The House On Mango Street Conformity Essay

Childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; on other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and terror. In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros plagues the protagonist’s, Esperanza Cordero, childhood with horrible events that skew her view on society. By showing characters conform to society’s standards like Sally, Rafaela, and Minerva, who submit to their controlling husbands, Mamacita, who moves to America despite loving Mexico, and Esperanza, who hangs out with boys even though she does not want to, Sandra Cisneros reveals the meaning of the work as a whole, which is that conformity to society is detrimental to ones individuality. Society demands that young women marry young and respect the wishes of their husbands. Because of this demand, many characters in this book completely submit to their husbands despite being treated poorly. For example, Sally, Esperanza’s very close friend, conforms to societies demands and marries at a young age. “Sally got married, young and not ready…married before eighth grade…he won’t let her talk on the phone…nobody gets to …show more content…
One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever” (110). By saying this, Cisneros shows the reader that that if you learn not to conform to society, then you can escape the dark depths that society has to offer, but if you conform, then you will be trapped in the darkness of society like Sally, Rafaela, Minerva and Mamacita, which once again illuminates the works meaning as a whole, which is that conforming to society is detrimental to