SMITH 1
Meghan Smith
Mrs. Fleury
Period: C
2 November 2015
Identity
During a lifetime, humans form around 10,000 relationships with those they meet and interact with. The majority of these relationships will not stand the test of time and are just a collection of memories that slowly fade into oblivion. Then there are those who severely influence and shape lives and make their memories and impressions everlasting. This concept can be analyzed through detailed literature, for example Sandra Cisneros’ novella “The House On Mango Street” supporting characters shape the main character Esperanza. Through the events in the novella, it is clear to the reader Esperanza develops a concrete set of morals and goals based on the people in her …show more content…
During Esperanza’s metamorphosis, her mother confides her regrets to her daughter, “‘Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard… Shame is a bad thing you know. It keeps you down. You want to know why I quit school? Because I didn’t have nice clothes. No clothes, but I had brains’” (Cisneros 90-91). Given her mother's experiences, Esperanza realizes just how important it is to acknowledge and fulfill her potential. Esperanza’s mother provides an example of her potential slipping through her fingers, but Esperanza interprets her mother's academic failures on a deeper level. While carrying her mother's words through the challenges Esperanza encounters, she discovers her own self worth. Esperanza’s harsh childhood environment seems to mirror her mother's in the past. Her mother's maturity and exposure to the sensitive subject of materialistic objects shines through in her remorse of her naive actions. Esperanza is able to learn not to indulge in materialism over the foundations of a successful life, without having to make the mistake herself. This allows her to set limitless goals due to her mother’s heavy influence on her life and …show more content…
At the prime of Esperanza's naivety, she expresses her desire to grow into a free spirit, “She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow...Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window” (Cisneros 11). This is the beginning of Esperanza's hope to never have a life resembling her great-grandmother's. Esperanza's great-grandmother left this world with her wild spirit held captive, this leads Esperanza to utilize her independence in her future experiences. Esperanza's great-grandfather treated his wife like property, this begins to set an image in Esperanza's mind of her future. She begins to discover an inner strength within herself that allows her to stand tall and not need the support of others around her. The fear of living her life on her elbow, forces Esperanza into a state of isolation towards the end of the
Meghan Smith
Mrs. Fleury
Period: C
2 November 2015
Identity
During a lifetime, humans form around 10,000 relationships with those they meet and interact with. The majority of these relationships will not stand the test of time and are just a collection of memories that slowly fade into oblivion. Then there are those who severely influence and shape lives and make their memories and impressions everlasting. This concept can be analyzed through detailed literature, for example Sandra Cisneros’ novella “The House On Mango Street” supporting characters shape the main character Esperanza. Through the events in the novella, it is clear to the reader Esperanza develops a concrete set of morals and goals based on the people in her …show more content…
During Esperanza’s metamorphosis, her mother confides her regrets to her daughter, “‘Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard… Shame is a bad thing you know. It keeps you down. You want to know why I quit school? Because I didn’t have nice clothes. No clothes, but I had brains’” (Cisneros 90-91). Given her mother's experiences, Esperanza realizes just how important it is to acknowledge and fulfill her potential. Esperanza’s mother provides an example of her potential slipping through her fingers, but Esperanza interprets her mother's academic failures on a deeper level. While carrying her mother's words through the challenges Esperanza encounters, she discovers her own self worth. Esperanza’s harsh childhood environment seems to mirror her mother's in the past. Her mother's maturity and exposure to the sensitive subject of materialistic objects shines through in her remorse of her naive actions. Esperanza is able to learn not to indulge in materialism over the foundations of a successful life, without having to make the mistake herself. This allows her to set limitless goals due to her mother’s heavy influence on her life and …show more content…
At the prime of Esperanza's naivety, she expresses her desire to grow into a free spirit, “She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow...Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window” (Cisneros 11). This is the beginning of Esperanza's hope to never have a life resembling her great-grandmother's. Esperanza's great-grandmother left this world with her wild spirit held captive, this leads Esperanza to utilize her independence in her future experiences. Esperanza's great-grandfather treated his wife like property, this begins to set an image in Esperanza's mind of her future. She begins to discover an inner strength within herself that allows her to stand tall and not need the support of others around her. The fear of living her life on her elbow, forces Esperanza into a state of isolation towards the end of the