Esperanza’s Negative and Positive Influences “I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window” (11). The women in Esperanza’s life influence her search for identity by showing her negative and positive examples of women’s roles in her community. The House on Mango Street was written by Sandra Cisneros in 1984. The story takes place in the 50’s where women are required to follow society’s expectations. A young girl named Esperanza moves to Mango Street with her family and has experiences with other women that are struggling in life.
There are a few characters in the story that have a negative impact on Esperanza. A girl named Marin says to Esperanza, “What matters is for the boys to see us and us to see them” (27). This reveals that Marin only cares about getting boys to notice her. While she wants to get married and relies on a boy to take her away, Esperanza is the opposite, wants to be completely independent, and take care of herself. Rafaela is another woman who is a negative …show more content…
Alicia is a girl that does housework for her father, but she is smart and knows what she wants in life. Esperanza describes Alicia as “....young and smart and studies for the first time at the university” (31). Esperanza’s description highlights that Alicia is intelligent and that she works very hard at her university. Even though Alicia is being controlled by her father, she continues to work hard and pushes through her struggles. Esperanza’s aunt, Aunt Lupe is another positive influence for her. When Esperanza visits her aunt’s apartment, her aunt says, “You just remember to keep writing Esperanza, you must keep writing. It will keep you free” (61). Aunt Lupe’s advice reveals that she’s supportive of her and encourages her to keep writing poems. Esperanza needs positives in her life that support her to do her best and prove that working hard is always worth
There are a few characters in the story that have a negative impact on Esperanza. A girl named Marin says to Esperanza, “What matters is for the boys to see us and us to see them” (27). This reveals that Marin only cares about getting boys to notice her. While she wants to get married and relies on a boy to take her away, Esperanza is the opposite, wants to be completely independent, and take care of herself. Rafaela is another woman who is a negative …show more content…
Alicia is a girl that does housework for her father, but she is smart and knows what she wants in life. Esperanza describes Alicia as “....young and smart and studies for the first time at the university” (31). Esperanza’s description highlights that Alicia is intelligent and that she works very hard at her university. Even though Alicia is being controlled by her father, she continues to work hard and pushes through her struggles. Esperanza’s aunt, Aunt Lupe is another positive influence for her. When Esperanza visits her aunt’s apartment, her aunt says, “You just remember to keep writing Esperanza, you must keep writing. It will keep you free” (61). Aunt Lupe’s advice reveals that she’s supportive of her and encourages her to keep writing poems. Esperanza needs positives in her life that support her to do her best and prove that working hard is always worth