In many stories, a character’s identity is influenced and shaped by the world around them to develop who they are. In the fictional narrative, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, readers sink into the depths of a significant period in a character’s life when she explores the real world and uncover its secrets. Esperanza has finally moved to a house on Mango Street, however, as she interacts with the people and things in her surroundings, she discovers that there are many hardships packaged in life—the presence of racial detestation, the captivity of status and gender, and the reality about a person’s character and desires. Cisneros surrounds Esperanza with inspirational people and objects to prepare her to rise above the hopelessness
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In fact, Cisneros uses simple forms such as trees and Esperanza’s inherited name to create a steady journey for Esperanza as she stumbles upon decisions, realizations, and experiences. Regardless of the ordinary objects in life, Esperanza discovers inspiration in four skinny trees that are planted on the sidewalk in concrete in front of her house, “Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not belong here but are here… They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger” (75). These four trees are described as “skinny,” with “skinny necks and pointy elbows” like Esperanza, which shows both their physical appearances are similar in a way. This adjective illustrates how many people in the neighborhood will automatically prejudge things based on their physical appearance and assume the trees are weak and unhealthy when they actually are powerful and strong. Such people will jump to conclusions about Esperanza before they actually get to know her just because she lives in a small poor house and is a female. “Four that do not belong here but are here” refers to Esperanza and her siblings, because her parents dreamt of a house in a better condition but live “temporary” (3) here at Mango Street. It demonstrates how they have to adapt to their environment and fight through difficult obstacles in their way to make the best out of what they have. The scene of the trees grabbing “the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger” represents how the four trees thrived in their environment and will not let anything get in the way of their existence, because their “anger” acts as the motivation, in
In fact, Cisneros uses simple forms such as trees and Esperanza’s inherited name to create a steady journey for Esperanza as she stumbles upon decisions, realizations, and experiences. Regardless of the ordinary objects in life, Esperanza discovers inspiration in four skinny trees that are planted on the sidewalk in concrete in front of her house, “Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not belong here but are here… They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger” (75). These four trees are described as “skinny,” with “skinny necks and pointy elbows” like Esperanza, which shows both their physical appearances are similar in a way. This adjective illustrates how many people in the neighborhood will automatically prejudge things based on their physical appearance and assume the trees are weak and unhealthy when they actually are powerful and strong. Such people will jump to conclusions about Esperanza before they actually get to know her just because she lives in a small poor house and is a female. “Four that do not belong here but are here” refers to Esperanza and her siblings, because her parents dreamt of a house in a better condition but live “temporary” (3) here at Mango Street. It demonstrates how they have to adapt to their environment and fight through difficult obstacles in their way to make the best out of what they have. The scene of the trees grabbing “the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger” represents how the four trees thrived in their environment and will not let anything get in the way of their existence, because their “anger” acts as the motivation, in