Essay Comparing The House On Mango Street And Princeless

“She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be.” (Cisneros). Being trapped into a domestic lifestyle is what many of the women face in the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Princeless by Jeremy Whitley. The House on Mango Street is a collection of short stories about a young girl named Esperanza who wants to escape from her home and the expectations that come with being a Mexican girl such as looking pretty, obeying the men of the house and being a common housewife. On the other hand, Princeless is about another young girl named Adrienne who wants to escape from her tower and define her own role as a princess. Although the former is a coming of age novel and the latter is a …show more content…
The House on Mango Street, takes place in the real world or at the very least or more realistic world, specifically in modern day Chicago. The setting makes The House on Mango Street makes the story more believable and relatable because there are still many women around the world today who are stuck in oppressive households. For example, women who live in places like Russia or Mexico are often stuck in domestic household roles and are not allowed to fight back against their husbands whether it would be because of the law or cultural tradition. To contrast this, Princess takes place in a fantasy world where dragons and magic exist. It can make it harder for people to connect this to reality because of the unrealistic elements of the story. One may see the story as a simple, illustrated fairytale instead of a story challenging female stereotypes. It is harder to make the connection if one were to read this story casually compared to having a more analytical