Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2004.
ISBN-13 : 978-0679734772
Plot Summary:
The House on Mango Street is a beautiful book of vignettes about a year in the life of Esperanza Cordero. Although Sandra Cisneros writes every chapter as a stand alone reading, each one enhances the story of Mango street. The Mango Street home was the defining object of Esperanza’s life and helped her to discover who she was and where she wanted to be.
Throughout this book Esperanza is on a journey to find out who she is. She is the narrator and main character in the book. Through the characters she interacts with she decides what she wants and what she doesn’t want for herself. She speaks of her namesake and says she hopes she doesn’t inherit “her place by the window.” The window looking out to the world symbolizes the barrier Esperanza hopes to break. She is a strong willed girl who has big dreams.
Characters:
The House on Mango Street is just over 100 pages. It is a relatively short novel. However, it is filled with characters that shape Esperanza. The small book mentions over 20 characters. Throughout the book Esperanza describes the many people in her life, from her family to her first friends. Through these interactions you can see how she matures and grows. They keep her innocent like in the story of the joint purchased bike. And they steal her innocence like in the story of the carnival. She describes each character and how they influence her life in both negative and positive ways, here are a few.
The house on Mango Street was itself was a character in the book. The home was something that she used to define who she was. Although she says it was the first home they owned and didn’t share with anyone, she was embarrassed by it. She didn’t want to belong to it. The home showed her that she wanted something better. She wanted a home she “could point to” without feeling shame. The home that she will live in one day will be safe and as “clean as paper before the poem.”
One of the first friends we are introduced to in The House on Mango street is Cathy. Cathy says very clearly that her family needs to move away because of the type of people moving in. Esperanza realizes right away that Cathy is talking about her and her family. She is hurt and embarrassed but accepts their friendship even if it is just until Tuesday. This is the first time the reader feels the shame that is to come from Esperanza and her home life. In a sharp contrast, we meet Rachel and Lucy who live across the street and are latino like Esperanza. Their friendship starts with a joint bike purchase. With just a five dollar investment, Esperanza can partially own a bike that will bond them in friendship. The bike is a great example of community.
The men and woman in Esperanza’s life are in two distinct categories. She herself says boys and girls “live in two separate worlds”. Even her brothers won’t speak to her outside of their home because she is a girl. It is clear that Esperanza is not comfortable or willing to accept the gender roles that define her family and community. The reader sees very early on the independent feminist Esperanza is developing into. She realizes at a very early age the unfairness of the patriarch.
My personal favorite character in The House on Mango Street is Alicia. Esperanza feels the most inspired and connected to Alicia. You read about her on both chapters 14 and 42. She is a great symbol for where Esperanza is and what she can be. Alicia listens to Esperanza and she validates her feelings and offers advice. She also shows by example that you can work for change. Alicia takes on the role of her mother but also studies at the university. She is a strong role model for Esperanza.
Characters were not the only things that represented growth and development for Esperanza. In the book Esperanza is given a bag full of shoes. The shoes represent adulthood and maturing. Esperanza and her friends enjoy strutting around in the shoes. They love the way they look and feel in them. However, they are not prepared with what comes with the attention the shoes bring. They ok with taking them off and being done with them, at least for a while.
Reflection:
I really enjoyed this book. I loved seeing parts of my childhood and culture reflected on these pages. I grew up on the westside of San Antonio and I can remember looking at my own street and thinking it looked like Mexico. Years before I had ever visited. My parents were so proud of our home. My dad designed and helped built it, my mother still lives there. As a child, I couldn’t appreciate what it was to my parents. I just knew I wanted more. As an adult I have such a different perspective. I feel so proud of my parents for making their dream come true. I am so proud to take my kids and show them what dad made for my mom.
There are so many places in the book that were relatable to my childhood. The quote, “a woman’s place is sleeping so she can wake up early with the tortilla star.” made me stop reading and digest. It brought me back to what my mother and grandmother were. What was expected of them. They woke with the “tortilla star” and did it with joy. It was what they took pride in. I can remember as a child being angry that my mom had to serve everyone before she sat down. Like Esperanza, I was a young budding feminist. I remember being annoyed with my dad for asking for salt knowing my mom hadn’t eaten yet. But when I look back as an adult, there was something so beautiful in that culture. My mom never felt held back she was happy to sacrifice for us. She says it was her job and what she took joy in. Sometimes it feels like the further we remove ourselves from the traditions of the past the more they are just lost forever. I don’t want or expect my daughters to serve or sacrifice more than my son, but I want them equally to find purpose and joy in a strong family unit.
For the 25th anniversary of The House on Mango street, Sandra Cisneros gave an interview to NPR. In the interview she says she started the book to give a voice to someone who was as unique as she was. She wanted people to relate to Esperanza and her childhood. The book was created as a reaction to feeling displaced and unrepresented. This beautifully written book is giving representation to so many people but also giving permission and encouragement to create your own story. To make something that reflects you when you can’t find it already there. I hope a new generation of readers will be inspired to do just that.
NPR. (2009, April 9). ‘house on Mango Street’ celebrates 25 years. NPR. Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102900929
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