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CeceKucan
CarolCabreraandMollyKrauthoefer
9thgradeHumanitiesandWritingSeminar
January23,2015

StandUp
Whatwouldyoudoifyouhadafriendwhowasbeateninherownhome?Wouldyougo
tosomebodyandgethelp?Orstayquietandletherdealwithitonherown?Becauseincertain
neighborhoodsinthelate1960s,itwasusuallythelatter.
TheHouseonMangostreet
,written
bySandraCisneros,andisaboutayounggirlnamedEsperanzawholivesinalowincomelatino
neighborhoodinChicago.Sheliveswithherparentsandthreesiblingsinasmallredbricked
housethatshesashamedtocallhome.ThroughouttheyearthatEsperanzalivesthere,shemeets
manynewpeoplemakingafewfriendsalongtheway.Butshealsohassomeexperiencesthat
havechangedher.Therearemanyincidentsthroughoutthestorythatinvolvedomesticviolence
andsexualabuse,andeventhoughtheyallarentdirectlyaboutEsperanza,theydoaffecther
greatly.
BecauseofEsperanzasneighborhood,shefindsherselfsurroundedbydomesticviolence
whethersheknowsitornot.Thesesituationsstarttoruboffonhertowhereshebelievesthat
womenshouldbetreatedpoorlybytheirhusbands.Forexample,inthetext,thereisacharacter
namedRafaelawhoistrappedinherhousebyherownhusband,andeveryTuesdayShethrows
acrumpleddollardownandalwaysasksforcoconutorsometimespapayajuice,andwesendit
uptoherinapapershoppingbagsheletsdownwithclothesline(Cisneros88).Esperanzaand

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herfriendsdontevenquestionit.TheyknowthatRafaelaisstuckinthathouselikeaprisoner,
andyettheydonttrytohelpher.Itneverevencametomindbecausetothem,thatshowthings
aresupposedtobe.Rafaelaisnttheonlywomantheyvemeetthatsbeenabusedtheresalso
Minerva.Shehasahusband,andthenshedoesnt,Butthatnighthecomesbackandsendsabig
rockthroughthewindow.Thenheissorryandsheopensthedooragain.Samestory(93).
EsperanzaisawarethatMinervashusbandhitsherandyetshedoesntdoanythingtostopit.
Shekeepshermouthshutbecauseshebelievesthatthereisntanythingthatshecando.So
Minervahastodealwithitallonherown.Notonlyaretheyignoringtheproblembuttheyre
doingitbecausetheyvebeenconditionedto.Theenvironmentthattheyresurroundedbyand
growupinraisesthemtothinkthatthosekindsofrelationshipsarenormal.Theybelievethatits
okaytobetalkeddowntoandtakeabusefromamanbecausetheyareawoman.
Astheygrowuptheystarttorealizehowwrongeverythingis,butstillnoonespeaksup.
Sallygoestoschoolclearlybeatenup.Shesavictim,whileeveryoneelsearebystanders.At
homeshedgethit,Thenatschoolshedsayshefell.Thatswherealltheblueplacescome
from.Thatswhyherskinisalwaysscarred.Butwhobelievesher(100).Everyoneatschool
knowsthereasonwhySallyiscoveredinbruisesanditsnottheclumsyaccidentsshesbeen
telling.Therealreasonisbecauseofherdad.Everyoneknowsthatshedoesntgohometoa
placethatshessafeinandnobodydoesanythingtochangeit.EsperanzatriedtohelpSally
once,butitdidntgoasplanned.ShewantedtosaveSallyfromthreeguyswhobulliedherinto
givingeachoneofthemakiss.SheevensaidsointhetextIdontknowwhy,butsomething
insidemewantedtothrowastick,(104).Esperanzatriedtodotherightthingandgethelpby
askinganadult,butwaswavedoff.Soinstead,shestoodupforherfriendherselfbecause
somethingtoldherthatitwastherightthingtodo.However,theyalltoldhertogoaway.Even

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Sallysaidtoleavesoshedid.ThoughthefactthatSallyhadaccepteditanddoesnttrytofight
itorgethelp,reallyshowsthatshesgivenuponherself.ButEsperanzahasnt.Shewantstobe
somebody,andsheknowsthatshecantdothatisshesalwayscleaningupaftersomebodyelse
whodoesntevenappreciateherliketheyshould.Whosholdingherbackfrombeingallthatshe
wantstobe.Esperanzaknowsthatwomenhavepowerovertheirlifeandthatsomegetittaken
away.Soshesgonnaholdontoitrealtightsoasnottoletitslipthroughherfingers.
InEsperanzasneighborhood,manyyoungwomenhavebeensexuallyassaultedbut
nothingisdonetostopit.Esperanzaherselfhashadafewincidentswhereshewassexually
abusedanditstartedwhenshewasjustalittlegirl.Athernewjob,aguyaskedherfora
harmlesskissthatshedebatedwhetherornottogive.IthoughtIwouldbecausehewassoold
andjustasIwasabouttoputmylipsonhischeek,hegrabsmyfacewithbothhandsandkisses
mehardonthemouthanddoesntletgo,(63).ThiswasthefirsttimethatEsperanzawas
assaultedandithappenedwhenshewasstillsoyoung.Havingtolieaboutheragebecauseshe
wasntoldenoughtoevenwork.Heaskedherforabirthdaykissandhegotit.Thoughitmay
havebeenthefirst,itdefinitelywasntthelast.Theworstexamplewasdefinitelywhenshewas
rapedatthecarnival.Theonewhograbbedmebythearm,hewouldntletmego.HesaidI
loveyou,spanishgirl,Iloveyou,andpressedhissourmouthtomine,(108).Esperanzawas
yellingforSally,butshedidntcomenobodydid.Despitegoingthroughsomethinglikethat,
shesstillsostrong.Shegotbackonherfeettofollowherdreamofbuyingherownhouse.
Esperanzawantedtogosomewhereandbesomethingandtoldherselfthatitwasgoingto
happennomatterwhat.Shedidntletwhathappenedtoherruintherestofherlife,andinstead
shegotbackupandcontinuedon.

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In
TheHouseonMangoStreet,
Esperanzahasbeensexuallyassaultedmorethanonce
andknowsoffriendsorneighborsthatareavictimsofdomesticviolence.Eventhoughthese
incidentsarentalldirectlyaboutEsperanza,theyhavechangedherlifeinmanydifferentways.
Shespickedherselfupoffofthefloormanytimes,allsothatonedayshewouldnthaveto.She
wasrighttodosoanditwasbecausesheknewthatwomenshouldbetreatedbetterthanthey
werewhenshewasgrowingup.Shewantedachangeanditsbecauseofpeoplelikeherthat
women'srightshavechanged.Esperanzahasbeenthroughsomuchinjustoneyearandstillgoes
onsothatshecanreturnforthepeoplesheleftbehind.

WorksCited
Cisneros,Sandra.
TheHouseonMangoStreet
.NewYork:Vintage,1991.Print.