she had to say the she was a year older (Cisneros 54). This demonstrates how deprived
the Cordero family were. That in order for Esperanza to attend a good school, she had to work as such a young age and even lied about her age so
she can get the job. In conclusion, the House on Mango Street to Esperanza symbolizes the battles they experienced and the neediness they went
through in order to succeed. Moving from one home to another, hoping that the next one was going to be a better home or the one they always dream
about. The neighborhood Esperanza lived in where everyone struggles to survive. Also the motivation that Esperanza had to one day leave The House
on Mango Street, to a better place, a better home with a beautiful front and back yard, and lots of tress surrounding her

The House On Mango Street Analysis
The Path of Self–Definition, Becoming An Independent Woman
Esperanza, the main character of The House on Mango Street, revolves around her teenage confusion to find her identity, but also becoming a strong
and independent woman. She is very observant, and in order to form this foundation, Esperanza is influenced by the people around her and always
looking for pathways to follow, through examples displayed within her neighborhood. She doesn't want to throw her life away through marriage, or to
be helpless and pretty like Sire's girlfriend, bringing her to discover what it really means to achieve that desire of hers. Within the novel, Esperanza
tries to get herself out of that loop of the women in her life have been swirled through, by attaining a new level of feminine power to consolidate her
independence.
The epigraph, "A las Mujeres, To the Women.", written at the beginning of the book clearly states Cisneros' purpose of reconstructing the current
patriarchal and misogynistic society by creating space for women and by using them as characters that Esperanza grows and learns from. In the fourth
chapter, ВЁMy NameВЁ, Esperanza explains that she does not want to be tied down like her her great–grandma, also describing the underlying
negative connotations her name possesses. Esperanza was named after her great–grandma, ВЁIn Spanish, it is too many letters. It means sadness. It
means waiting (10)". She believes her name symbolizes her present life state, therefore Esperanza is

The House On Mango Street: A Summary
INT. HOSPITAL– HALLWAY– NIGHT
The pediatric wing's hallway is completely empty.
The CAMERA FLIES ABOVE as LIV MOORE walks alone. She is about to turn a corner when she stops abruptly.
From afar, she spots her mother, EVA, who talks with a DOCTOR. From the distance Liv can overhear only a few words.
DOCTOR
...surgery went well... we won't know more until he wakes up...
Liv takes a step back, hiding, and waits for her mother to leave.
LIV (V.O.)
I don't want to hide from her. Or anyone really. But they think I refused to save my dying brother. That ranks pretty high on their "Liv's recent
screw–ups list."
INT. HOSPITAL – EVAN'S ROOM– MOMENTS LATER
EVAN lies in his hospital bed, unconscious, his body hooked up to machine.
Liv enters and sits.

What a Home Really is in The House on Mango Street
"Home is where the heart is." In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros develops this famous statement to depict what a "home" really
represents. What is a home? Is it a house with four walls and a roof, the neighborhood of kids while growing up, or a unique Cleaver household
where everything is perfect and no problems arise? According to Cisneros, we all have our own home with which we identify; however, we cannot
always go back to the environment we once considered our dwelling place. The home, which is characterized by who we are, and determined by how
we view ourselves, is what makes every individual unique. A home is a personality, a depiction of who we are inside and...show more content...
"I am an ugly daughter," she says. "I am the one nobody comes for" (109). She feels she can relate to the four skinny trees outside her window. "Four
skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine" (93). Just as the trees survive under a harsh environment, Esperanza finds difficulty in
accepting the neighborhood in which she lives. She is very self–conscious about her name, whose mispronunciation by teachers and peers at school
sounds ugly to her ears. She struggles with jealousy of her younger sister Nenny and cynically says that she "has pretty eyes and it's easy to talk...if
you are pretty" (109). Ashamed of most everything she identifies with, Esperanza is maturing with a very low perception of herself. She is not content
with her home and surroundings, and cannot be until she is happy with her own character.
The neighborhood is not exactly a pretty place as Esperanza describes it. She says, "here there is too much sadness and not enough sky. Butterflies
too are few and so are flowers and most things that are beautiful" (39). In the one year of Esperanza's life that this book covers, she is raped, abused,
and sees the death of the only person who would listen to her poetry– "Her name was Aunt Lupe and she was beautiful like [her] mother" (70). Her
discontent with the neighborhood surrounding the house on Mango Street and the rough times that she experienced caused her to want to move away
from

House on Mango Street Essay
House on Mango Street
The story; themes; and implications for teaching from the House on Mango Street come from showing how today's society has low expectations
for those in the inner city. This book can be used to show what inner life is like and how these people are looked at and treated by others in society.
Using this book in the classroom can be beneficial because many people have negative preconceptions of what life is really like as a minority. I know
that I think of inner city schools and the students that attend them as underprivileged and don't hold them to the same standards as I do others from
smaller more suburban towns. Going to Milwaukee this semester has been a culture shock and I think that reading this book...show more content...
I remember wishing and hoping that we would win the lottery one day and I could live the life of my dreams. No work or worries about what the
future holds would be how I would live my life. No matter how bad it ever gets, nobody can ever take away your dreams. It is a great way to escape
from your problems and at least for a little while you can live the life you've always wanted to live. I think that many people live through their dreams,
especially those people who come from the inner city. I think that is what helps them get through their lives in such horrid conditions. I also think that
the search for good friends was interesting. I can remember when I moved away from my friends and had to start all over in a new town.
It is scary when you don't know anybody and have to try to make new friends. Many of your young childhood friends will stay with you for a
lifetime. Today, I am still friends with many of my oldest friends. They have become like family. I want to say that this novel is a great way for
people to see how somebody from a diverse population lives. It is a great book from the view of somebody living a completely different life than I
have lived. I think it was very well written and is easy to read. This makes it a great teaching tool for children of younger age groups or college
students as well. I read this entire book at one sitting because it kept my interest the entire time. I couldn't wait to see what

Esperanza's Journey of Self-Discovery in House on Mango Street

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Esperanza's Journey of Self-Discovery in House on Mango Street