Ryan Gutierrez

Ms. Shaffer
English 1 GATE
21 September, 2016

The House on Mango Street Essay

We didnt always live on Mango Street (3). These were the words the reader will be
greeted with at the start at Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street. Simple words like these
will make you want to read more and more of a book. Sandra Cisneros decides to follow the life
of a young Hispanic girl by the name of Esperanza and some of the most important events of her
experience at her new home on Mango Street. During the story, it becomes obvious that
Esperanza despises her new home and the way her life seems to be going. With careful
evaluation, any reader can find many quotes to support a possible theme of the book, hidden in
the text. The theme being bad events will always happen to you, but you must focus on the good
aspects of life to come later.
In the beginning, Esperanza shows that she dislikes her new home. She explains this in
the following quote, But the house on mango street is not the way they told it at all (4). The
quote means that the way the house on Mango Street looks does not fit the description she was
given. In this chapter, Esperanza describes and compares her previous house to the one on
Mango Street. The inaccurate description of the house angers Esperanza, when she should be
looking into the many benefits of her new house, for example, how she no longer has to be quiet
since there isnt a landlord to tell her otherwise. This ties in with the theme because Esperanza
needs to focus on the benefits of her house.
Throughout the story, it is obvious that Esperanza has troubles with friends. She states
that she wishes she could have a real best friend to whom she can tell her troubles to and have

fun with. Esperanza says Someday I will have a best friend of my own (9), which displays the
theme because while Esperanza may not have good friends at that time, she knows that someday
she will have someone that she can really befriend.
With all the problems that Esperanza has with being happy and proud about her house she
becomes determined to have a house of her own as shown in the following quote, Not a flat.
Not an apartment in the back. Not a Daddys. A house all on my own (108). This quote shows
that Esperanza decides that she will have a house of her own later in her life. Once again, the
quote fits the theme because Esperanza is displaying hope in her future that she wants have a real
house, instead of focusing on how hard it will be to accomplish that goal.
Clearly, Sandra Cisneros is trying to push out the message that the reader should focus on
the good things to come. All through The House on Mango Street, Esperanza's constantly
mentions topics about how she dislikes her neighborhood and the road her life seems to be
taking. All the quotes shown before easily prove the theme as they have to do with either
Esperanza focusing on the positive aspects of certain events in her life with the exception of the
first piece of evidence as it shows Esperanzas need to focus on the positive aspects of current
events. The theme can be helpful to the readers own life as those who follow the theme may
enjoy their life much more than those who do not. It can also make the reader much more proud
about their actions and can strengthen their willpower and beliefs.

Rubric rating submitted on: 10/2/2016, 11:37:56 AM by ashley.shaffer@salinasuhsd.org

2

Hook
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Thesis
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Topic Sentence 1
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Review Evidence
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Universal Connection
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Evidence Formatted/Cited
Correctly
Your score: 1

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Evidence Clearly

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Connects to Thesis
Your score: 1

Comments:
M.U.G.: 9/10
Rubric rating submitted on: 10/12/2016, 4:02:42 PM by ashley.shaffer@salinasuhsd.org
2

Hook
Your score: 1.5

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Background Evidence
Your score: 2

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Thesis
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Topic Sentence 1
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Topic sentence 2
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Topic Sentence 3
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Your score: 2
Restate Thesis
Your score: 2

Present

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Review Evidence
Your score: 1.5

Present

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Absent

Universal Connection
Your score: 2

Present

Partially Present

Absent

Evidence Formatted/Cited
Correctly
Your score: 2

Present

Partially Present

Absent

Evidence Clearly
Connects to Thesis
Your score: 2

Present

Partially Present

Absent

Comments:
M.U.G.: 9/10