Mariam El Sayed

Mr Janosch

English class

April 12, 19

The house on mango street

The House on Mango Street​ is talking about in the book Esperanza is a girl who explains

her life and the lives of others in the neighborhood. She explains that her home is not what she

expected and how she wants to get out of there once she has the opportunity to do so.

Esperanza, a Mexican-American girl living in poverty, gives a loud voice to many characters

otherwise. She has a lot to judge about her life in Mango Street home and family, friends and

neighbors. The moments of joy and sadness the story is like a photo album, in every picture

shows of her life. Esperanza did not want to stay on mango street forever, she wanted to leave.

Esperanza is embarrassed by her family’s house and wants to leave her neighborhood

but later learns that mango street is a part of her identity. Esperanza is new to the street and

makes friends with Lucy, Rachel, Marin, and Alice. ​She makes a lot of friends, “I have two

new friends and a bike too”(cisneros page 15). This quote show how she made friends in mango

street and she wants to make more friends. Esperanza, struggles with her own ideas of identity

and success in her life​. Another evidence shows Esperanza is kind and nice to her friends, “ this

bike is three ways ours, says Rachel who is thinking ahead already, mine today, Lucy’s

tomorrow and yours day after” ( cisneros page 15 ). ​This quote explains that Esperanza is

sharing anything with her friends, she even starts sharing her bike with them which is with

someone each day. There she starts to grow up and becomes more mature in the mango street.
 Over time, Esperanza changed by her friends to mature mentally, sexually, and

emotionally. Such as her becoming aware of her growing, making friends, developing crushes,

and writing as a means of running away.​ After her grandfather died, she being assaulted after

she befriends Sally. Esperanza faster goes from a girl who loves playing outside to jumping and

telling stories to a young woman who dreams about boys. She have to deal with the people she

loves passing away, and has to come to deal with her family's poverty. “ sally went behind that

old blue pickup to kiss the boys and get her keys back, and i ran up three flights of stairs to

where tito lived”.( Cisneros page 97 ) This sentence showing Esperanza begin to start thinking

how the world mixing with boys and girls. Esperanza is feeling terrified of the women in the

neighborhood where she lives. It is a sexual manipulation of the boys. the boys play sex with

Sally, just them can win. Another evidence explain that Esperanza is begin grown up,​ “ you

gotta be able to know what to do with hips when you get them, i say making it up as i go”​.(

Cisneros page 50 ) ​This quote showing Esperanza thar is begin to start grown up by starting

talking about hips and how to wake to grab the boys to her.

She and her friends talking about hips and hips who started to develop, Esperanza seems to be

interested in scientific interpretations that contradict her poetic voice.

In end Esperanza want to leave Mango street but she is met one woman and takes

Esperanza aside and tells her that although she will be able to leave, but they must return to

others. Esperanza feels guilty for her wishes for such a selfish thing and tells her that she will

always be Mango Street. “ Alicia says. Like it or not you are mango street, and one day you’ll

come back too”.( Cisneros page 107) This quote shows Esperanza want to leave mango street

after all this happened, and ​Alicia’s aunt told her if you will leave you have to come back to
mango street. In end Esperanza did not leave Mango Street but has already disappeared

spiritually. The sisters feels they encourage her to be loyal to the experiences that have formed

her and her sympathy with those who lack her abilities and will to escape.

One of the most important themes of The House on Mango Street is hard to speak

english language. ​Esperanza first learns that the lack of language especially English means

powerlessness. This connection to myself when i came to USA, I were shy and I can’t talk with

anyone. That’s what happened with Esperanza when she came from mixco and she had one

language which is spanish. That’s why she was shy and she can’t speak talk with people unit

she met her friends and changed her.

 Work Cited

Cisneros, Sandra. ​The House on Mango Street. New York., Vintage Contemporaries, 1991.