Sandra Cisneros The House On Mango Street

In Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, a young, impoverished girl with Hispanic origin, named Esperanza adapts to her new life in Chicago, on Mango Street. Throughout her time living on Mango Street Esperanza observes how other people are living around her, especially women and young girls like her. Esperanza has a variety of female role models in her life. Many are trapped in abusive relationships, waiting for others to change their lives. Some are actively trying to change things on their own. Through these women and Esperanza’s reactions to them, Cisneros’ shows not only the hardships women face, but also explores their lack of power to overcome them.
Very early on in The House on Mango Street Esperanza encounters multiple women who are living in abusive relationships or are stuck raising and providing for children on their own. One example of these women is Rosa Vargas. She is a mother to one too many children, who often misbehave: “…how can they help it with only one mother who is tired all the time from buttoning and bottling and babying, and who cries every day

These women were her role models because they inspired her to overcome the hard times she faced. She was also inspired by people like Alicia, who were actively trying to change things for themselves. If it weren’t for these women who were present in Esperanza’s life she might not have been so determined to show that she, as a female, doesn’t lack the power to overcome the hardships she has faced. Most of the women who served as role models to Esperanza had given up and didn’t believe they had the power to overcome the same hardships Esperanza faced. With Esperanza’s promise to come back for these women after she succeeds, she is hoping to change their beliefs on what they are capable of and the power they