Martin 1 Melody Martin A.P. English 4/Composition A.R. 5 September 201 !

he "idden Strength The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a short no#el abo$t Esperan%a& a yo$ng 'atino girl& gro(ing $p in a poor neighborhood o) Chi*ago. !hro$gho$t the boo+& Esperan%a sho(s that she is di))erent )rom many o) the girls she is )riends (ith. ,n the )inal *hapter& she states that she (ill lea#e Mango Street be*a$se she is too strong )or it to hold her. !his re#elation is not spontaneo$s& b$t an a**$m$lation o) her gro(th d$ring her time on Mango Street. Esperan%a-s strength is demonstrated many times in the no#el. ,n the *hapter ./ea$ti)$l and Cr$el&. Esperan%a says .... , ha#e de*ided not to gro( $p tame li+e the others (ho lay their ne*+s on the threshold (aiting )or the ball and *hain..., am the one (ho lea#es the table li+e a man& (itho$t p$tting ba*+ the *hair or pi*+ing $p the plate 0112 134.. She sho(s that she is strong by going against her *$lt$re& (here it is *$stomary )or (omen to be s$bser#ient and (or+ (ithin the home. /rea+ing this *y*le (hen #irt$ally all aro$nd yo$ adhere to the same& arg$ably se5ist& g$idelines *an be *lose to impossible. "er desire to go against the norm not only sho(s strength& b$t *o$rage and bra#ery. !his dream o) es*aping her limitations as a (oman does not mean she (ill )orget her roots. A moti) thro$gho$t the no#el is her desire to o(n a ho$se. She does not (ant her h$sband to o(n a ho$se& b$t that she (ill be independent. She states the opinion that ri*h people that li#e on hills )orget those that str$ggle to s$r#i#e belo(. !he *hapter ./$ms in the Atti*. re#eals her plan to help others in need by allo(ing them to stay in her atti*. !he strength to remember (hat

Martin 2 it (as li+e gro(ing $p poor and $npri#ileged (hen yo$ be*ome s$**ess)$l is a strength that many do not possess.