The House On Mango Street Gender Roles Essay

One cultural aspect presented in The House on Mango Street is gender roles. Throughout the book, I noticed differences between the roles of men and women in society. There are several similarities and differences between gender roles in the Hispanic culture and my own culture, the Indian culture. By researching and reflecting on the two different cultures, I gained more knowledge on the characters and plotline of The House on Mango Street. While researching, I learned about several similarities and differences between gender roles in the Hispanic culture and the Indian culture. In both cultures, the men work to provide for the family, whereas the women care for the children at home. For example, in The House on Mango Street, Esperanza’s father works while her mom cares for Esperanza and her siblings. In addition, men enjoy privileges that are denied by females in both cultures. For example, education is an area where men and women are not treated equally. In my own family in India, the men are highly educated, whereas the women do not receive as much education. I believe a major cause for this similarity is because the main expectation of women in both cultures is to provide for the family. In the Indian culture

I was also able to understand Esperanza’s life more clearly in The House on Mango Street by learning more about her culture. In addition, I reflected on the gender roles in my own culture and gained more knowledge on how it affects my daily life. By exploring the reasons behind the several similarities and differences, it allowed me to make connections between my culture and Esperanza’s culture. In conclusion, learning more about gender roles in the Hispanic and Indian cultures has helped me become more internationally minded and knowledgeable on my own culture as well as another