Identity In The House On Mango Street

The Fundamental Features That Make People Distinct

An individual’s identity is comprised of a combination of features that makes them unique among others. This differentiation occurs because the features of a person’s identity are applicable to all facets of life, and people live in a variety of situations. Factors that impact one’s identity include ethnicity, social status, religion, and gender because each component applies to a specific part of a person’s life, and therefore allow for much distinction among people to emerge. In the novel, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, the story is told through the eyes of a young girl named Esperanza–a reluctant occupant of Mango Street–who experiences a great deal of development and learns

Marin meets him at one of the many dances she attends, and he is someone she commonly dances with. In regard to Geraldo, Esperanza explains how he is “just another brazer who didn’t speak English”, and is nothing more than “just another wetback”(66). Geraldo’s ethnicity causes people to form preconceptions about him as a person before truly getting to recognize his character. This formation of prejudgments about Geraldo creates a personality that is completely defined by his ethnicity, which in turn leads to people viewing him as nothing more than his ethnicity and not being able value him as the independent person that he really is. People view him as simply a stereotype and are unable to look past this view where in reality he has a kind and caring personality, as he works very hard and lives in awful conditions in order to send money back home to his family. Geraldo’s identity is impacted from preconceptions because people will never be able to look deeper into him as a person, rather than on the outside looking in, thus never truly being able to know and appreciate him as his

Sally is a very beautiful girl who attracts many boys at school. Her religious father sees her beauty as dangerous, and thinks that “to be this beautiful is trouble”(81). In addition, Esperanza remarks how Sally’s father has formed this strong opinion due to his beliefs: “They are very strict in his religion”(81). Her family’s religion causes Sally to not be able to express herself as she would like because it is very strict and therefore expects that beauty is not to be very openly expressed, and actions such as dancing are forbidden. However, these aspects of Sally’s life are very important to her and are vital in maintaining her uniqueness, as she performs them to gain attention and be seen as attractive. Although it is her own familys’ ideals that hold her back and prevent her from truly being able to obtain an independent grasp at life the way that she would like it. This leads to Sally being held back from her own way of expressing her feelings through her attractiveness bringing upon the resentment she feels for her family and religion, as these are the primary limitations in the way of her personal expression. Furthermore, Sally endures severe physical abuse that is inflicted by her father. Esperanza reasons, “But Sally doesn’t tell about that time he hit her with his hands just like a dog, she said, ‘like if I was an animal. He thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the