“We know what we are, but not what we may be.” These words of William Shakespeare describe the struggle of searching for self-definition and identity. The novel The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, exemplifies the human struggle to find one’s purpose in life. The main character, Esperanza, grows in her search for identity throughout the novel by observing others. Events that emphasize this growth are when Esperanza discusses her name and the history of it, her poems that she shares with her Aunt Lupe, and when she begins to find her purpose after she meets Lucy and Rachel's aunts.
The first event that emphasizes Esperanza's growth is her discussion of her name and the history behind it. Esperanza states that “In English my name means …show more content…
The three aunts visit Mango Street after Lucy and Rachel’s baby sister dies following a battle with a fever. The tragic event allows Esperanza to meet the sisters who claim to see her potential and “had the power and could sense what was what”. The sisters ask Esperanza her name and remark how Esperanza is “special” and how “she’ll go very far” which show how the aunts immediately see promise in Esperanza’s journey of growth (Cisneros 104). The aunts ask Esperanza to make a wish for anything she wants and assure her that it will come true. One of aunts calls Esperanza over and tells her “When you leave you must remember always to come back for the others”. She also reminds Esperanza that “You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can't erase what you know. You can't forget who you are” (105). This statement brings a sudden realization in Esperanza who, for the first time, sees her purpose and underlying selfishness in her quest for a better life. Esperanza promises the aunt that she will remember to come back to Mango Street. Esperanza later reaffirms this promise and growth in her quest for identity when she states that “One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away” and people “will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones …show more content…
This growth is shown when Esperanza discusses her name and the history of it, the poems that she shares with her Aunt Lupe, and when she begins to find her purpose after she meets Lucy and Rachel's aunts. In Esperanza’s observation of her grandmother, Esperanza found a purpose in her search for identity by refuting the legacy that shares her name. By observing Aunt Lupe, Esperanza found encouragement in her budding growth as a writer. Esperanza's observations of Lucy and Rachel's aunts allow her to find purpose as a rescuer of the people of Mango Street. This novel shows how the shaping of one’s identity may result from the unlikeliest of situations and by observing the past, one can properly prepare for the
The first event that emphasizes Esperanza's growth is her discussion of her name and the history behind it. Esperanza states that “In English my name means …show more content…
The three aunts visit Mango Street after Lucy and Rachel’s baby sister dies following a battle with a fever. The tragic event allows Esperanza to meet the sisters who claim to see her potential and “had the power and could sense what was what”. The sisters ask Esperanza her name and remark how Esperanza is “special” and how “she’ll go very far” which show how the aunts immediately see promise in Esperanza’s journey of growth (Cisneros 104). The aunts ask Esperanza to make a wish for anything she wants and assure her that it will come true. One of aunts calls Esperanza over and tells her “When you leave you must remember always to come back for the others”. She also reminds Esperanza that “You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can't erase what you know. You can't forget who you are” (105). This statement brings a sudden realization in Esperanza who, for the first time, sees her purpose and underlying selfishness in her quest for a better life. Esperanza promises the aunt that she will remember to come back to Mango Street. Esperanza later reaffirms this promise and growth in her quest for identity when she states that “One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away” and people “will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones …show more content…
This growth is shown when Esperanza discusses her name and the history of it, the poems that she shares with her Aunt Lupe, and when she begins to find her purpose after she meets Lucy and Rachel's aunts. In Esperanza’s observation of her grandmother, Esperanza found a purpose in her search for identity by refuting the legacy that shares her name. By observing Aunt Lupe, Esperanza found encouragement in her budding growth as a writer. Esperanza's observations of Lucy and Rachel's aunts allow her to find purpose as a rescuer of the people of Mango Street. This novel shows how the shaping of one’s identity may result from the unlikeliest of situations and by observing the past, one can properly prepare for the