In the House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, many of the characters struggle to find their place in society. Some of them choose to work hard to change their situation and what they have. Others accept their fate and try to make the best of what they have. However, all of them, in some way, have their own goals and dreams to accomplish. Through the theme of dreaming, Cisneros reveals the idea that success is the result of hard work, despite the challenges put on by society.
Throughout the novel, Cisneros describes the hardships and obstacles faced by those in the neighborhood and uses them to strengthen their hopes for accomplishing their dreams. Nearly all of them are in extreme poverty. Their houses have “bricks crumbling” (Cisneros 4) and “paint peeling” (5). This reminds them every day of what they work for which, in return, motivates them to keep work hard. Another obstacle they face is the strong racial divide. Many of the people in the neighborhood, including Esperanza’s parents, are immigrants and struggle to assimilate and find a place in society. They are forced out and treated as second-class citizens. They even live together …show more content…
The most influential of these is Alicia, who hopes to avoid “spending her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin” (32). In their neighborhood, the women are often stuck at home doing chores and rely on their husbands for money. This leaves them unable to make a living for themselves and, in turn, accomplish their dreams. This also creates a cycle of poverty that leaves them and the next generation poor. Alicia realizes this and decides to “study for the first time at the university” (31). However, this was not always easy as she has to take “two trains and a bus” (31) in order to make it to school every morning. Similarly to Alicia, Esperanza dreams of making a living for herself, free from a husband “to pick up after”
Throughout the novel, Cisneros describes the hardships and obstacles faced by those in the neighborhood and uses them to strengthen their hopes for accomplishing their dreams. Nearly all of them are in extreme poverty. Their houses have “bricks crumbling” (Cisneros 4) and “paint peeling” (5). This reminds them every day of what they work for which, in return, motivates them to keep work hard. Another obstacle they face is the strong racial divide. Many of the people in the neighborhood, including Esperanza’s parents, are immigrants and struggle to assimilate and find a place in society. They are forced out and treated as second-class citizens. They even live together …show more content…
The most influential of these is Alicia, who hopes to avoid “spending her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin” (32). In their neighborhood, the women are often stuck at home doing chores and rely on their husbands for money. This leaves them unable to make a living for themselves and, in turn, accomplish their dreams. This also creates a cycle of poverty that leaves them and the next generation poor. Alicia realizes this and decides to “study for the first time at the university” (31). However, this was not always easy as she has to take “two trains and a bus” (31) in order to make it to school every morning. Similarly to Alicia, Esperanza dreams of making a living for herself, free from a husband “to pick up after”