The House On Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros

Throughout history, women are often seen as inferior. But many of them step up to change this common opinion and also prove that they can shape the future. In the novella, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the role of women is discussed. Esperanza is a girl who is not proud of who she is and is still trying to find her place. Through her struggles, she often looks up to the women she grows up with. Esperaza has a variety of female roles in her life. Many are trapped in abusive relationships, waiting for others to change their lives. Some are actively trying to change things on their own. Through these women and Esperanza’s reactions to them, Cisneros shows the hardships women face, their power to overcome them, and mostly how they …show more content…
This was not the case with Esperanza’s great grandmother. In the vignette, “My Name”, Cisneros writes, “My great-grandmother. I would’ve liked to have known her, a wild horse of a woman, so wild she wouldn’t marry” (Cisneros 11). This lady probably stuck out from the crowd because it was not traditional to stay independent, and this was probably why Esperanza admired her. She says that her Mexican culture does not like their women strong and they had no authority, so Esperanza’s great grandmother was forced to be married anyways. This shows the problems women went through because of the lack of power and control even over their own lives. Esperanza’s great-grandmother was a role model to Esperanza by valuing freedom and independence, even though it was not given to …show more content…
Esperanza’s mother personally experienced this issue and is now trying to pass this wisdom onto Esperanza. From the vignette, “A Smart Cookie”, Cisneros writes, “Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down. You want to know why I quit school? Because I didn’t have nice clothes.” (Cisneros 91). Esperanza’s mother has many talents and skills. But she decided that her appearance was too embarrassing to continue her education. Later on, she wishes she would not have cared more in the past of other’s opinions so she could have gotten an education and had a job. Now she cannot grow more in life and is limited to what she has now. Esperanza is going through the same problem her mother did: being ashamed of who she is. Her mother fears Esperansa will make a similar mistake. By passing on this knowledge now, Esperanza can accept who she is and be more self-dependent. Then she can have a happier future. Esperanza’s mother is a role model to Esperanza because she wishes to be the best she can be even though most of her chances are gone. By learning from her mistake, she can guide Esperanza to the right