House On Mango Street Freedom Essay

620 Words3 Pages

There are many aspects of life which we desire such as materialistic desires and happiness. Among the things that we desire, freedom is the most abstract and indispensable one. In The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza, the main character, struggles trying to escape from poverty and getting restricted by men. From Esperanza trying to get out of Mango Street by education, to Esperanza’s mom giving up education, to Sally escaping from her dad by marrying a man, Cisneros suggests that only independence can offer a better life and freedom. Alicia and Esperanza are the only characters in the book who hope to find freedom through writing. By knowing that this is an autobiographical book and the fact that Esperanza …show more content…

Another major character in the book, Sally, marries a man. Sally may think that she has escaped from her dad’s cruel treatment but has not realized that being dependent on another person will only end her up in the cycle of abuse again. For many women on Mango Street, looking out of the window is seen as the last hope of freedom, and her husband even bans her from doing so. “ She likes looking at the walls, at how neatly their corners meet, the linoleum roses on the floor, the ceiling smooth as wedding cake. (102)”. She spends her days sitting at home and looking at objects. She is not allowed to talk on the telephone or get out of her own house. Even the very little freedom that she can have is taken away from her. Although Sally has a nice house, it is not a house of her own, but more like a cage. From illustrating the examples of women trying different ways to escape, The House on Mango Street reveals that only independence can offer a better life and freedom. If the readers are suffering from poverty and being restricted by men, hopefully they will learn how to become independent and set themselves