The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, is a coming of age novel about Esperanza Cordero, a young girl growing up during the 20th century in a society ridden with prejudice. The characters feel the need to assimilate into American culture and society and give up their Spanish heritage in the process. To demonstrate this process, Cisneros utilizes literary elements throughout her writing, such as metaphor to enhance the central theme in Esperanza’s narrative that self-expression in a foreign culture is difficult. Esperanza’s lack of expression causes her to be lonely because she does not have a friend with whom she can be truthful with, about all of her thoughts and feelings. She believes that one day she will have a best friend to
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It is not confined to the ground, not grounded by gravity. However, her balloon is confined to the ground by an anchor, which keeps it from being free. Esperanza’s anchor comes in the form of obstacles of possible friendship. Esperanza is weighted down by Nenny’s young age and Carlos and Kiki’s male gender, which despite being Esperanza’s brothers, prevents them from talking to girls outside of their house. Thus, a barrier is created between the relationship of Esperanza and her brother. Cisneros’s central idea that when we are prevented from expressing ourselves and connecting with others and therefore become unhappy is also shown in the vignette, No Speak English. Mamacita and her child are from an unnamed Spanish speaking nation but are brought to the U.S. by ‘the man’ who saved up his money so that Mamacita could make the trip. However, once entering the United States, Mamacita is frowned upon for wanting to express herself freely by speaking her native language. Accordingly, she confines herself to the apartment of ‘the man.’ Over time, she begins to miss her homeland more and more and one day says to ‘the man’ that she is sad again. “¿Cuándo, cuándo cuándo? she asks./¡Ay, caray! We are home. This is home. Here I am and here I stay. Speak English. Speak English. Christ!/¡Ay! Mamacita, who does not belong, every once in a while lets out a cry, hysterical, high, as if he had torn the only skinny thread
It is not confined to the ground, not grounded by gravity. However, her balloon is confined to the ground by an anchor, which keeps it from being free. Esperanza’s anchor comes in the form of obstacles of possible friendship. Esperanza is weighted down by Nenny’s young age and Carlos and Kiki’s male gender, which despite being Esperanza’s brothers, prevents them from talking to girls outside of their house. Thus, a barrier is created between the relationship of Esperanza and her brother. Cisneros’s central idea that when we are prevented from expressing ourselves and connecting with others and therefore become unhappy is also shown in the vignette, No Speak English. Mamacita and her child are from an unnamed Spanish speaking nation but are brought to the U.S. by ‘the man’ who saved up his money so that Mamacita could make the trip. However, once entering the United States, Mamacita is frowned upon for wanting to express herself freely by speaking her native language. Accordingly, she confines herself to the apartment of ‘the man.’ Over time, she begins to miss her homeland more and more and one day says to ‘the man’ that she is sad again. “¿Cuándo, cuándo cuándo? she asks./¡Ay, caray! We are home. This is home. Here I am and here I stay. Speak English. Speak English. Christ!/¡Ay! Mamacita, who does not belong, every once in a while lets out a cry, hysterical, high, as if he had torn the only skinny thread