Losing one's innocence can greatly impact how one sees the world. Someone with a higher level of innocence may not be able to understand everything happening around them. However, those with more innocence can have a more positive effect on how we see the world, viewing it from a happier and more resilient perspective. The novella The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, highlights how initially, an individual may have a higher level of innocence and hopefulness for the future and, therefore, need a better understanding of the more mature events going on in their lives. However, throughout their life, they may be put into different situations that take away their innocence, consequently taking away that positive and hopeful view they had of the world around them. …show more content…
She understands this and realizes that she needs to get out. The more she loses her innocence, the more she realizes that she will not accomplish her dreams unless she can escape Mango Street and the destiny that is waiting for her. She does not view Mango Street the same anymore. When she finally says goodbye to Mango Street, she says “...but what I remember most is Mango Street, sad red house, the house I belong but do not belong to.” This shows that she has a more depressing view of Mango Street compared to the beginning of the novella where she simply saw the house as a place to live in. Mango Street now has a negative connotation that reminds her of a terrible period in her life. She does not belong to Mango Street anymore, and she does not want to have anything to do with it. The loss of innocence due to the trauma she experienced shifted how she viewed her environment and the people around her. Throughout the novella The House on Mango Street, we see Esperanza make her way through her life and slowly lose her innocence and the positive and negative effects that this has on