The House On Mango Street Character Analysis Essay

The novella, The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros is about a young latina girl named Esperanza that is growing up in Chicago in 1984. Throughout Esperanza’s life she has been exposed to rough experiences that have shaped her into the girl she is today. Esperanza’s identity as a strong, independent and determined girl. In Esperanza’s life there have been many challenges she has had to deal with such as poverty, sexual assault and the stereotype of what a woman is and how one is supposed to act. Where those things challenged her they have shaped her into the strong, independent, and determined girl she is. “red clowns” explains the terrible experience for Esperanza where she’s waiting for her best friend but Sally never comes. Instead boys come and Esperanza is then sexually assaulted. Although it was a scary experience it allowed Esperanza to become stronger and to not be taken advantage of. “You’re a liar. They all lied. All the books and magazines, everything that told it wrong. Only his dirty fingernails against my skin, only his sour smell.” …show more content…
Esperanza grew up surrounded by the stereotype of what women are supposed to be and how they should act. That she needs to cook and clean and take care of everyone and their things. Her mom however is pushing her to reach and achieve her goals and become a writer. She is determined to leave Mango Street and go somewhere in life. There’s a part of the book where Esperanza says she’s having a quiet war with herself as she doesn’t push in her chair and she doesn’t take care of her plate. She’s taking the male role in her life and she's determined to do something with her