Esperanza's Social Identity In The House On Mango Street

Question 1

One of Esperanza’s social identities is that she is from a lower socioeconomic class. She and her family live on Mango Street which is characterized by poverty and limited resources. Another aspect of her social identity is her age. She’s a young adolescent girl and even though her exact age is not clear, the way her age is described is as if she is at a stage in her life where she’s experiencing physical, emotional, and social changes. Esperanza is entering the age where young people grapple with issues related to their identity, self-discovery, and the pressures of transitioning to young adulthood. Lastly, Esperanza’s ethnicity is another aspect of her social identity. Her cultural identity is connected to her community, she values

Her aunt Lala finds her a job at Peter Pan Photo Finishers and tells her to show up the next day. For an adolescent to need money and to think about getting a job is telling of the family’s economic hardships, one paycheck is not going to be enough for a whole family. The family home sounds small and run down, it’s described as, “Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in.” (Cisneros, p. 4). The home also only has one washroom, and all the family members must share a bedroom. Esperanza dreams of a home with running water and pipes that work, along with at least three washrooms, but due to the family’s socioeconomic class, that is all they can

In the chapter, Bums in the Attic, Esperanza states, “One day I’ll own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from. Passing bums will ask, Can I come in? I’ll offer them the attic, ask them to stay, because I know how it is to be without a house.” (Cisneros, p. 87), this captures her empathy and willingness to help those in need by offering them the attic of her future home. Esperanza later says, “Some days after dinner, guests and I will sit in front of a fire. Floorboards will squeak upstairs, the attic grumble.” (Cisneros, P. 87). I believe this portrays a sense of togetherness where Esperanza envisions herself hosting guests and fostering a sense of community in her future