Esperanza grew up on Mango Street during her adolescent years, which led to her seeing things in a different way. The things she saw, people she met, and places she went affected her outlook on life greatly. She learned many different lessons from many different people, and these lessons helped shape her "ideal life" vision. Ruthie, Edna's daughter, always seemed a little out of it. Like most women on Mango Street, she has marriage problems. Somehow, despite what's going on around her, she manages to see the good things in life - staying happy and upbeat. She's an adult, yet manages to keep child-like qualities about her. I believe that she taught Esperanza how to see the joy in life, because that always seems to be what Ruthie would bring to her life. Another character is Alicia, who showed Esperanza that Mango Street would always be a part of her - she would have to come back, like it or not. Alicia helped her realize that her house was her one, even if she was ashamed of it, and taught her how to accept that as a fact. In total, she helps Esperanza have closure over living on Mango Street, which ends up being a very important and big step in Esperanza's life. …show more content…
Sally sticks out to me the most when thinking of who taught Esperanza. What she taught her might not have always been happy lessons, but they were things Esperanza would have to learn at some point in her life - a slap in the face kind of lesson. Sally had terrible father issues, which caused her to use any means to help her escape her family life. Esperanza understood that a life how Sally was living, wasn't a good life at all. She knew she wanted to grow up different, and that she didn't need a guy's attention to feel good enough. Sally was always trying to feel good about herself through someone else, convincing herself that every guy that told her they loved her was being honest. She had a huge impact on Esperanza's young life, and most importantly, showed her what love