Literary analysis—how-to, step by step using "Four Skinny Trees" from House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

1. Research-Related TEKS
• brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon
a topic, and formulate a major research
question to address the major research
topic.[20A]

2. What is Literary Analysis?

3. What is Literary Analysis?
It’s moving from
the shallow end
of reading…

4. What is Literary Analysis?
It’s moving from
the shallow end
of reading…
…to the
Deep end.

5. What is Literary Analysis?
The House On Mango Street
“Four Skinny Trees”
By Sandra Cisneros

6. “Four Skinny Trees”
Take a few minutes to read the
vignette in The House On Mango
Street, Page 74

7. “Four Skinny Trees”
Now let’s analyze:
What’s going on here?
What does this vignette mean?

8. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Onyourcopy,circlethe
pronouns
inthisparagraph

9. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.

10. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Who are
THEY?
Who is
ME?
???
Who is
Nenny
?

11. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Onyourcopy,
underlineexamplesof
personification

12. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Whyarethese
examplesof
personification?
Whodoesthe
personification
reallyreferto?

13. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Now,drawboxes
aroundexpressionsof
imagery…

14. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things. Can’tyoujustsee
thisimageinyour
mind’seye?
Whoelsewas
PLANTEDhere,but
byherparents?

15. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Now,drawboxes
aroundexpressionsof
theme…

16. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand
me. I am the only one who understands
them. Four skinny trees with skinny necks
and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do
not belong here, but are here. Four
raggedy excuses planted by the city. From our
room we can hear them, but Nenny just sleeps
and doesn’t appreciate these things.
Whatthemedo
thesetoptwo
linesconvey?
Whattheme
doesthisline in
themiddle
convey?

17. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Thisisanexampleof
whatliterarydevice?
(Itstartswitha“P”)

18. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Wow!You’veanalyzedthefirstparagraphofthis
vignetteandalreadyyou’vefoundexamplesof:
•Personification
•Imagery
•Theme
•Paradox

19. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
THISisliteraryanalysis!
(Notdifficultatall,huh?)
This is exactly the kind of thinking you’ll
use to write your research paper.

20. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Let’sdothesecond
paragraphtogether
now…

21. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.

22. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
First,whocantellus
whatdictionis?

23. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
Let’slookathow
dictionhelpssetthe
toneofthis
2nd paragraph…

24. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
ConsideringCisneros’
wordchoice(diction),
whatistheTONEofthis
partofthepassage?

25. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
NowLet’slookathow
personificationhelps
setthetoneofthis
2nd paragraph…

26. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
Wherearesome
examplesof
personificationinthis
paragraph?

27. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
SeehowCisnerosusesboth
dictionandpersonification
toestablishTONE?

28. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me.
I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy
elbows like mine. Four who do not belong
here, but are here. Four raggedy excuses
planted by the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t
appreciate these things.
Finally,let’sanalyze
whichpartsof
paragraph#2illustrate
theme…

29. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
Whereisthe
strengthof
thetrees?
Inwhatwayis
thissecret?
Whereis
Esperanza’s
strength?
Inwhatwayis
thissecret?

30. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious
roots beneath the ground. They grow up and
they grow down and grab the earth between
their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent
teeth and never quit their anger. This is how
they keep.
“secretstrength”…
“thisishowthey
keep”…
Whatdoyouinferthe
themetobe?

31. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Let one forget his reason for being, they’d
all droop like tulips in a glass, eah with their
arms around the other. Keep, keep, keep,
trees say when I sleep.
Let’smoveonto
paragraph#3to
analyzeotherways
Cisnerosconveys
theme…

32. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Let one forget his reason for being, they’d
all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their
arms around the other. Keep, keep, keep,
trees say when I sleep.

33. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Let one forget his reason for being…
If someone “forgets his reason
for being”, what is happening in
their mind? What does this
mean?

34. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Let one forget his reason for being, they’d
all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their
arms around the other.
If the trees “all droop like tulips
in a glass, each with their arms
around each other”, are they
doing? What does this mean?

35. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Let one forget his reason for being, they’d
all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their
arms around the other.
Can you spot the simile in that
sentence?

36. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Let one forget his reason for being, they’d
all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their
arms around the other.
Canyouspotthesimileinthatsentence?
(Remember:similesarecomparisonsthat
alwayscontainthewords“like”or“as”.)
HereCisnerosusessimiletoconveyatheme
ofmutualsupport,atoneofcompassion.

37. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
Let one forget his reason for being, they’d
all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their
arms around the other. Keep, keep, keep,
trees say when I sleep. They teach.
Whileshesleeps,Esperanzaimaginesthatthe
treesareurgingherto“keep,keep,keep”.
Whatdoesthismean?
Whatthemedoesitsuggest?

38. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep
keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks, then it is that I look to the trees.
When there is nothing left to look at on the
street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four
who reach and do not forget to reach. Four
whose only reason is to be and be.
Lastbutnotleast:let’s
analyzeParagraph#4
fortoneandtheme…

39. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep
keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks…
HowisEsperanza/SandraCisnerosfeeling
here?
Whatdoesthattellyouaboutthetone?

40. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep
keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks, then it is that I look to the trees.
Why is it that when Esperanza is
feeling weak and sad she looks at the
trees?
What do the trees give her?
What does this suggest about theme?

41. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep
keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks, then it is that I look to the trees.
When there is nothing left to look at on the
street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four
who reach and do not forget to reach. Four
whose only reason is to be and be.

42. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep
keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks, then it is that I look to the trees.
When there is nothing left to look at on the
street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four
who reach and do not forget to reach. Four
whose only reason is to be and be.
Why does Esperanza repeat the word
“four”here?

43. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep
keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks, then it is that I look to the trees.
When there is nothing left to look at on the
street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four
who reach and do not forget to reach. Four
whose only reason is to be and be.
What does this say about the trees?
What does it mean to Esperanza?

44. Four Skinny Trees
Sandra Cisneros
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep
keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks, then it is that I look to the trees.
When there is nothing left to look at on the
street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four
who reach and do not forget to reach. Four
whose only reason is to be and be.
“…whose only reason is to beand be.”
What does this suggestabout theme?