The document discusses the novel "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros. It is about a young Mexican-American girl named Esperanza coming of age in a working-class Chicago neighborhood. The author Sandra Cisneros shares similarities with Esperanza as a Mexican-American woman growing up in the same environment. The novel portrays the challenges faced by Latino women in a culture that sees them as lower class and values women for their appearance rather than character. Cisneros aims to illustrate the barriers Latino women face to be treated equally through Esperanza's story.