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House On Mango Street

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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a fictional novel about a twelve year old girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in a poor Latino neighborhood in Illinois, on Mango Street. Esperanza dislikes and is ashamed of her house on Mango Street because it represents her family’s poverty. During this time, all women are forced and controlled by the men. In her neighborhood, most women are restrained by their fathers or husbands, leading them to wait for someone to change the present society and let woman free. However, Esperanza is different from all of the woman and strives to be independent from her poverty and men. Esperanza struggles to live in her neighborhood on Mango Street because her house symbolizes her poverty and she is affected …show more content…

She explains how her whole life, Esperanza's family of six have moved several times because of financial issues. Before, when she had lived on Loomis a nun from her school had made Esperanza feel remorse as the nun confront her with a remark saying, “You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing”(Cisneros 5). Esperanza understands that her house is lacking in appearance; however, it saddens her even more when others address the type of condition she is living in . As the story continues, she again describes how her house house and economic state can stop her from achieving many opportunities such as making friends, going to a catholic school, and becoming free. Esperanza states, “... I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor,” as she was explaining her incapability of finding her own friends. In this scenario, Esperanza is inferring that she is balloon who is bright and is capable in taking on new challenges; but, her being poor and her house portrays the anchor that is holding her from pursuing her dreams and goals in life. Since Esperanza's house brings her shame and reminds her of her hardships she is inspired to become self dependent and live a free …show more content…

Esperanza chooses to not be overpowered and controlled by any men in her life as she has decided work hard to establish a life of independence. To be able to become successful in life Esperanza concluded, “I needed money. The Catholic high school cost a lot, and Papa said nobody went to public school unless you wanted to turn out bad” (Cisneros 53). In order for Esperanza to accomplish her hope of breaking away from the poverty of Mango Street, she is courageous in finding money in starting an education, which is not common for people similar to her. Esperanza chooses to live a different life filled with education so she will have the pleasure of creating self definition from her current society and culture. She is one of the only woman in her neighborhood who is capable of escaping the idea of inequality from men and neediness that is upon all woman in civilization. It is typical for woman to be kept in the house by their husbands, doing housework however, Esperanza states that, “One day I’ll own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from” (Cisneros 87). Not only is she stating her separation from other individuals, but she is also expressing that even though she never grew up in her dream house, she will never forget her memories or lessons she experienced on Mango Street. Although Esperanza has the ability to move away and begin a new life,

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