This document provides context and objectives for analyzing the novel House on Mango Street through feminist and class lenses. It discusses the author Sandra Cisneros and setting of the novel in a Latino neighborhood in Chicago in the 1950s, following the protagonist Esperanza through vignettes of her childhood. It defines vignette and introduces analyzing the work through feminist and class literary lenses. The document also provides historical context about Chicago in the 1950s and an activity having students analyze details in pictures and their inferences. It discusses how lenses can change one's perspective and gives examples of initial student reactions analyzing a magazine advertisement through feminist and class lenses.

1. House on Mango StreetBy: Sandra Cisneros

2. Do Now:Please refer to the images on your handout. You have five minutes to list as many details you see in each of the pictures.

3. Details: Picture 1

4. Details: Picture 2

5. Details: Picture 3

6. Our inferences and predictions

7. ObjectivesObjective: Describe the context of the novel House on Mango Street.Define two critical lenses: feminist lens and class lens.

8. House on Mango Street Context:the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situationSandra Cisneros: Mexican-American author of House on Mango StreetSetting: Latino neighborhood in Chicago during the 1950s. Describes Esperanza (protagonist’s childhood through a series of vignettes)

9. House on Mango Street Vignette: a small, graceful literary sketchFeminist Literary Lens: Class Lens:

10. Chicago 1950sAround 1950 Chicago is an industrial town with many different ethnicities and races are present to work and prosper. Black, Irish, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Italian, Greek and many others are all represented at this time. Advancements in science and industry are occurring as well.

11. Open the Envelope Just to get a better feel of the history of Chicago at this time we are going to have a group activity. Please in the next three minutes with a partner place all the things that were happening within Chicago at the time on the left and those that were not on the right. Let’s check in three minutes .

12. Now our lensesWhat happens when we view the world through a kaleidoscope, rose colored glasses, diamond studded sunglasses?Our perspective changes…

13. Feminist Lens

14. Initial Reactions?List three of your initial reactions…Another students reaction…Description: Shows Rebecca Romijn is almost naked in this skimpy white bikini. She is holding a glass of milk and has a milk mustache. I think she is in Times Square. The most obvious feature is her “ideal” body. This disgusts me because this is supposed to be an advertisement for milk. I think it is saying a little more than just “drink milk.”

15. Continued…Analysis: The message sent is that she looks good from milk (I highly doubt that). While milk should be the most important part of the advertisement, it is clearly looked over because she’s half-naked. I doubt that anyone is going to look at the glass of milk first. The purpose of this half naked body has to be to get the attention of the trendy magazine reader.

16. Now a class lens…

17. Student’s Description Description: This is a magazine advertisement. On one side it says “there’s digital” with a picture of a metal slide. On the other side it says “Then there’s canon digital” with a picture of a colorful rollercoaster.

18. Student’s Analysis Looking at this test through the Marxist lens, it seems as though they are implying that the canon is only worthy of taking pictures of people at expensive amusement parks. The canon digital camera could never take a picture of a child playing on a simple slide. Therefore they are implying that if you cannot afford to take the family to an amusement park regularly then the canon digital camera is not for you.

19. Student’s ConclusionConclusion: This text implies that only those with a lot of money can afford the canon camera.

20. Now your turn…You are going to receive an advertisement and complete the same task. DescriptionAnalysis ConclusionUse your flash card to help you!