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Sierra Rose
Humanities
19 Dec. 2014
Saving Yourself
Ernest Hemingway once said, The world breaks everyone and afterward many are
strong at the broken places. Hemingways words apply to Esperanzas story of how Mango
Street may break her and the people around her, but she is still able to mend over time, allowing
her to grow up to be a strong, independant woman. In the book The House on Mango Street by
Sandra Cisneros, a girl named Esperanza grows up in a barrio of Chicago in the 1960s. The
book is told through Esperanzas perspective as she matures and talks about how living on
Mango Street negatively affects herself and the people around her and how living on Mango
Street is destroying them. Because Esperanza learns from the mistakes of the women around her,
she discovers that her self reliance is the only option that can save her from Mango Street.
Marin is a good influence on Esperanza because she teaches her to not depend on a
stranger to change her life. For instance, Marin says if she stays here next year shes going to
get a job downtown because thats where the best jobs are since you always get to look beautiful
and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone on the subway who might marry you and
take you to live in a big house far away (Cisneros 26), Esperanza realizes how Marins plan of
escape is to rely on a stranger to save her from poverty. Esperanza can see how Marin tries so
hard to leave Mango Street with a man, but does not have any luck. Her lack of success
influences Esperanza by showing her that waiting for a handsome, rich man to come and take her
away from Mango Street is not going to get her anywhere.

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From Marins failure, Esperanza realizes that she needs to be independent in order to get out of
Mango Street. Another example of Marins influence on Esperanza is, Marin, under the
streetlight, dancing by
herself, is singing the same song somewhere, I know, is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall,
someone to change her life (Cisneros 27). This quote shows how Marins dependency on other
people to change her life is unrealistic. Yet, Marin repeats this routine without gaining anything
to show from it. This influences Esperanza to become a strong, independant woman who is
capable of saving herself instead of waiting for a man to come and take her away from her
troubles. Because of Marins influence on Esperanza, she learns that she has to be the one to get
herself out of Mango Street.
Alicia is a positive influence on Esperanza because she shows her that education is the
most realistic way she can guarantee her escape from Mango Street. Throughout the novella,
Esperanza talks about how Alicia studies hard in college so she can leave her abusive father and
get a better job rather than working in a factory or making tortillas (Cisneros 32). Alicia is
significant to Esperanzas own growth. She shows Esperanza that, in spite of growing up in an
abusive home, she is still able to work hard to get a good education so she can leave her home
and support herself. Alicias influence on Esperanza is strong because she is the first person to
show her that she can change her own fate with hard work and dedication to a goal. Furthermore,
Alicia additionally influences Esperanza to take care of herself and to depend on no one else . Is
a good girl, my friend, studies all night and sees mice, the ones her father says do not exist
(Cisneros 32). This quote shows how Alicia influences Esperanza with her persistence to not
give up on her future. As a result of Alicias influence on Esperanza, she becomes more self
reliant and able to take care of herself. Esperanza uses Alicias example to lead her through

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the rest of her life. Because of Alicias decision to get out of Mango Street by using her
knowledge, she influences Esperanza to become a strong, independant woman.
Sally has a strong influence on Esperanza. Esperanza sees how Sally poorly makes
choices and understands that she must not make the same mistakes. A good example is when
Sally marries a complete stranger to escape her fathers abuse. She met a marshmallow
salesman at a school bazaar, and she married him in another state where its legal to get married
before eighth grade (Cisneros 101). This quote is a perfect example of Sallys immature
decisions. She gets married around the age of twelve, to a marshmallow salesman, to avoid her
fathers abuse. Her desperate attempt to leave Mango Street, while proving successful, also
drives her into the arms of another form of abuse from her new husband. Thus, Sallys decision
to get married so young provides Esperanza with a negative view on marriage. Although Sallys
judgment can be clouded, her intentions are based off of the need to feel loved, which influences
Esperanzas decision to not get married and depend on another man. What Sally wants is to feel
the love of another man without being judged by the rest of the world (Cisneros 32). Sallys
needs stem from the ongoing abuse from her father. She then seeks out attention from other men
to satisfy her need to be loved. This causes Esperanza to look to other means of escape rather
than getting married and having to gamble with relying on a man to take care of her. She learns
from Sallys mistakes and uses them to sculpt her life.
Because of the influences of Marin, Alicia and Sally, Esperanza learns that her self
reliance is the only way she can get out of Mango Street. These three strong women try over and
over to leave Mango Street, however their attempts prove unsuccessful. Whether it means
staying out all night, waiting for a

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man to pick them up and take them away, studying day and night, at college, to get a good job, or
marrying a complete stranger; they all still remain on Mango Street. However, in their attempts
at escape, these women repeatedly show Esperanza that she can only depend on herself to get out
of Mango Street. This is a very important lesson for Esperanza and all young women to learn
because many women, all across the world, are finding themselves trapped in abusive situations
with no where to go and no resources to help them. A lot of girls find themselves unable to rely
on themselves for escape and end up in similar situations like Sally or Marin, who are stuck
waiting for a prince charming who never comes.

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Work Cited

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.