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The House On Mango Street Choosing One's Identity

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“In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters.” (Cisneros 10). The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan, Esperanza is a twelve-year-old girl who just moved into her new home on Mango Street but yet longs to belong in her own spot. Along with her friends, it is a journey of self-discovery and maturity. Amy, a Chinese-American girl is trying to make a first impression but conflicts herself with who she is. Both The House on Mango Street and “Fish Cheeks” present the theme of “Accepting one’s identity through evidence. The House on Mango Street presents the theme of “Accepting one’s identity”, through what the main character Esperanza says. In the text, she is trying to find herself and what she wants to be. She states, “I want to be like the waves on the sea, like the clouds in the wind, but I’m me. One day I’ll jump. Out of my skin. I’ll shake at the sky like a hundred violins.” (Cisneros 60-61). The quote explains Esperanza wants to have a purpose, she wants to be free but is herself. She hopes that one day she’ll become someone different. Therefore, the quote from The House on Mango Street means being someone else. …show more content…

“You want to be the same as American girls on the outside…But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different.

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