Opening To the Adult World In The novel, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, the protagonist, Esperanza discovers that “One cannot help those who will not help themselves.” Written in third person point of view, the author supports her theme by describing the setting of Mango Street, establishing the central conflict through her neighbors. This affects the work as a whole because Cisneros purpose is to open Esperanza’s eyes to the adult world through her role models Sally, Marin, and Alicia. Cisneros includes a mood of anxiety for the teenage reader. The authors treatment of teenage issues relates to the overall meaning of the novel showing “that growing up is difficult especially for young adults.”
Esperanza finds growing up especially difficult when she realizes the teenage girls in her neighborhood experience abusive and controlling relationships. Sally’s father physically abuses her. Her father thinks she is “going to run away just like his sisters who made the family ashamed” (92). Sally tried to help herself by staying with Esperanza’s family , however , when her father came to the Cordero’s house with tears in his eyes, sally agreed to come home when he said “this is the last time” (93). Esperanza eventually learns that physical and emotional abuse never truly ends.
The
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When esperanza shares her fears with one of the boys mothers about the monkey garden incident, she felt as if she was “ the one that was crazy” making her “feel ashamed”(97)All esperanza wanted to do after that incident was to “will my blood to stop , my heart to quit its pumping.”(97) Esperanza felt as if she couldn’t depend on anyone anymore after what she went through because of sally, “why did you leave me all alone? i waited my whole life. you're a liar, they all lied.”(100) Esperanza was devastated by what had just happened between her and