House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a coming to age book concerning a chicana girl named Esperanza and the Mexican community around her. The book contains many dark moments and themes including criminal activity, rape, death, and abuse. Esperanza realizes many women suffer from abuse in the community. There are a variety of female roles in her life. However, many are trapped in abusive relationships and waiting for others to change their lives. Some are actively trying to change on their own, but make little to no progress. The reactions of the women and Esperanza’s reactions to them shows not only the hardships women face, but their power to overcome them.
Esperanza is the second youngest in her family. She bonds mostly with her younger …show more content…
Many women including Sally, Ruthie, Rafaela, and Alicia experience physical and or mental abuse from their parental figures or spouses as a result of grief or other reasons. Sally goes through a lot everyday and is even said to live a double life according to Esperanza. Sally wears makeup and dresses more maturely compared to Esperanza and other girls her age. When she reaches home she dials it back and takes of all her makeup. She goes through physical abuse with her father. While women like Esperanza’s mother, Marin, Mamacita, Minerva, and Rosa Vargas are stuck in a position due to financial reasons, kids, responsibilities and or marriage. Esperanza’s mom is a singer and loves the arts. She also had the chance to get and education but was to embarrassed to go because of her clothes. Once she got married she took on a whole new set of responsibilities. She also had children which further limited her. She eventually accepted her fate, but she still would love to see a show or piece in the future. She wants Esperanza to get an education and closes out the vignette with a powerful message, “Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down.”(Cisneros 91) She doesn’t want Esperanza to give up her
Esperanza is the second youngest in her family. She bonds mostly with her younger …show more content…
Many women including Sally, Ruthie, Rafaela, and Alicia experience physical and or mental abuse from their parental figures or spouses as a result of grief or other reasons. Sally goes through a lot everyday and is even said to live a double life according to Esperanza. Sally wears makeup and dresses more maturely compared to Esperanza and other girls her age. When she reaches home she dials it back and takes of all her makeup. She goes through physical abuse with her father. While women like Esperanza’s mother, Marin, Mamacita, Minerva, and Rosa Vargas are stuck in a position due to financial reasons, kids, responsibilities and or marriage. Esperanza’s mom is a singer and loves the arts. She also had the chance to get and education but was to embarrassed to go because of her clothes. Once she got married she took on a whole new set of responsibilities. She also had children which further limited her. She eventually accepted her fate, but she still would love to see a show or piece in the future. She wants Esperanza to get an education and closes out the vignette with a powerful message, “Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down.”(Cisneros 91) She doesn’t want Esperanza to give up her