Growing Up In The House On Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros

Everyone goes through the struggle of trying to define themselves and become a more enlightened, effective, and giving person. In the coming-of-age novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza is a Latina girl that goes through many experiences in Chicago that shape her into the non-traditional person that she became when she matured. Sandra Cisneros showed the many experiences and lessons Esperanza has gone through in her life to shape herself from being a naive person to become enlightened and responsible.

Growing up is an important experience Esperanza goes through throughout The House on Mango Street. For example, Esperanza realizes that “home is where the heart is”(64) after visiting Elenita, the witch woman. This

For example, Alicia is considered a positive role model. She “inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness” and “is a young and smart and studies for the first time at the university.”(31) This shows that Alicia is a woman that is non-traditional and independent. She has to deal with doing the traditional things women are supposed to do, like cook, but non-traditionally wants to continue her education so that she can live a happy life when she is older without having to deal with men. In addition, Sally is a negative role model. She married a man to escape, but he will not “let her talk on the telephone” and “let her look out the window.”(102) This shows that Sally is a kept, traditional woman that attempted to use her sexuality for freedom, but failed. Sally is a negative role model because she taught that sexuality would bring her freedom, when instead it did the opposite and got her trapped in a relationship with no chance of escaping and being independent. The negative and positive role models in The House on Mango Street had a big impact on Esperanza and the way she lived her

For example, in the chapter “Chanclas,” Esperanza goes from being self conscious and embarrassed about herself to being confident when forgetting about her brown shoes. This teaches me that at this time in my life it is normal to be behaving in a self conscious way, but as I grow older I will realize that there are more important things to be worrying about and the material things in life are not one of them. In addition, in “No Speak English,” Mamacita refused to speak English in fear of losing her culture. This teaches me that it is very important for me to keep my culture and that sometimes we are going to wish for things to stay the same. There are many times when I disappoint my parents because I do not know much about my Ethiopian culture, but this chapter allowed me to understand the importance of me having an appreciation for both my Ethiopian and American culture. The House on Mango Street has taught me many important