Sandra Cisneros The House On Mango Street

Education is the passport to freedom. This is shown in Sandra Cisneros series of vignettes, “The House on Mango Street”. Esperanza is a 12 year-old Mexican American, who moves to Chicago with her family. She is very embarrassed about her life because her family has very little money. The book explain the many hardships Esperanza has in her childhood. Both Alicia and Esperanza’s view on education and writing as a better way to life. Through these and other characters, Cisneros suggests that education offers a path of freedom. Esperanza looks up to people that surround her. Esperanza is talking about her friend Alicia, who works hard to achieve a better life. Cisneros write, “...because she doesn’t want to spend her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin” (31-32). This quote explains that Esperanza grows up in a poor neighborhood, with low expectations. She grows up in an environment where working in factories and tending to families is the future she is told she will have. Her friend Alicia decides that she wants a better life than that. Alicia studies at the university to prove that she can escape her told fate. Alicia’s hard work shows Esperanza that education can lead to a better life. …show more content…
Esperanza is at her Aunt Guadalupe’s home, reading one of her poems to Lupe. Cisneros writes, “You must keep writing. It will keep you free…” (61). This quote explains that Esperanza receives important advice from the ones who are the closest to her. Esperanza reads Lupe a poem about one day accomplishing more. Her aunt reassures her and tells her that Esperanza is good at what she does and she needs to stick with it because writing will set her free. Lupe is referring to education and is telling Esperanza that if she works for it, that it will send her far from where she is now. Aunt Lupe’s wise words of writing give Esperanza hope in achieving success in education to have a better