Esperanza is a songbird learning to sing. She is introduced in Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street as a young Hispanic girl who struggles to fit in with her community and seeks refuge in her writing. Esperanza is inundated with a multitude of experiences both positive and negative while living in this part of rundown Chicago, imprinting her views of the society and herself. Esperanza’s ethnicity, residence, and career all shape her identity into one of acumen and aplomb towards the end of the novel. Esperanza’s ethnicity identifies her to be of the same race as the residents of her ghetto and family, all the while hindering her as she explores possibilities for herself. Esperanza shares her view “we aren’t afraid. All brown all around,
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This illustrates the security she feels amongst people of her own culture to be staunch. When presented with unfamiliar surroundings her “knees go shakity-shake,” implying that people of other races will do her harm because of her background. This is the root of her hesitancy and intimidation whilst confronting those unfamiliar to her. At one point Esperanza had wanted to work so she could pay for a better education. However, once she started working at a photo prints business she recalls “when lunchtime came, I was scared to eat alone in the company lunchroom with all those men and ladies” (54). Esperanza is too shy to eat “with all thoe men and ladies” and settles instead for sitting with a man who seems kind. Unfortunately, this trait of trusting others too easily resurfaces in multiple parts of her story, proving that her faith in people of her colour arose from her ethnicity. Also, Esperanza’s family serves as a brick of foundation in her mundane world. Her best friend is her sister, and they share a medley of experiences that nobody else can replace. Esperanza reflects “Nenny and I don’t look like sisters...but me and Nenny, we are more …show more content…
She identifies herself as one after Aunt Lupe tells her “keep writing, Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn’t know what she meant” (61). Esperanza enjoys writing poems and stories because she can make up a life for herself, whatever she desires, even if it is only in a story. Her Aunt Lupe shares this secret with her at a time where Esperanza “didn’t know what she meant”. When she came into contact with another woman, Minerva, “she lets me read her poems. I let her read mine. She has many troubles” (84-85). Here Esperanza relates to Minerva because writing helps them both escape their lives for a moment. Poetry is used to tell the story of their lives and hopes and ambitions. Soon Esperanza puts “it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much...she set me free” (110). Writing about her experiences on Mango Street help her overcome the adversity she felt and lets her tower over her previous struggles, becoming an ambitious and determined young
This illustrates the security she feels amongst people of her own culture to be staunch. When presented with unfamiliar surroundings her “knees go shakity-shake,” implying that people of other races will do her harm because of her background. This is the root of her hesitancy and intimidation whilst confronting those unfamiliar to her. At one point Esperanza had wanted to work so she could pay for a better education. However, once she started working at a photo prints business she recalls “when lunchtime came, I was scared to eat alone in the company lunchroom with all those men and ladies” (54). Esperanza is too shy to eat “with all thoe men and ladies” and settles instead for sitting with a man who seems kind. Unfortunately, this trait of trusting others too easily resurfaces in multiple parts of her story, proving that her faith in people of her colour arose from her ethnicity. Also, Esperanza’s family serves as a brick of foundation in her mundane world. Her best friend is her sister, and they share a medley of experiences that nobody else can replace. Esperanza reflects “Nenny and I don’t look like sisters...but me and Nenny, we are more …show more content…
She identifies herself as one after Aunt Lupe tells her “keep writing, Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn’t know what she meant” (61). Esperanza enjoys writing poems and stories because she can make up a life for herself, whatever she desires, even if it is only in a story. Her Aunt Lupe shares this secret with her at a time where Esperanza “didn’t know what she meant”. When she came into contact with another woman, Minerva, “she lets me read her poems. I let her read mine. She has many troubles” (84-85). Here Esperanza relates to Minerva because writing helps them both escape their lives for a moment. Poetry is used to tell the story of their lives and hopes and ambitions. Soon Esperanza puts “it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much...she set me free” (110). Writing about her experiences on Mango Street help her overcome the adversity she felt and lets her tower over her previous struggles, becoming an ambitious and determined young