KarenItzelVejar

HonorsEnglishFreshman
Mr.Phillips
September2,2015
TheHouseOnMangoStreet
TheHouseOnMangoStreet
isasmallnovelaboutayoungMexicangirlwho
grewupintheUnitedStatesofAmericawithherfamily.Inthebeginningofthenovel,it
explainedthelifestyleEsperanza,theprotagonistofthenovel,livesby.Shelivesin
sorrowandmisery,butshecantgetout.Throughoutthestory,theauthor,Sandra
Cisneros,hasdifferenttechniquesofshowingdifferentkindsofthemesthroughoutthis
novel.Theauthorusesthetechniqueofsymbolismcolors,shoes,andnamesto
conveythemessageofherbeingstuckandnotmovingforward,thetotaloppositeof
whatEsperanzawants.
Thesymbolismofnamesispresentedinthechapter

MyName,
.
Whenreading
thischapteryoucanfigureoutandrealizehowdisgustedEsperanzaiswithherown
name.Iwouldliketobaptizemyselfunderanewname,anamemoreliketherealme,
theonenobodysees.ThisisoneexampleofhowSandrasymbolizesEsperanza
beingstuck,othergirlsorboysenjoytheirnameandliveperfectlyfinewithit.Not
havingapastattachedontotheirskin,makingthemstaybackwhilethepeoplearound
themkeepmovingforward.WellthisisexactlyhowEsperanzafeels,sheiscompletely
lostinherownmind.Earlierinthechapter,sheexplainshowhergreatgrandmother
hadtheexactname,andwasjustbroughtdowntoher.Thenonpage11itbrieflysays,

Ihaveinheritedhername,butIdontwanttoinheritherplacebythewindow.By
referringbacktothischapter,youwillnoticehowmiserablehergrandmotherwas.
Sittingbythewindow,inmisery.Justlookingout,knowingnothinggoodwillcomeher
way.Nohappines.SinceEsperanzaknowsthisabouthergrandmother,shefearsthat
thesamethingwilloccurtoheraswell.Shesopenmindedandhasgoalssetupfor
herself,buteachdaythatgoesbyshekeepslosingthathopeandstillremainsstuck.
Personally,Idon'tfeelthiswayaboutmyname,soIwouldn'treallyknowthekindof
painEsperanzahastogothrough,andIdontneedto.Theauthorshowsthiskindof
painsowell,thatitmakesthereaderemotionalandfeelliketheyrewithher,atthat
moment.Amuddycolor.ItistheMexicanrecordsmyfatherplaysonSunday
morningswhenheisshaving,songslikesobbing.Theadjectivessandrausedinthis
text,clearlyshowsthatthenameEsperanzaisnotthekindofnamethatshapesher
ordefinesEsperanzathewayshewantstoberepresentedas.
Initially,thesymbolicofnamesisnottheonlywaytheauthorsymbolizedthe
themeofbeingstuckandnotmovingforward.Sandrahadalsousedthetechniqueof
shoes.Whenreadingthisnovel,youwillcometoaconclusionandrealizethatinmost
ofthechapterstheauthorslipsintheshoesymbolization.Inthechapter,
Chanclas
Esperanzatellsushowitwashercousinsbaptismandshegotthisnewprettypinkand
whitedress.Thedresswasprettybuttheshoeswasnt.Shehaddescribedthemas
OldsaddleshoesIweartoschool,whichclearlyshowshowtheyarentnewandshe
wearsthemnearlyeveryday,gettingdirtydayafterday.Everyonesayswow,whoare
thosetwowhodancelikeinthemovies,untilIforgetthatIamwearingordinaryshoes.

Shekeepsgoingbacktotheseshoes.Why?Asyoucantellinthepreviousline,Sandra
describedthemasoldsaddleshoes,butthenshebringsthembacktowhenEsperanza
wasdancingbecauseshewantedtoshowthereaderhowEsperanzafeelslikesheis
beingpulledbackeverysingletimesomethinggoodwantstocomeherway.When
EsperanzasUncleaskshertodance,sheautomaticallyrejectsanddescribesherfeet
as,swelledbigandheavylikeplungers.Evenwiththesmallestfeatures,Esperanza
feelsdisgusted.Whichcauseshertochangeherperspectiveonsomanythings,
makingherfeelevenmorestuckthanshealreadyis.Idragmyfeetacrossthe
linoleumfloor.InmyopinionIfeelliketheauthorhadusedthistoshowthereaderthat
nomatterhowhardthesituationis,Esperanzastillhasthathopeandcontinuestopush
through.Yeah,Esperanzafeelsprettyandfeelslikeshehasthecouragetogooutin
therealworldandfaceanything.Butthisonlyhappenswhensomeonethatsnother
makesherfeelthisway.Letssayforinstancethatthecrowdorthepeoplewhohad
beenwatchingEsperanzadancedidnotsaythiscompliment,butstartedjudgingher
andmakingfunofhowshelooks.Herselfesteemwoulddropevenlowerthanitreally
is.Intheendofthechapter,shehadstatedthattherewasthismanwatchingherdance
allnight,hiseyesonEsperanza.Frommybackgroundknowledge,Iclearlyknowhow
girlsareandhowtheyenjoytheattentiontheygetfrompeople,especiallyifit'sfrom
men.Itmakesusfeelliketherereallyarepeoplewholoveusandrespectus.Thisis
exactlyhowEsperanzafelt.Eachtimesomethingdoesntfither,likethepairofshoes,
sheautomaticallygetsdownonherselfanddoesntthinkpositively.Esperanzamightbe
abletomoveherhead,growup,butherfeetwillalwaysbestuck.

Therearemorethanjusttwotechniquesusedinthisnovel,thelastoneisthe
symbolismofcolors.Theauthorhasawayofcreatingmoodwiththesecolors.Notonly
doestheauthorcreatemood,butwithcertaincolorsyoucanfigureoutwhatSandrais
tryingtopointout.
Boys&Girls
usesthecolorred,whichstandsforherbeingstuck,she
cantmoveforward,andherbeingtrapped.UntilthenIamaredballoon,aballoontied
toanchor.FromwhatIknow,anchorsareusedtokeepsomethinginplace,keepit
steady.Esperanzawantsabestfriendofherowninthischapter,shenoticeshow
Nenny,hersister,hasitallgreat.Fromhernametohersociallife.Inthebeginningof
thechapteritsayshowherbrothersarenttobeseeninfrontofgirlsbytheirfriends,
includingEsperanzaandNenny.EsperanzacantbewithNennybecausesheistoo
youngwhichmakesherallalone.Everything,everydetailcomesbacktoEsperanza
andherfeelings.Intherealworldweknowhowbaditfeelstohavenofriendsandbe
alone.Notagreatfeelingbecauseonceyoustartgettingthisfeeling,soonerorlater
youcometotheconclusionandthinkthatnoonewantstobearoundyou.Ineithercase
yourenotgoodenoughoryourejustnotgoodwithpeople.Startsoffwiththissmall
feeling,thenitturnsintobeingsomethingbigger.SometimeinEsperanza'slifeshewas
letdownwaytoomanytimes,that'swhyshesalwaysnegativeabouteverything.This
innocentgirlknowsshewillbecomebetterandthingswillimprove,ifshedidntthenshe
wouldntbemakingfuturegoalsforherself.Redisabrightandstrongcolor.whichcan
besymbolizedasmanythings.Canbesymbolizedforpain,beauty,blood.Inthiscase,
itsymbolizespain.Onceyoureallystartgettingeverythingtheauthoryouwillrealize
thepainEsperanzaisin.Thisanchorispullingherdown,causinghernottoletgoand

stillstayinthesameposition.Inthiscase,sheisaballoon.Esperanzaknowsthather
daywillcome,sheknowsshellescapethisone.Holdingonalittlelongerneverhurt
anyone.
Inconclusion,SandraCisnerosdidnotjusthaveonetypeoftechniquetogether
pointacross.Sheusedthesymbolismofcolors,names,andshoesalltoshowhow
Esperanzabeingstuck,notmovingforward.Clearly,sheaddedmoretechniques,but
whenreadingthisnovelthesethreearetheonesinwhichstandoutthemost.Each
techniquehasitsowntoshowhowEsperanzaisstuck.Shoesshowhownomatter
whatshedoeswithherupperbodyshewillalwaysbestucksomehow.Colors,express
thepainshehashadandthestrugglesshehadtoface.Name,showshowEsperanza
isunhappyevenwithhername!Verystrongwaytousetothesetechniques..notonly
doesitproveathemebuthooksthereadermoreandmoreintotheauthorspurpose.