How Does Sandra Cisneros Use Symbols In The House On Mango Street

In “The House On Mango Street”, Cisneros uses symbolism and repetition to communicate the theme that in order to find self definition, one must struggle with society’s ways. Esperanza portrays the area’s underprivileged women who want to improve their lives. She aspires to change the stereotypical life of a woman in her community, she seeks independence. Esperanza endures a lot of various transformations during the novel as she searches for identity and adulthood, looking for dependency and self-reliance from society’s ways rather than looking for solace and confidence in herself. Once she starts to realize the disparity, Esperanza develops. in the novel “The House On Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, the author uses symbolism to symbolize

Esperanza takes the attitude of how being in poverty makes you different to her only goal, to leave that house. Cisneros’ shows that the house represents Esperanza’s self pride and independence. She is seeking a way out of this place that is so horrible because of how social class works. Esperanza believes that living there is not who she is. Esperanza feels ashamed to live in such a house, she's ashamed of the type of person she is which is in poverty. Society has made up these rules that those in lower class are unworthy so in the act of searching to be someone else, Esperanza has to go through this. The second symbol that Cisneros used to help develop the theme of identity and society is when Esperanza, Lucy and Rachel wear heels outside then get male attention. In the novel “The House On Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, afterwards Esperanza recognizes, “We are tired of being beautiful. Lucy hides the lemon shoes and the red shoes and the shoes that used to be white but are now pale blue under a powerful bushel basket on the back porch, until one Tuesday her mother, who is very clean, throws them away. But no one complains”(Cisneros 42). The author uses the symbolism of these heels as her sexuality and