House On Mango Street

ClassicNote on House on Mango Street
Table of Contents
Biography of Cisneros, Sandra (1954-)................................................................................................................1
About House on Mango Street..............................................................................................................................3
Character List.........................................................................................................................................................5
Esperanza Cordero.....................................................................................................................................5
Mama.........................................................................................................................................................5
Papa............................................................................................................................................................5
Nenny, or Magdalena.................................................................................................................................5
Carlos and Kiki..........................................................................................................................................6
Alicia..........................................................................................................................................................6
Sally...........................................................................................................................................................6
Short Summary......................................................................................................................................................7
Summary and Analysis of The House on Mango Street-Gil's Furniture..........................................................9
Summary and Analysis of Meme Ortiz-And Some More.................................................................................19
Summary and Analysis of Family of Little Feet-Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water..............................................24
Summary and Analysis of Geraldo No Last Name-Sally..................................................................................29
Summary and Analysis of Minerva Who Writes Poems-Linoleum Roses......................................................34
Summary and Analysis of The Three Sisters-Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes...........................................39
Related Links........................................................................................................................................................42
Author of ClassicNote and Sources....................................................................................................................43
Essay: The Home and Family in The House on Mango Street and Cry, the Beloved Country....................44
Copyright Notice..................................................................................................................................................46
Biography of Cisneros, Sandra (1954-)

Born December 20, 1954 in Chicago, Sandra Cisneros is an American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and
poet. Cisneros is one of the first Hispanic-American writers who has achieved commercial success. She is
lauded by literary scholars and critics for works which help bring the perspective of Chicana
(Mexican-American) women into the mainstream of literary feminism.
Cisneros received her B.A. from Loyola University in 1976 and her M.F.A from the University of Iowa Writers'
Workshop in 1978. This workshop marks an important turning point in her career as a writer. Cisneros had
periodically written poems and stories while growing up, but it was the frustrations she encountered at the
Writer's Workshop that inspired Cisneros' realization that her experiences as a Latina woman were unique and
outside the realm of dominant American culture. Thus, Cisneros decided to write about conflicts directly related
to her upbringing, including divided cultural loyalties, feelings of alienation, and degradation associated with
poverty. These specific cultural and social concerns, coupled with Cisneros' feelings of alienation as a Latina
writer, came to life five years later in The House on Mango Street (1983).
In addition to writing, Cisneros has taught at the Latino Youth Alternative High School in Chicago and has been
a college recruiter and counselor for minority students at Loyala University of Chicago. She served as literature
director for the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio, Texas, and was an artist in residence at the
Foundation Michael Karolyi in Vence, France. She has been a guest professor at
California State University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Irvine, Univerity of
Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Cisneros is also a member of PEN and
Mujeres por la Paz, a women's peace group which helps organize.
Cisneros was the only daughter among seven children, and her brothers attempts to make her assume a
traditional female role is reflected in the feminist strains of her writing, glorifying heroines who dream of
economic independence and celebrating the "wicked" sexuality of women. The family frequently moved
between the United States and Mexico because of her father's homesickness for his native country and his
devotion to his mother who lived there. Consequently, Cisneros often felt homeless and displaced. She began to
read extensively, finding comfort in such works as Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House and Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Today, Cisneros' works give both solace and realistic lessons about feelings
which, as a child, she felt were uniquely hers, namely cultural division, loneliness and shame.
A prime example of how Cisneros' writing speak to the experiences of the forgotten or invisible of American
society is The House on Mango Street. In this work, widely celebrated by critics, teachers, adults and
adolescents alike, Cisneros introduces the reader to Esperanza- a poor, Latina adolescent who longs for a room
of her own and a house of which she can be proud. Although Cisneros is noted primarily for her fiction, her
poetry has also garnered attention. In My Wicked, Wicked Ways (1987), Cisneros writes about her native
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Chicago, her travels in Europe, and, as reflected in the title, sexual guilt resulting from her strict Catholic
upbringing. A collection of sixty poems, each of which resemble a short story, the work exemplifies one of
Cisneros' acclaimed knack for combining and crossing the boundaries of genre.
Cisneros' other works include Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991), and the poetry collections Bad
Boys and Loose Woman (1994). She has also written a book for juveniles, Pelitos (1994). Cisneros has also
contributed to numerous periodicals, including Imagine, Contact II, Glamour, The New York Times, The Los
Angeles Times, The Village Voice and Revista Chicano-Riquena. These works, short in titles but great in fresh
literary ideas and cultural resonance, have garnered Sandra Cisneros wide critical acclaim as well as popular
success. By reaching deep into her Chicana-Mexican heritage and articulating sensations of displacement and
longing, Sandra Cisneros has created a lasting tribute to those who must conquer similar battles as she, and has
thereby left a lasting friend for all who have let their imaginations build a house all their own.
About House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros' first major work. Even though she periodically wrote poems
and stories throughout her childhood and adolescence, it was not until she attended the University of Iowa's
Writers Workshop in the late 1970s that she realized her experiences as a Latina woman were unique and
outside the realm of dominant American culture. In a discussion of archetypal memories about homes, Cisneros
realized that her peers' ideas, imagination and experience were completely different from her own.
Thus it was that The House on Mango Street was born and Cisneros discovered what she terms her "first love,"
a fascination with speech and voices. Writing in the voice of the adolescent Esperanza, Cisneros created a series
of interlocking stories, alternately classified as a novel and as a collection of prose poems because of the vivid
and poignant nature of the language. Most of the characters in the novel are not made up, as Cisneros writes
about real people that she encountered in her lifetime.
Cisneros incorporated her major concerns into the novel, as she wrote about conflicts directly related to her
upbringing, including divided cultural loyalties, feelings of alienation, and degradation associated with poverty.
Cisneros' work also explores other issues that are important to her: feminism, love, oppression, and religion.
The House on Mango Street started out without very high expectations, but over time it has become widely
known. Since its first publication in 1984 by Arte Publico Press, Mango Street has sold some 30,000 copies (the
book has just been reissued in a Vintage edition from Random House). It was awarded the Before Columbus
American Book Award in 1985, and has been taught in a variety of academic disciplines including Women's
Studies, Ethnic Studies, Psychology, English, Creative Writing, Sociology, and even Sex Education.
In The House On Mango Street Esperanza reveals personal experiences through which the reader is able to
determine what kind of person she is; her views on life, how she views herself, as well as how her poverty
affects her view of life, her view of her future, and how her poverty currently affects her place in the world. The
vignettes show different aspects of Esperanza's identity as it evolves and changes progressively throughout The
House On Mango Street.
Esperanza's identity, as divulged in the vignettes, is multifaceted. Her shyness is evident when she is around
people who are unfamiliar to her. This is most likely due to the intimidation these people pose. For example, in
the vignettes "The First Job" and "A Rice Sandwich" Esperanza is too shy to eat with her other co-workers and
peers, as shown in the following quotation from "The First Job": "When lunch time came I was scared to eat
alone in the company lunchroom".
Another dominant feature in Esperanza's personality is the trust she has in others. This is one of Esperanza's
weaknesses as an individual because it allows her to be gullible and vulnerable. In 'Cathy Queen of Cats'
Esperanza's gullibility is obvious when Cathy tells Esperanza that "...[her] father will have to fly to France one
day and find her...cousin...and inherit the family house. How do I know this is so? She told me so.". Another
error in trusting others is that Esperanza is susceptible to betrayal. In 'Red Clowns' Esperanza is betrayed by
Unbeknownst to Esperanza, her naivet and inexperience is normal. For example, in 'Gil's Furniture Bought &
Sold' Esperanza assumes that a music box is "...a pretty box with flowers painted on it, with a ballerina inside..."
but when it's revealed to her that a music box is just "...a wood box that's old and got a big brass record in it with
holes" she feels ashamed she did not know better. Despite her low self-esteem she still keeps hold of her dream
of acquiring "A house all my own." Esperanza's poverty acts as a physical obstacle from leaving Mango Street,
but it does not prevent her from creating dreams and desires. On Mango Street Esperanza lives in a dilapidated,
tiny house; a house with "bricks ...crumbling in places..." "Everybody has to share a bedroom..." From this
poverty was born Esperanza's dream. "I knew then I had to have a house. A real house." Although her dream is
to live in a house "with trees around it, a great big yard, and grass growing without a fence," Esperanza does not
plan to abandon those who cannot leave Mango Street. "They will not know I have gone away to come back.
For the ones I left behind." Esperanza maintains a commitment to her roots on Mango Street.
At the outset of The House on Mango Street, Esperanza is presented as a shy girl with low self esteem. As the
book progresses she appears to become increasingly strong, and clear about her destiny. Her optimism prevails.
Character List
Esperanza Cordero
is the protagonist of the novel; a young girl of about eleven years old. Esperanza does not want to belong to her
impoverished neighborhood and dreams of one day owning a home of her own, different from her families
ramshackle dwelling on Mango Street. Throughout the course of the novel, Esperanza invents the person she
will become: she aspires to be a writer and to overcome the limitations gender, race and class has placed upon
her.
Mama
Esperanza's mother, is a selfless caretaker, as evidenced by the comfort Esperanza seeks by her side and the way
she will try to facilitate her children's whims, such as the new dress she buys Esperanza for a baptism and the
way she indulges her daughter's wishes to not remain at school for lunch. Mama is beautiful and feminine, but
we also learn that she is smart and regrets not making more of herself. Esperanza learns one of the most
important lessons of the novel from Mama- to not let pride and fear of competition inhibit you from striving for
success: "I could've been somebody, you know? Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard.... 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.
No clothes, but I had brains." It is evident that Esperanza respects her mother's opinion, for she also ponders her
mother's advice about developing sexuality, attending to her warning that girls like Lois who can't tie her shoes
"are the ones that go into alleys" (73) and that "to wear black so young is dangerous" (82). She reveres her
mother as both an ideal, accepts her advice and acts upon it.
Papa
is a Mexican immigrant who works hard from dusk until dawn as a gardener. He strives to provide his family
with what they need, and set high standards for Esperanza when it comes to her education and associations with
boys.
Nenny, or Magdalena
is Esperanza's little sister and companion. Esperanza also protects and nurtures Nenny: "She can't play with
those Vargas kids or she'll turn out just like them." In turn, Nenny defends Esperanza when she fights with girls
who call their mother names and when she sees a neighborhood house that "looks like Mexico and "Rachel and
Lucy look at me like I'm crazy." Although Esperanza sometimes expresses frustration at having Nenny tag
along ("you can't choose your sister) she admires her strength, independent character, and innocent lack of
Character List
self-consciousness: "the hard little bone, that's my sister." In contrast to Esperanza, Nenny is still an oblivious
child; the frustrations Esperanza feels trying to make her sister see the world as she does emphasizes the
peculiar stage of woman-child that Esperanza has entered.
Carlos and Kiki

are Esperanza's younger brothers. They are each other's best friends and segregate themselves from the girls
when out in public.
Alicia
is Esperanza's older friend, who illustrates Esperanza's mother's advice about education in action. Afraid of her
father, Alicia studies all night. Alicia values education enough to take two trains and a bus to the university
"because she doesn't want to spend her / whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin" (31-32). As my
colleague Joan England points out, Alicia also shows Esperanza the reality of leaving the neighborhood. 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). However, Esperanza doesn't immediately understand.
Sally
is one of Esperanza's closest friends. Sally is older and more mature than her friend, and this often creates
awkward situations between the girls. Although her father tries to keep her away from men, Sally is flirtatious
and experienced when it comes to the opposite sex. She is outgoing and wildly charismatic, and loves to boast
about her adventures. Even though Sally seems content and happy, she is eternally scarred by the abuse she
receives from her father. The beatings are usually not used as punishment, but instead as prevention. Sally's
father does not want her to turn out like his sisters, who were loose, foolish women. He sees his daughter as the
common housewife, and Sally is determined to overcome this image.
Nenny, or Magdalena
Short Summary
The House on Mango Street traces Esperanza Cordero's coming-of-age through a series of vignettes about her
family, neighborhood, and secret dreams. Although the novel does not follow a traditional chronological
pattern, a story emerges, nevertheless, of Esperanza's self-empowerment and will to overcome obstacles of
poverty, gender, and race. The novel begins when the Cordero family move into a new house, the first they have
ever owned, on Mango Street in the Latino section of Chicago. Esperanza is disappointed by the red,
ramshackle house. It is not at all the dream-house her parents had always talked about, nor is it the house high
on a hill that Esperanza vows to one day own herself.
Esperanza is not only ashamed of her home, but she is also uncomfortable with her outside appearance, which
she feels does not convey the true personality hidden insider her. She is very self-conscious about her name,
whose mispronunciation by teachers and peers at school sounds very ugly to her ears. Esperanza was named
after her great- grandmother, who was tricked into marriage and doomed to a life of sadness afterwards.
Esperanza vows that she will not end up like the first Esperanza and so many women do- watching life pass by
through the window. To break free from her name connotations, she longs to rename herself "Zeze the X," a
choice she finds more reflective of her true self.
As the new girl on the block, Esperanza observes many of life's most joyous and harsh realities while meeting
her Mango Street neighbors. Her first friend, Cathy, is a short-lived friendship because Cathy's father soon
moves the family away because the neighborhood is getting bad, or in other words becoming more inhabited by
lower-class Latinos like Esperanza's family. Two other young sisters, however, adopt Esperanza into their circle
when she chips in money to help them buy a bicycle. Lucy and Rachel help Esperanza ponder the wonders of
growing up by inventing rhymes about hips and parading around Mango Street in high-heeled shoes.
The older kids on Mango Street open Esperanza's eyes to the hardships faced by young people in rough
neighborhoods. Louie's cousin's car-theft, the hit-and-run death of a boy Marin meets at the dance, and Marin's
own desperate attempts to find a husband to take her away show Esperanza the limited possibilities she herself
faces. Alicia, on the other hand, exemplifies self-betterment and strength in the face of stereotypes to Esperanza.
Alicia, despite her father's macho views, attends a university and studies all night so she can one day be more
than her father's housekeeper.
As the novel progresses, Esperanza starts to notice her budding sexuality. She is excited when boys on the street
or at a dance look at her; however, two instances of sexual violence destroy Esperanza's illusions of true love
and her first kiss. So too, her promiscuous friend Sally's behavior also contributes to Esperanza's cynicism and
caution when dealing with the opposite sex. Nevertheless, Esperanza still dreams of sitting outside at night with
her boyfriend, but she has set her standards higher than most of the women around her. She refuses to seek out a
man to "escape," because she has seen too many neighbors unhappy in marriage. Ruthie, for example, has run
away from her husband and has lost her senses; young Rafaela is so beautiful that her husband locks her indoors
Short Summary
when he leaves. The tragedy which hits Esperanza the hardest though, is that of Sally. Her friend, who, like
Esperanza only wanted to dream and share love, is first beaten by her father to prevent Sally ruining the family
with her "dangerous" beauty. To escape, Sally, though underage, marries a traveling salesman and the cycle of
abuse continues. Enraged and saddened by her friend's tragedy, Esperanza vows to leave Mango street, become
a writer, and build her dream home.
Although Esperanza is constantly reaffirming that she wants to move away from Mango Street, we know by the
end novel that she will one day return to help those who will not be so lucky as she. Indeed, in the closing pages
Esperanza admits that she cannot escape Mango Street; that what friends like Alicia were telling her was true:
Esperanza cannot cut ties with Mango Street. It has influenced her dreams and personality and she has learned
valuable life lessons from its inhabitants. That is why, explains Esperanza, she tells stories about the house on
Mango Street, finding the beauty amidst dirty streets is finding her true self.
Short Summary
Summary and Analysis of The House on Mango

Street-Gil's Furniture
Chapter One
Summary:
The first chapter in a series of short and interconnected chapters that make up the novel, "The House on Mango
Street" introduces the key theme of the novel: the young narrator's experience constantly moving from one poor
district of Chicago to the next. In the first paragraph, the narrator's recollection of the street names on which her
family has lived emphasizes how important the concept of "home" is throughout the story. So too, the reader is
introduced to the narrator's family of six, including Mama, Papa, brothers Carlos and Kiki, sister Nenny. (The
narrator's name, Esperanza Codero, is not revealed in the first chapter.)
This new house on Mango street is the first the family has owned. The narrator observes the benefits of having a
home of one's own, namely the absence of rent, sharing with neighbors, or minding the landlord. However, she
is quick to point out that "it's not the house we thought we'd get." The house on Mango street is far away from
her old neighborhood; it was bought with haste and necessity when the family's old landlord refused to repair
the water pipes. Thus, the narrator expresses her dissatisfaction that her parents promise to one day move into a
real house was not fulfilled in on Mango Street.
The narrator ironically contrasts she and her parents' dream with harsh reality. The dream house would be theirs
permanently, and would boast running water, working pipes, real stairs "like the houses on T.V.", a basement
and enough washrooms to accommodate the large family. The yard was also worthy of Papa's lottery ticket and
Mama's bedtime stories: the traditional white exterior and a big, unfenced yard with trees. What the narrator
sees is contrary to everything her parents said; her house is tiny, crumbling, and without a yard.
The description of this ramshackle dwelling compels the narrator to reflect upon the shame of her life of
poverty. She recounts a tale of being asked to identify her house when a nun from her school passed by and
interrupted her play. The mortification she felt from having to point to the apartment over a "laundromat" with
peeling paint and barred windows and admit she lived there marks a turning point for the narrator. She knows
that one day, she must have a real house. This introduces an important textual theme: the narrator's desire to find
a physical and emotional space of her own.
The chapter ends with the narrator's denial that the house on Mango Street was the dream house, and her doubts
in her parents' promises of a better home in the future. Her concluding sentence, "But I know how these things
go," lets the reader know that, to the narrator, a house of her own must be forged independently. Thus, this novel
is as much about finding a place as it is about finding ones self.
Summary and Analysis of The House on Mango Street-Gil's Furniture
Analysis:
Themes
Chapter One addresses themes of home, family, poverty, and self-identity. The narrator's need for a home is
very much related to her economic situation, her dreams for and frustrations towards her family, and her need to
have a place of her own free from the constraints she finds both inside and outside her present domicile. These
themes are often bluntly revealed in the narrative itself and also through more subtle channels of language,
symbolism, and metaphor. These techniques are explored more in depth below.
Language and Style
Cisneros' use of language differentiates her writing from traditional narrative structures; the style of Chapter
One is best described as poetic prose. The chapter is an extended monologue by the narrator interspersed with
flashback and sensory imagery. The narrative style is quite relaxed, both in terms of language and chronology.
In simple, everyday language, the narrator describes her house and relates connections in her mind in a stream
of consciousness fashion. The lack of transitions, for example when the narrative jumps from describing her
family's living arrangements in the new house to a bad childhood memory, may appear awkward, but that is
their intention. This style reflects the disturbed thoughts and turbulent emotions the narrator is experiencing.
However, not all the language in Chapter One is awkward or simple. The writing style is also very lyrical,
boasting powerful descriptions and vivid dialogue. For example, the following description of the new house
helps the reader understand the narrator's shame and understand the severity of her disappointment:
"It's small and red with tight steps in front and the windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath.
Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in."
Who else but a young person would characterize windows as "holding their breath" or a front door as
"swollen"? Indeed, this personification of the house reveals how crucial the issue of a home is to the narrator. It
as if the house has an agency of its own and is blocking Esperanza's path to happiness in a place of her own.
The poignancy of the dialogue is the result of the simple and straightforward language, making the recorded
encounters as realistic as possible. Note the effective use of spare language and sentence structure in the
following dialogue:
"Where do you live? she asked. There, I said pointing up to the third floor. You live there? There. I lived there.
I nodded."
The short exchange of question and answer adds a tone of tension to the dialogue. Also, the repetition of the
words "live" and the italicized "there" allude to the overarching theme of home and liken the dialogue to a
10
verbal beating suffered by the narrator.

Indeed, the careful choice of simple language and poetic narrative style allows the reader to discern the agency
of the narrator's feelings; through Cisneros' writing style, we perceive the world of Mango Street with
Esperanza's sharp perception.
Metaphors
In Chapter One, the theme of belonging and displacement is directly correlated to that of a home. Indeed, these
physical and worldly issues are metaphors for many of the coming-of-age experiences the narrator will relate in
subsequent chapters. For example, the imagery describing the house could easily refer to the woman waiting to
blossom inside the narrator. At present, she is "so small", "holding (her) breath", "crumbling in places"- an
allusion to her misshapen demeanor, and "so swollen you have to push hard to get in"- an allusion to her
virginity and awakening sexual curiosity. Having a house of her own, thus, is a metaphor for coming into her
own place as an independent woman. When the narrator stresses that she must have "one I could point to", she is
referring to a character and identity of which she can be proud, as of her home, to call her own.
Hairs
Summary:
The narrator continues the readers introduction to her family; instead of bluntly describing their distinct
personalities, the narrator differentiates among their hair types. The reader is expected to consider what hair
textures and styles say about their wearer. For example, what might the narrator be thinking of herself when she
states that her "lazy" hair "never obeys"? Papa's hair sticks straight up, sister Nenny's is silky, Carlos' is thick,
straight, and doesn't need a comb, and the youngest, Kiki, "has hair like fur."
The narrator lastly describes her mother's hair in great detail. Her mother's curls are like roses and candy. The
narrator loves to smell her mother's hair: its scent of baking bread is a source of comfort to the narrator and
reflects the nurturing role Mama plays in the family.
Analysis:
Different kinds of hair works as a metaphor for the distinct members of the narrator's family. For instance,
Nenny's slippery hair seems to match her wistful and dreamy disposition, which the reader will see develop
throughout the course of the novel. The single most important hairs for the narrator to describe and the reader to
understand, however, are those of Mama. By reading the description of "little rosettes, like little candy circles all
curly and pretty," we conjure an image of the mother's appearance and personality. The repetition of the
adjective "little" alludes to her dainty physique, as well as the daughter's fascination with the exquisiteness of
such hair, so different from her own unruly locks. So too, the shapes- flowers and sweets- that the narrator sees
11
in her mother's curls helps us understand the narrator's regard for her mother's beauty and goodness; indeed, her
hair fulfills both a the feminine ideal and the ideas childhood nursery rhyme idea of what little girls are made ofsugar and spice and all things nice..
The narrator then moves beyond the physical beauty of her mothers hair, delving deeper into Mama's character
by exploring her smell. Indeed, Mama is not only an ideal woman but an ideal mother, for her hair is "sweet to
put your nose into when she is holding you." The image of seeking comfort by burying oneself in a woman's
hair is common to literature, and reveals the refuge the narrator finds in physical contact with her mother.
However, the narrator then delves into a "stream of consciousness" reflection on the smell of her mother's hair,
leading to a revelation of the comfort enjoyed in the physical and spiritual closeness to both the structure and the
members of her home. The similes "the warm smell of bread before you bake it" and "the smell when she makes
room for you on her side of the bed still warm with her skin" liken the scent of Mama's hair to warmth,
nourishment, craving, and the natural solace provided by the body.
Poetic Prose: Cisneros' Lyrical Style and Reminiscent Tone
Beyond her subtle wielding of simile and metaphor, the most important aspect of Cisnernos' description of her
mother's hair is the way language and syntax transforms the passage into a lyrical memory, as if the narrator
already knows how the image of her mother's hair will conjure deep longing for the place and people she longs
to leave.
A study of the syntax of these passages shows how the narrator's description is a kind of ode to her mother. The
repetition of "my mother's hair" begins the series of eight interconnected memories and reflections. They are
separated by commas but by no means are they a common sentence; rather, both the form and function of this
"sentence" is that of a poem. The reader sees a pattern of two reflective "lines" on one idea, leading into another
stream of thought, emerge. Thus, the poetic prose continues with the repetition of "like" introducing the similes
"candy circles" and "rosettes." Then, the "sweet" qualities of the hair lead the narrator to reflect upon their
smell, and on the intimate act of smelling her mother's hair. The repetition of "holding you" in the next two lines
evidence the safety the narrator claims to find in mother-child intimacy. The haven of a mother's arms leads to a
related phenomena, a mother's nourishment. The metaphor likening Mama's hair to "the warm smell of bread
before you bake it" introduces another smell- that of her mother's body, and Mama's nourishing of her daughter
through the gifts of life and love.
Mama herself then becomes a metaphor for home, a unifying theme throughout the novel. The scent of Mama's
skin upon the bed as she welcomes her daughter to share the warmth of her place leads the narrator to reveal the
aspects of home life she appreciates greatly, factors unalterable by the outside appearance of the house. Sleeping
near her mother means shelter from "the rain outside falling." Her "Papa snoring" symbolizes constancy. This
unwavering love and safety are related to the narrator's view of home, as indicated by her separation of "the rain
outside" and the accepting affection she receives inside the walls of her home, and indeed are the first positive
domestic description she offers. The last line repeats reflections the narrator expressed earlier, thus emphasizing
12
how greatly the narrator values the unwavering haven provided by family and her awe for her mother, whose
love is their true shelter.
Boys and Girls
Summary:
This chapter introduces the gender separation dominating the narrator's social and cultural experience. We learn
that outside of the home, brothers Carlos and Kiki are comrades, while the narrator and sister Nenny are
playmates. The narrator then expresses dissatisfaction at being paired with her sister, who is "too young to be
my friend." It is the narrator's responsibility to not only play with her sister, but to watch over her so that she
isn't influenced by the wrong crowd, such as "those Vargas kids." The narrator ends the chapter with a wish for
her own best friend who will sympathize with her secrets and laugh at her jokes.
Analysis:
The "separate worlds" inhabited by boys and girls is a metaphor for the sexism and stereotypes that the narrator
confronts and longs to escape. The narrator speaks with great irony when describing her brothers' hypocritical
treatment of she and Nenny: "They've got plenty to say to me and Nenny inside the house. But outside they can't
be seen talking to girls."
The syntax of the following sentence emphasizes how keenly the narrator feels, and perhaps resents, this gender
separation even amongst family. "Carlos and Kiki are each other's best friendnot ours." The distinct place
given to the blunt declaration "not ours" reveals the hurt the narrator feels. So too, the syntax emphasizes her
hunger for true comradeship.
Lastly, this chapter concludes with a vivid metaphor; the author describes her status of waiting for a best friend
as being "a red balloon tied to an anchor." This description reveals that the narrator singles herself out for her
differences, of which she seems keenly aware. She also considers her distinctions as a source of isolation, as she
is alone, visibly different, and raised high for all to see. The narrator longs to escape; her way of being, like that
of a helium balloon, demands it.
The second component of this metaphor is the anchor hindering the red balloon's flight. On the most obvious
level of meaning, this anchor is Nenny. The narrator's responsibilities to act as both friend and guardian to her
little sister are a chore which limit her possibilities for finding other friendships. As Nenny is a family member,
and the narrator's responsibility for her sister's wellbeing is mandated by the family structure and separation of
duties along gender lines, the anchor is also a metaphor for her family. The narrator is resentful of the ties which
keep her in a place where feels misunderstood. Her age, place in the family structure, and duties to others keep
her from fulfilling her dream of metaphorical flight- escape.
13
My Name
Summary:
In the fourth chapter we finally learn the narrator's name, Esperanza, which in English means "hope." Despite its
literal meaning, the name connotes many negative ideas of melancholy and unfulfilled expectations. Esperanza
explains that she was named after her great-grandmother, and that they share the Chinese birth year of the horse.
She expresses a desire to have known her great-grandmother, who, according to family stories, was a wild
woman until she was literally carried away to marry her great-grandfather. Esperanza expresses her conviction
to avoid her predecessors fate- a life wasted in sadness and waiting by the window.
Esperanza then compares the beauty of her name's proper pronunciation with the way she addressed at school.
In Spanish Nenny's proper name, Magdalena, is uglier; nevertheless, Esperanza resents the fact that her sister at
least has a nickname at home. Esperanza expresses a desire to give herself a name that reflects her true self; the
choice she settles upon is "Zeze the X."
Analysis:
The meaning of Esperanza's name is a series of metaphors and similes. In Spanish, Esperanza means "too many
letters"; on the literal level, this means that Esperanza feels her name is too long. So too, this is also a metaphor
for hope and expectation, as "letters" could also indicated correspondences full of promises. Esperanza also
portrays her name as mundane with the metaphor "the number nine"- a symbol of the ordinary that indicates just
how many letters comprise "too many." So too, the metaphor "a muddy color" indicates that Esperanza sees no
beauty or distinctiveness in her name; once again, we learn that the narrator resents her perceived commonality.
Esperanza's name is also related to nostalgia. Her name "is the Mexican records my father plays on Sunday
mornings when he is shaving, songs like sobbing"; this metaphor links her name to her family's county of origin
and to the despondency of homesickness. Her name is related to family tradition; Esperanza sees her link in a
legacy- she hears her own sadness and that of her family in her father's weekly tradition and she recognizes the
uncanny parallels of name, fortune, and character she shares with her great-grandmother.
The second to last paragraph enlightens the reader as to why a name that means "hope" could transmit such a
sense of loss. The contrast between the harsh English mispronunciation to the melodic sounds of Spanish is
another music metaphor celebrating the poignant emotion invoked by the sounds of Spanish. The repetition of
metaphors indicates that the name Esperanza symbolizes the hope for the future that took Papa out of Mexico,
and the disillusionment he, and consequently his family, experienced when the dream was translated- it's
strength and beauty destroyed- into English.
Esperanza's desire to baptize herself under a new name indicates her desire to escape the history of hope
unfulfilled into which she was born. This desire is linked to that of defeating poverty with a house of her own.
14
Just as she feels she does not belong in the house on Mango Street, Esperanza feels her name does not do justice
to the strong convictions and wistful aspirations of "the real me, the one nobody sees," repressed by poverty and
machismo.
The Theme of the Female as a Second Class Citizen
This chapter gives the reader a good idea of the macho stereotypes that predominate Esperanza's childhood. The
strong tone emphasizes Esperanza's rejection of sexist folklore, such as the year of the horse being unlucky for
females. Indeed, the irony with which she scoffs at the Mexican ideal of the docile woman reveals that
Esperanza, while understanding her culture, personally rejects a second class status. "She was a horse woman
too, born like me in the Chinese year of the horse- which is supposed to be bad luck if you're born female- but I
think this is a Chinese lie because the Chinese, like the Mexicans, don't like their women strong." The strength
of Esperanza's tone reveals her confidence in her own convictions, as well as her admiration of her "horse
woman" ancestor's free spirit, much like her own.
The metaphor of the horse-woman manifests how such independent female spirits were traditionally meant to be
curbed by men. Like a horse indeed, the first Esperanza is locked in a cage of domesticity when "my
great-grandfather threw a sack over her head and carried her off." Esperanza's amazement at the legitimacy of
male domination is evident in this simile: "Just like that, as if she were a fancy chandelier." This reveals
Esperanza's comprehension of the cultural relegation of women to the status of objects, their worth determined
by their pleasing appearance and function.
Contemplation of the fate of the first Esperanza introduces a recurring metaphor in The House on Mango Streetthe woman waiting at the window. The simile "the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow" shows
how great-grandmother's whole physical and spiritual being was defeated by an unwanted marriage. Instead a
head full of thoughts and a mind devising new aspirations, all has been replaced by a despair so heavy it must
rest upon her hand.
Cathy Queen of Cats
Summary:
In this chapter, Esperanza first meets another child resident of Mango Street, who she calls Cathy Queen of
Cats. Cathy's monologue is the first knowledge Esperanza has of her neighborhood, which is indeed composed
of a colorful cast. From Cathy herself, the self-proclaimed great great grand cousin of the queen of France, to
Joe the Baby Grabber, Cathy's descriptions are full of promise that Esperanza will have much to observe and
explore. The diction of Cathy's speech is that of teenage gossip and indeed reflects the favorite pastime of the
occupants of Mango Street.
Analysis:
15
This chapter is full of spare and vivid descriptions that allow the reader to see the world of Mango Street with
Esperanza's eyes. The excitement the young girl experiences while relating the tale of the "queen of cats" is
evident in the repetition "Cathy who is queen of cats has cats and cats and cats. Baby cats, big cats, skinny
cats" Yet while Esperanza's excitement might be that of any normal adolescent, her keen perception and poetic
vision of the world is distinctly hers. This is not only evident by the many kinds of creatures she picks out from
the pack, but from diction such as "Cats taking a walk on the dinner table." Indeed, Esperanza notes the humor
of her world. The simile, "cats asleep like little donuts" emphasizes the joy Esperanza creates for herself by
appreciating the little details of everyday life.
As in so many other chapters, again we see the theme of the shame of poverty. Esperanza is acutely aware of
being part of a racial and economic group that dooms a neighborhood to "getting bad." It is important to note
Esperanza's acute awareness of Cathy's family "inherit(ing) the family house" in France. Regardless of the truth
of this statement, the fact that socioeconomic borders limit friendships is real: Cathy will only be Esperanza's
friend until "next Tuesday. That's when we move away." The root of Esperanza's humiliation and resentment of
her situation is real, as Cathy's family will "move a little farther north from Mango Street, a little farther away
every time people like us keep moving in." In this, perhaps one of the most heart-wrenching declarations of the
story, we see that Esperanza understands that she is an unwanted element in society.
Our Good Day
Summary:
Esperanza meets two more young neighbors, Lucy and Rachel. Against Cathy's warnings about these girls who
"smell like a broom," Esperanza chips in five dollars, two of which are Nenny's, so that they can buy and share a
bicycle. Although she loses Cathy's short term friendship, Esperanza gains "two new friends and a bike too."
Although the girls agree to alternate use by day, they cannot agree upon who shall ride first, so they crowd on
the bike together. Their peddling takes them on a tour of the neighborhood. The girls share laughter and we
sense Esperanza's happiness from sharing not only a bicycle, but also laughter and camaraderie, with her new
friends.
Analysis:
This chapter is laden with recurring The House on Mango Street themes: friendship, poverty, and neighborhood
life. It is also important to note the ironic social commentary implied through many occurrences. The different
views people have of poverty, according to their own prejudices and lots in life, is symbolized by Cathy and
Esperanza's contrasting receptions of Lucy and Rachel's ragged appearance. While Cathy treats them with
disdain, Esperanza appreciates the joy which shines through their tatters: "They are wearing shiny Sunday shoes
without any socks. It makes their bald ankles all red, but I like them. Especially the big one who laughs with all
her teeth. I like her even though she lets the little one do all the talking." Indeed, Esperanza celebrates the girls'
unconventional persona and behavior because they express what she cannot- their true selves. For example,
16
Esperanza does not express shock at Rachel's rude treatment of adults; on the contrary, her lighthearted tone
celebrates Rachel's "very sassy" remarks.
Another important theme is the dual beauty and harshness of the Mango Street neighborhood. On their ride, the
girls navigate "the avenue which is dangerous" and the mundane landmarks- laundromat, drugstore, and cars- of
the typical depressed community. The place which Esperanza views most critically is her own house, poignantly
personified as "sad and red and crumbly in places." So too, however, the girls encounter friendly faces as
"people on the bus wave" and Rachel exchanges banter with the "fat lady crossing the street": "You sure got
quite a load there. Rachel shouts, You got quite a load there too." The duality of the love-hate relationship
between Esperanza and her neighborhood is evident. Its appearances and places might be ugly, but the young
girl detects the beauty and power of life in its inhabitants will to be happy.
Laughter
Summary:
In this chapter, Esperanza explains that even though she and her sister Nenny do not look as similar as sisters
Lucy and Rachel, they have may subtle similarities. They share the same distinct laughter as well as peculiar
thoughts that others might not understand. They both sense that a house they pass is like homes in Mexico, not
so much for its appearance but for its surrounding aura.
Analysis:
In her straightforward and detail- conscious manner, Esperanza exemplifies the ways sisters can resemble each
other using simile and metaphor. Lucy and Rachel are described by the metaphors "fat popsicle lips" and "shy
ice cream bells' giggle." The contrast of the Cordero sisters' laughter is emphasized by the personification "all of
a sudden and surprised" and the simile "like a pile of dishes breaking."
We also see a new twist on the theme of home, when the sisters both identify a house as looking "like Mexico."
The sentiment the sister's share indicates that Esperanza does not solely associate homes with either her shame
or independence, but also with the bonds of family and heritage. Indeed, the Cordero girls roots are still fresh
and strong, and they can see reflections and hear calls of their homeland even as far north as Chicago.
Gil's Furniture Bought and Sold
Summary:
This chapter is about Esperanza and Nenny's explorations of Gil's junk store.
17
Esperanza marvels at the vast rows of furniture and T.V.'s piled upon each other to create the perfect place for
she and her sister to "get lost easily." Esperanza then relates her sister's boldness in asking questions, and the
surprise both girls receive when the usually sullen Gil demonstrates the powerful sounds of his music box.
Analysis:
Spare prose makes it seem like Esperanza is speaking directly to us a friend: "There is a junk store. An old man
owns it. We bought a used refrigerator from him once." The technique of building one detail upon another
connotes an excited child's retelling of an event.
The elusiveness and unobtrusiveness of the old man is symbolized by the personification of his "pair of gold
glasses floating in the dark." Similes "like all of a sudden he let go a million moths," "like water," and "like
marimbas only with a funny little plucked sound to it like if you were running your fingers across the teeth of a
metal comb" reveal Esperanza's unique and colorful imagination. The metaphors "swan-neck shadows" and "in
our bones," for example, let the reader see and feel how deeply the sound of the music penetrates.
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Summary and Analysis of Meme Ortiz-And Some More

Meme Ortiz
Summary:
In this chapter we meet the new inhabitant of Cathy's house, Meme Ortiz. Esperanza describes Meme's
sheepdogs and, as homes are important to her, paints a verbal picture of Meme's family's new, ramshackle
home. Esperanza then focuses on the property's one crowning glory: a giant tree which is both home to a family
of squirrels and the sight of the First Annual Tarzan Jumping Contest, which Meme won at the cost of two
broken arms.
Analysis:
Meme and his pets are described with humorous similes: "like a man dressed in a dog suit" and "limbs flopping
all over the place like untied shoes." So too, Meme's house is given a personality of its own through Esmeralda's
original depictions such as its twenty-one steps "jutting like crooked teeth."
This image is compared with the metaphor Esperanza uses to describe her own house "with its feet tucked under
like a cat." Indeed, Esperanza sees her home not only as a source of shame, but through an aura of respite and
comfort. Just as cats instinctually find their way home, so too will Esperanza.
Louie, His Cousin and His Other Cousin
Summary:
This chapter introduces us to the Cordero boys' friend, Louie, whose cousin Marin from Puerto Rico lives with
the family and cares for Louie's little sisters. Louie has another cousin, and although Esperanza cannot
remember his name she can never forget the one time she met him. This cousin once pulled into Mango Street in
a brand new yellow- and stolen- convertible and takes the neighborhood for a joyride. The sound of sirens soon
approaches and Louie's cousin crashes while trying to flee. He is taken into custody as the neighborhood wave
him goodbye.
Analysis:
This chapter plays upon the theme of finding the best parts of everyday life or an existence of hardship to enjoy.
This is why the neighbors enjoy the ride in the Cadillac without questioning its origins. The fun shared
emphasizes too, that the neighborhood functions as a large extended family. Esperanza uses deadpan irony to
describe the cousin's crash- "the nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like and alligator's"- and hauling
19
off to prison- "and we all waved as they drove away."

This irony reveals two themes: first, that Mango Street and its inhabitants are weathered to the sights of crime.
Secondly, extreme poverty allows people to understand a different side of a situation. Instead of focusing on the
theft in her narration, for example, Esperanza tells of the fleeting joy produced by the arrival and ride in that car.
Indeed, the moral of this chapter is to take nothing- from the luxuries of a car to an opportunity for fun and
laughter- for granted.
Marin
Summary:
This chapter is about Marin, Louie's cousin and a much older and wiser girl in Esperanza's eyes. Marin makes
the girls promise not to tell that she is going to marry her boyfriend in Puerto Rico once he gets a job, and seems
to have no qualms with leaving her options open and letting her eyes wander while she is in the States.
Esmeralda admires Marin's knowledge of beauty and boy secrets, but she does not make her a role model.
Already, Esperanza recognizes Marin's making her limited possibilities even smaller by waiting for a man to
rescue her.
Analysis:
This chapter explores the theme of the waiting woman, but in this case also offers a perspective on how women
are not always completely the victims. Marin's desperation to better her lot in life leads her to manipulative
action in her dealings with men. For example, Esperanza's tone of pity lets the reader know she finds Marin's
dream of working downtown so she can meet a rich man on the subway very hypocritical.
Indeed, Esperanza sees the irony in Marin's thwarted quests for a man, which is evident in her sarcastic tone and
choice of examples. For example, after describing Marin's dream to be taken away to "a big house far away,"
Esperanza states in a deadpan tone: "But next year Louie's parents are going to send her back to her mother with
a letter saying she's too much trouble." The recurring theme of a home of one's home is given a new twist here,
as Marin's success or failure at attaining her dream house is determines by the actions of others- her boyfriend,
her Aunt, the rich man she has yet to meet. Thus, an ironic contrast is made with Esperanza's dream, which is to
find, forge and inhabit a house of her own, all by her lone self.
An important metaphor used in other parts of the book to describe ones trust in chance is "a star to fall." Indeed,
Marin's falling star is the car that will stop and take her away, the man who will "change her life." Esperanza
recognizes the futility of placing all ones hope in a dream savior that most likely does not exist. So too, she
seems to question the ways in which Marin has chosen to sell herself. From standing outside at night armed with
a short skirt and a cigarette, to figuratively "dancing by herselfsinging the same song somewhere", Marin puts
herself on display like a commodity for sale. Esperanza's somber tone of conviction- "I know"- manifest that
20
Marin's falling star of fortune will never fall to earth.

Those Who Don't
Summary:
In this chapter, Esperanza describes how strangers who accidentally stumble into her neighborhood are afraid of
its inhabitants, as if "we will attack them with shiny knives." She admits that security comes from being
surrounded by people of ones own race. When she ventures into a neighborhood of a different color, her knees
too shake in fear.
Analysis:
Esperanza's observations that security comes from seeing "all brown all around" criticizes both sides of a fear
that often results from segregation. No matter who you are, you feel at risk in an unfamiliar neighborhood or if
you are the racial minority. "That is how it goes and goes" says Esperanza, indicating that as long as economic
and social injustice relegate people to stick with their own for support and safety, then the cycle of fear and
prejudice will continue with her generation.
There was an Old Woman
Summary:
This chapter is about the wild Vargas kids, for whom their poor, single mother cannot completely provide nor
care. The children's daredevil antics show that they have no respect for their neighbors nor themselves. After a
while, the neighborhood begins to ignore the Vargas kids and treat them as a lost cause because of their rude
treatment of those who make the effort to help them.
Analysis:
This chapter is a criticism of closing ones eyes to people in need, even to those who refuse to be helped.
Through her poignant imagery, Esperanza hints at the dangers of failing to see others as human beings. The
"day Angel Vargas learned to fly" is euphemistic imagery symbolizing a fall to his death. Esperanza evokes the
image of failed chance that she used for Marin- "a fallen star." The tragedy of his death is how nobody seemed
to care, not even the child himself who "exploded down to earth without even an 'Oh'." Indeed, this chapter ends
in the tragedy of a child's death; the fact that it happened when people stopped caring is a strong social criticism.
Alicia Who Sees Mice
Summary:
21
This chapter describes Alicia's fear of the mice she sees when she wakes up early in the morning to prepare the
lunchbox tortillas. As her mother is deceased, Alicia performs her domestic duties as well as studies at the
university. Although she fears mice, Alicia fears her father more and obeys him. He says a woman's place is
rising "with the tortilla star." Alcia does not sleep, however, but studies all night and endures a long commute
because "she doesn't want to spend her life in a factory or behind a rolling pin."
Analysis:
Alicia's treatment by her father is an example of the machismo stereotypes that would keep Alicia a servant in
her own home like the mother before her. Her father's suggestion that her existence should be sleep and
housework manifest the sexist ideal that a higher education is wasted on a woman. Alicia, however, resists the
limited possibilities offered to her- symbolized by her inheritance of "her mama's rolling pin and sleepiness"- by
studying. The admiration Esperanza has for this "good girl" is immense, for her friend is juggling the dual roles
of fulfilling duty to family while pursuing her own dreams.
Darius and the Clouds
Summary:
Darius is considered a very stupid boy by his peers. While he generally acts like a fool and torments the girls,
one day the clouds show another side of Darius. He points to a cloud next to a cluster of "popcorn" and calls it
"God."
Analysis:
This chapter shows that everyone has their own inner spirituality, and that God can be found in the simple
things that even the poor have, such as sky. This chapter is another example of the theme of making "the best of
it." They sky is a metaphor for the life's best and most elusive offerings- comfort, beauty, and spirituality. To
Esperanza, sky can make you "drunk" with happiness and "keep you safe when you are sad." Sky is a natural
defense, and she feels that her neighborhood does not have as much protection as others: "here there is too much
sadness and not enough sky." But as Darius points out, even Mango Street, has what it needs- a spirit of
protection above them.
And Some More
Summary:
In this chapter we witness the banter normally exchanged by the Esperanza, Nenny, Lucy and Rachel as they
hang around the neighborhood together. A random discussion about different names- for people, snow, and even
clouds leads into a war of words in which the weapon is wit.
22
Analysis:
The most important symbol in this chapter is the clouds, which we already know have spiritual meaning for
Esperanza. Indeed, the clouds fill many functions, and in this case they are a source of entertainment. Nenny's
refusal to stop naming the clouds as the other three match wits maintains a level of friendliness, and the fight is
ended when the clouds provide the answer to the retort "Who's stupid? Rachel, Lucy, Esperanza, and Nenny.
Indeed, in this chapter the plethora of clouds are a metaphor for the girls' own erratic behavior, as their attitudes
and moods are always changing.
23
Summary and Analysis of Family of Little Feet-Elenita,

Cards, Palm, Water
The Family of Little Feet
Summary:
In this chapter, Lucy, Rachel, and Esperanza inherit second-hand shoes from a small-footed neighbor. The girls
are pleased with the way they look in the high-heels, and practice strutting their stuff around the neighborhood;
they raise the interest of men and the disdain of other girls in the process.
Analysis:
The shoes change the girls by giving them self-confidence and awareness of their blossoming sexuality. As well
as learning that they are attractive to men, the girl's also quickly encounter sexual double standards. For
example, a man's threat "them are dangeroustake them shoes off before I call the cops" is a metaphor for the
prevailing attitude that a woman who is comfortable with her sexuality is promiscuous and a threat. The girls
also learn about another oppressive double standard: that by trying to fulfill cultural standards of female beauty
they are putting themselves at risk for violence. When the drunkard offers Rachel five dollars for a kiss, we read
a subtle social criticism of the way women- even young girls- are treated as a commodity that can be ogled,
purchased and possessed.
A Rice Sandwich
Summary:
In this chapter, Esperanza wants to eat in the school lunch room, the canteen, because she is under the
impression that "the special kids" eat there. To her, not returning home for lunch seems to be an exciting
prospect. After finally convincing her mother to let her take her rice sandwich to the canteen, Esperanza's
illusions are shattered when a nun makes her point to her house from the window and tells her she lives too
close and cannot eat there again.
Analysis:
This experience teaches Esperanza that the grass is indeed not always greener somewhere else. Esperanza's need
for a change is evident, even in the ironic description of the "important" canteen, when in reality these children
merely cannot return, as Esperanza can, for lunch.
Summary and Analysis of Family of Little Feet-Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water
24
The character of the nun is important, because she makes Esperanza endure a humiliation she experienced
before, when a nun made her point to her old home. Indeed, this parallel experience criticizes the insensitivity
adults often display when dealing with children. So too, Esperanza's shame and longing to escape from her place
and identity in her community are evident in the humiliation she feels when pointing out her house and the
desire to be "special" that made her avoid returning there in the first place.
Chanclas
Summary:
In this chapter, Esperanza sits awkwardly at her cousin's baptism party because her brown school shoes do not
match her pretty new pink and white party dress. Convinced by her Uncle Nacho to finally dance, Esperanza
finally loses her shyness and feels like a woman under the admiring gazes and clapping hands of the party.
Analysis:
Feet are a very important metaphor in this chapter. The author describes Esperanza's feet as "growing bigger and
bigger" as she sits on the folding chair, which symbolizes her growing shame and inability to accept the offer of
a dance with a boy. When she is finally dancing, Esperanza feels like a beautiful woman and forgets she is
"wearing only ordinary shoes."
The excitement of losing the awkwardness of girlhood and coming into her own as a woman is a major theme.
The newfound sexuality Esperanza discovers she possesses is emphasized by her repetition of the fact that a boy
watched her dance. "All night the boy who is a man watches me dance. He watched me dance." Indeed,
awareness of a man's gaze is equated with Esperanza's awakening to her own womanhood.
Hips
Summary:
Esperanza, Nenny, Lucy, and Rachel engage in a conversation about hips as they play jump rope. Their many
functions are discussed- from dancing, to holding a baby, to simply being a woman because of them. They then
"practice shaking it" to the rhythm of the rope and create their own rhymes about hips. The rhymes associate
hips with feminine beauty standards and being attractive to men.
Analysis:
The game of jump rope symbolizes the images the girls have of themselves; in particular, they are highly aware
of that as women, they have to fulfill both an ideal form and function. So too, the rhymes are metaphors for the
girls' characters. The jump rope rhymes show both community and individuality. As they jump rope and discuss
25
their developing hips, Lucy, Rachel, and Esperanza make up original rhymes, creating themselves through
language, in contrast to Nenny's recitation of a traditional rhyme, perhaps because she is younger. Nenny's
independence and refusal to follow the crowd emphasizes how older women seek community and affirmation in
their associations with each other, as well as how quickly sexual awareness burgeons and dominates the
thoughts and activities of young adolescent girls.
The First Job
Summary:
In order to help pay for Catholic high school, Esperanza takes her first job at Peter Pan Photo Finishers, which
she acquires with the recommendation of Aunt Lala and a white lie about her age. While the job is simple,
Esperanza struggles with her shyness throughout her first day on the job. She feels better at the end of the day,
when she meets a kind "Oriental man" who tells her they can be friends and sit together at lunch. Esperanza's
trusting nature betrays her however, when the man takes advantage of the innocent birthday kiss to her cheek.
Analysis:
This chapter tackles the important theme of men's sexual exploitation of women; namely, we see a saddening
example of how grown men take liberties with young girls, and how innocent girls like Esperanza are often
victimized for having open minds and hearts.
Esperanza's shock and helplessness are emphasized by the rapid tone with which she describes the assault: "he
grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard on the mouth and doesn't let go." Indeed, the exact
chronology of Esperanza's memory indicates that she this moment haunts her and its horrific details will not be
forgotten; she has internalized the shame and guilt she should point at her attacker and made it her own.
Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark
Summary:
This chapter is about the death of Esperanza's grandfather. Her father, usually working by the time his children
open his eyes, greets Esperanza one day with his grief. He will have to return to Mexico for the funeral, and it is
Esperanza's duty, as the oldest child, to explain to her siblings why this is a day of mourning and not play.
Esperanza comforts her normally tough father in her arms, and recognizes the horrible reality that one day, she
will lose this strong providing figure in her life.
Analysis:
26
The most important literary device to consider in this chapter is Cisneros' choice to intersperse Spanish
vocabulary and phrases with her English prose. She does it more in certain situations than others, most often
when English fails to express a cultural particularity or the depth of an emotion- albeit pain (as in the case of
"Mamacita") or joy.
In this case, Papa's roots to his homeland, and the painful circumstances which pull him back, are emphasized
by his reversion to his mother tongue to explain that "tu abuelitoesta muerto" (you're grandfather is dead.)
Poetic prose is also important in this chapter, as it manifests the strong bond and dependence Esperanza has
upon her father, who up until now has remained a mysterious and reclusive character to analyze. "And I think if
my own Papa died what would I do. I hold my Papa in my arms. I hold and hold and hold him." The repetition
of "hold" shows that, despite her desire to escape, there are many aspects of home that Esperanza cannot yet live
without. Though she makes plans for adulthood, she is yet a child and the awakening to the harsh reality of
losing a parent makes her realize this.
Born Bad
Summary:
In this chapter, Esmeralda contemplates cruel chance that chose her Aunt Lupe to fall terminally ill; this
once-beautiful swimmer, wife, and mother of two was struck with an unexplained disease that left her limbs and
eyes destroyed and useless. She eagerly welcomed visits by the girls, listened to Esperanza's stories and
encouraged her to pursue her own writing. Like a typical child expressing guilt in the face of incurable
suffering, Esmeralda blames herself- namely the choice to poke fun at Aunt Lupe's state in the
imitation-guessing game she plays with Lucy and Rachel- for her aunt's long-anticipated death.
Analysis:
Cultural myths and values- going to hell, being "born on an evil day", the saving power of prayer- abound in this
chapter. So too, the imagery is as sobering as the subject matter. For example, the nightmarish quality of the
sickbed is revealed through the metaphor of "drowning under the sticky yellow light." The repetition of "naked
light bulb" and "the light bulb always burning" symbolizes Esperanza's fear of suffering. To her young eyes,
naked and unmediated, the light will reveal the most disgusting realities of living and dying. Light is also
metaphor for the untiring watch over the dying.
The horror of seeing the wasting away of the body is revealed through simile such as this one for smell: "like
sticky capsules filled with jelly." This unique image connotes pills but also explains the strangeness of the
grotesque. Metaphors for the body include "a little oyster, a little piece of meat on an open shell for us to look
at."
27
This chapter is a moral message against assuming that one is safe from misfortune because chance is random.
So too, Cisneros offers a social commentary about letting the long-term suffering of others become normalized
or sensationalized so that the person inside the rotting faade is forgotten "as if she had fallen down into a well."
The theme of Esperanza's literary aspirations is important to this chapter, as Aunt Lupe shares her niece's love
of stories and encourages her to "keep writing. It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn't know
what she meant." When Esperanza reads her own poem to Aunt Lupe, we hear the articulation of her dream to
leave Mango Street and recreate her identity: "One day I'll jump/ out of my skin./ I'll shake the sky/like a
hundred violins." In this simile we recognize Esperanza's distinct powers of description, as well as the
seriousness and depth of her wish.
Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water
Summary:
Esperanza visits the "witch lady," a mother who works from her kitchen lit by candles, a plaster saint, voodoo
charms and a cross. Esperanza comes with her most important question- if she will ever have a house of her
own. The reading is interrupted by the rowdy children and by Esperanza's pondering of how much Elenita
knows how to cure, from headaches to broken hearts. When her reading finishes, Esperanza is disappointed with
her answer, that she will have a home in the heart.
Analysis:
Esperanza herself admits that "I don't get it." Only in retrospect does she learn that her new home is a place of
belonging which she forges herself. Thus, this "new house, a house made of heart" is a metaphor for Esperanza's
coming into her own power and inventing her own self-identity.
The theme of home is complemented by the setting; in Elenita's home, domestic life and mysticism share a
common space. While scolding her children and minding her traditional duties, Elenita conjures "los espiritus,"
prescribes folk remedies, reads tarot cards and searches for visions in beer glasses of water. This anecdote does
not only serve as humor, or as an ironic commentary on how people will play on the credulity of others to make
money, but also Elenita's home serves as a contrast to Esperanza's dream. Elenita's home is, in its own way, a
"house made of heart" because Elenita uses it as a place of independent expression and self-sufficiency.
28
Summary and Analysis of Geraldo No Last Name-Sally

Geraldo No Last Name
Summary:
A boy Marin meets at a dance is killed in a hit-and-run accident. As she was the last person he was seen with,
Marin must go to the hospital and speak with police to assist them in identifying the victim. As her was a
"wetback" who did not speak English, the efforts to save, identify, and notify the family of the victim seem to be
meager at best. Thus, Marin is doubly upset at his death, especially because she believes Geraldo would have
been saved if the surgeon had come sooner. The end of the chapter ends with Esperanza imagining the agony of
Geraldo's family in Mexico, who he worked hard to support and will never know why his checks ceased
arriving.
Analysis:
Marin's distraught attitude at the death of Geraldo is not simply a result of knowing someone who died, for
indeed this boy was merely a new acquaintance. Her repetition of "if the surgeon had come" is a clue that
Geraldo's death was not inevitable. So too, the line of questioning used by the police hints that society was
trying to find an excuse for the death of an immigrant; perhaps his shady activities brought this fate upon
himself.
Rhetorical questions such as "what does it matter?" and "how could they?" are a social criticism of mainstream
societies treatment of immigrants as dispensable and second-class human beings. Esperanza replaces the human
face the hospital and police authorities tried to erase from Geraldo by describing his home. (Indeed, we know
that the concept of home for Esperanza equates the ultimate place and sense of self). She pays the homage to
Geraldo that no one else in this country will, and no one in home country can: "His name was Geraldo. And his
home was in another country." Her lyrical words have a sad tone which connote the mental image of a solitary
tombstone.
Edna's Ruthie
Summary:
This chapter depicts the child-like, half-crazed adult daughter of the woman who owns the three apartments next
door. Indeed, the children admire Ruthie because she "is the only grown up we know who likes to play." Ruthie
finds her own private joy in life, as "she doesn't need anybody to laugh with, she just laughs."
29
Esperanza does not understand why Ruthie sleeps on her mother's couch instead of in her own home with her
husband. She simply adds another week to her visit, and avoids returning to that "real house all her own" that
Esperanza envies.
Analysis:
The mentally-damaged woman and the nave girl are alike in many ways. On the surface level, both Esperanza
and Ruthie love books and have (or had, in the case of Ruthie) much potential to make something of themselves.
So too, Ruthie and Esperanza see things in a very special way, as evidenced by the truth Esperanza recognizes
in Ruthie's random, seemingly nonsensical outbursts such as "the moon is beautiful like a balloon."
Ruthie functions in the story as an example of how Esperanza could end up if she does not make wise decisions.
Ruthie is the manifestation of the social stigma of a marriage gone bad; she is a warning against wasting ones
personal potential for success. So too, Ruthie also serves as a moral lesson to Esperanza to not set too much
hope in illusions of the better life, for they are often deceiving. For example, Ruthie lived in Esperanza's dream
house, but fled to find solace and the simple pleasures in life- eating candy and walking her dogs- on Mango
Street. Ruthie indeed functions as a moral lesson for Esperanza- to both always stand strong on her own two feet
and to appreciate the present over anticipating the future.
Earl of Tennessee
Summary:
Another next door neighbor, Earl is a southerner who lives in Edna's dusty basement who works nights as a
jukebox repairman. During the day, he only emerges occasionally to yell at the children to be quiet, or to give
them some of the old, musty 45 records that fill his apartment. Earl is the topic of neighborhood gossip because
of a rumor he is married. Every once in a while, a woman is seen quickly and furtively entering the apartment
with Earl. Although reports of who she is and what she looks like vary, the one universal piece of gossip is that
she never stays long.
Analysis:
This chapter explores themes we have seen in other vignettes- the stigma of a broken marriage and the way the
community functions as a family, as evidenced by gossip, bickering, and sharing among neighbors.
This chapter is also interesting because of Cisneros' subtle wielding of language and imagery likening Earl to
the cockroaches that live in his home. Earl lives in "mold and dampness" and he only emerges at night. So too,
Earl is a solitary, thick-skinned man. Thus, we see the important role that setting plays in this novel; moreover,
one's choice of space (such as Esperanza's dream house) reveals much more than simple explanations about the
complexities and eccentricities of a character.
30
Sire
Summary:
This chapter relates Esperanza's first experience of having an older boy- a "punk" according to Papa- stare at
her. Soon after, Sire's girlfriend Lois arrives. Esperanza admires her petite, childlike beauty- but Mama warns
against this type of girl, "the ones that go into alleys." From her bedroom window at night, Esperanza hears the
couple talking and laughing, and wonders what it will be like to one day sit outside with a boy.
Analysis:
In the last sentence, the repetition of questions such as "how did you hold her?" and "Like this?" manifests
Esperanza's heightened sexual curiosity. Indeed, Esperanza's expectancy is related to physical awakening, as
evidenced by images of bursting and renewal, and physical sensation: "Everything is holding its breath inside
me. Everything is waiting to explode like Christmas. I want to be all new and shiny. I want to sit out bad at
night, a boy around my neck and the wind under my skirt."
Four Skinny Trees
Summary:
The four "raggedy excuses planted by the city are a source of comfort for Esperanza. They resemble her, both in
their physical frailty and stubborn spirit. Whenever Esperanza feels like giving up on her dreams, she looks to
the trees, whose roots plunge deep to find sustenance in concrete and whose branches aspire to new heights, for
inspiration.
Analysis:
Esperanza's lyrical chant: "Keep, keep, keep trees say when I sleep. They teach" is a kind of spiritual prayer that
helps Esperanza remain strong despite the hardships and isolation she experiences. Ironically, the trees
symbolize community and not individuality. "Their arms around each other" represents a community and their
mutual growth symbolize that Esperanza will not grow by cutting her roots. They all depend on each otherwhich is their reason for being. As a compliment to the theme of the finding the beauty in all things, Esperanza
discovers, through the symbol of the unified trees, the most important reason to live- for each other.
No Speak English
Summary:
31
This chapter is about "Mamacita" the mother of a hardworking neighborhood man who has just brought her and
her baby son out of Mexico. Mamacita stays inside her house all day, but it is not because she is too fat to
emerge, as sassy Rachel suggests. Esperanza understands, rather, that Mamcita is afraid to speak English.
Homesick for her country, language, and the comforts of the little pink house she left, Mamacita refuses to learn
English and futilely begs her son to return home. She tries to command her youngest, "No speak English," and is
horrified when he begins to emulate the television and learn English.
Analysis:
This chapter expounds upon the theme of home, as Esperanza observes how Mamacita is almost physically tied
to the beloved pink house she left. Indeed, this example is the antithesis of the American dream- as coming to
the United States signifies a great loss for Mamacita.
So too, the use of language shows how, for Mamacita, the American dream is a nightmare. Her refusal to speak
English is a refusal to assimilate herself into a culture to which she doesn't belong. Her last link to home is the
sound of its language.
Machismo is also a prevalent theme in the chapter, as it is the son who worked to bring his mother out of
Mexico, and it is his will that will make her remain in the States. "This is home. Here I am and here I stay.
Speak English. Speak English. Christ!" This violent outburst and assertion of male domination seals Mamacita's
fate. The man has worked for his small place on Mango Street and to bring his mother there; he has fulfilled his
masculine duties, now his mother must fulfill her feminine responsibility to live her life according to his will.
Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays
Summary:
Rafaela is a young wife "too beautiful to look at," so her husband locks her inside her home when he plays
dominoes with his friends on Tuesdays. On these nights, Rafaela watches the children play from her window
and mourns the loss of her youth. Without fail, she will call to the children, lower a dollar to them by means of
the clothes line, and ask them to buy her a sweet drink, coconut or papaya.
Analysis:
In this chapter we see the recurring theme of the woman gazing in sadness from her window. Indeed, language
such as "keep them on a silver string" is not only critical of the macho attitude that a woman is a prize to guard
for oneself, and that beauty indicates worth; so too, Esperanza's tone on disdain also implicates women for not
rejecting these double standards. For example, it is not her loss of rights nor freedom that Rafaela mourns, but
that of her youth. She resents not being able to "cast green eyes" at men on the dance floor more than she resents
being treated like a caged animal.
32
Indeed, Rafaela is a reinterpretation of the fairy tale heroine Rapunzel, whom she imagines herself to be.
Ironically, it is the prince who is the culprit, and not the savior, in this case. Who will rescue Rapunzel then?
Esperanza's ironic comment "and always there is someone offering sweeter drinks" manifests her knowledge
that it is not children nor even self-agency that will change Rafaela's life, but rather the promises of another
man. Thus, "sweet drinks" and "silver string" are metaphors for vicious cycle of promises made and broken
which keep women like Rafaela locked in a tower of submission, her life ticking away.
Sally
Summary:
Sally is Esperanza's friend with "smoky nylons" and "eyes like Egypt" who is the object of the boys'
exploitation and the girls' disdain at school. Esperanza both admires Sally for her boldness and zest for life, and
identifies a kindred spirit who dreams and feels isolated like herself. Sally's home life is quite different from the
flirtations she practices at school; she seems to fear her strict father who says that "being this beautiful is
dangerous" and hurries home with a "straightened skirt" and downcast eyes directly after school.
Analysis:
At first, Esperanza sees Sally's situation as not much different from hers and feels Sally will be saved by moving
to a new place of her own: "Do you wish your feet would one day keep walking and take you far away from
Mango Street.... You could close your eyes and you wouldn't have to worry what people said because you never
belonged here anyway and nobody could make you sad and nobody would think you're strange because you like
to dream and dream."
Sally's story is both a biting social criticism and a sorrowful lesson that brings Esperanza closer to the realities
of adult womanhood. Esperanza's naivete makes the realization that Sally is severely battered by her father a
bitter blow. Sally's abuse symbolizes the never ending cycle of domestic battering and public shunning that
leave many women with no possibilities for escape. Sally, told all her life that she is bad, recognizes and uses
her sexuality as the only form of agency and self-expression- albeit a negative one- that she has been taught.
33
Summary and Analysis of Minerva Who Writes

Poems-Linoleum Roses
Minerva Writes Poems
Summary:
This chapter depicts the sad existence of a girl not much older than Esperanza who is already burdened with
"two kids and a husband who left." After putting her children to bed, Minerva spends her nights writing
heart-breaking poems which she folds into little pieces and grips in her hand. The emotional and physical abuse
Minerva suffers at the hands of the husband who continually leaves and returns is a problem which both
Minerva and Esperanza do not know how to solve.
Analysis:
Cultural values of mystic and divine intervention pervade this chapter. Ironically, crying and praying are typical
reactions to situations such as Minerva's and can be performed in public. But writing poetry, truly expressing
her sorrow and rage, is a private act done in secret.
Esperanza's poignant description of the folded poems that "smell like a dime" perhaps alludes to how they are
placed in her pocket like a coin, or their marginal value. Minerva's situation is common to women on Mango
Street, and thus unremarkable and without remedy. The simile "sad like a house on fire" makes the reader wish
something would be done. The emphasis Esperanza places on her own complacency with the words "there is
nothing I can do" reveals her resentment that a woman's abuse must be the "same old story" and regret of her
own inefficacy in helping her friend. This is the fate that people accept for women from such poor backgrounds;
it is a future Esperanza rejects for herself.
Bums in the Attic
Summary:
In this chapter, Esmeralda describes her longing for a house like the ones where her father gardens. On Sundays
her family drives by and gazes as these houses, but her newfound sense of shame prevents Esmeralda from
joining them. Esmeralda vows that when she owns her own house, she will not forget from where she came. She
will let bums live in her attic, because she knows how it feels to not have a house.
Analysis:
Summary and Analysis of Minerva Who Writes Poems-Linoleum Roses
34
This chapter is poignant social commentary berating the abuses of ills of class stratification. The house on the
hill is a metaphor for the separation between rich and poor; Esperanza groups people into two extreme
categories- the lucky and the unlucky, or those who "sleep so close to the stars" and "those who live too much
on earth." The act of gazing down is a metaphor for the disdain and ignorant bliss with which the less fortunate
are by the wealthy. Their lack of earthly worries such as "last week's garbage or fear of rats" is symbolized by
their nave, almost childlike, existence: "Night comes. Nothing wakes them but the wind."
The understatement with which Esmeralda envisions explaining how she will enjoy telling guests that bums live
in the attic reveals Esperanza's ironic and wizened view of society: she already knows how to shock those whom
she now fears, and she will one day avenge the shame she and her class have had to suffer by breaking status
quo social norms.
Beautiful and Cruel
Summary:
This chapter marks the beginning of Esperanza's "own quiet war" against machismo. She will not tame herself
nor wait for a husband, and this rebellion if reflected in her leaving the table- dish an chair untouched- like a
man.
Analysis:
This chapter discusses two important themes: forging and maintaining one's own power and challenging the
cultural and social expectations one is supposed to fulfill. Esperanza's mission to create her own identity is
manifested by her decision to not "lay (her) neck on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain."
The terse language and violent images of self-bondage into slavery reveals the contempt with which Esperanza
views many of her peers who sole priority is becoming a wife. To learn how to guard her power from men,
Esperanza looks to the example of the movie seductress "who drives the men crazy and laughs them all away."
A Smart Cookie
Summary:
In this chapter, the reader learns of Mama's past and her regrets that she "could've been somebody." Bilingual,
handy, artistic and musical, Mama still sings opera as she prepares breakfast and dreams of seeing a ballet. She
admonishes her daughter to stay in school so that she never has to depend on a man. Mama also warns
Esperanza against shame. It seems the daughter inherited this fault from her mother, as Mama reveals that the
only reason she quit school was because she was proud and did not have nice clothes to wear.
35
Analysis:
Cisneros' simile reveals Mama's profound and wasted talent: velvety lungs powerful as morning glories." The
irony of the chapter's ending "I was a smart cookie then," serves as a poignant lesson for her proud daughter. So
too, we see the theme of rejection of society's low expectations for an individual of Esperanza's sex, race, and
class.
What Sally Said
Summary:
This disturbing chapter is comprised of Sally's revelations of her father's abuse to Esperanza. Sally makes
excuses for her father, such as "he never hits me hard" or lies and says she fell. "Because I'm a daughter," as
opposed to a trustworthy son, Sally's father fears she will bring shame upon the family in the same way his
sisters did. Sally even stays with the Cordero family, but returns to her "Daddy" when he comes begging
forgiveness.
Analysis:
Although the abuser in Sally's case is a father instead of a husband, this chapter emphasizes the theme that
emerges from Minerva's story: the abusive man who is repeatedly forgiven by the battered woman.
Another theme is the sexual double-standard for women, as Sally is beaten hardest after she is caught
associating with boys. The horror a battered woman must repeatedly face is poignantly emphasized through
simile: "he hit her with his hands just like a dog, she said, like if I was an animal." Chilling irony and
understatement also reveals the severity of Sally's situation: "he just forgot he was her father between the buckle
and the belt."
The Monkey Garden
Summary:
When the family who owned both monkey and garden moved back to Kentucky, Esperanza relishes not having
to hear the animal scream at night. So too, she is excited to explore the garden the monkey once guarded. At
first, the garden is a wonder of botanical beauty, and then in time becomes an overgrown graveyard for cars.
The garden ceases to be the sight of childhood pleasure for Esperanza when Sally enters the garden to kiss a
group of boys. Filled with unexplainable anger, Esmeralda becomes both a snitch and a warrior armed with
sticks and a brick in order to save Sally. When the boys and Sally herself tell Esperanza to go away, Esperanza
is ashamed and runs to the other end of the garden. Under a "jungle tree," Esperanza painfully comes to terms
with the fact that she no longer exists as a carefree girl.
36
Analysis:
The joy Esperanza feels while observing the life in the garden is evident in her light-hearted diction, such as
"dizzy bees," "bow-tied fruit flies turning somersaults and humming in the air," and "weeds like so many
squinty-eyed stars." Indeed, Esperanza notes and appreciates the beauty of life- both natural and urbansurrounding her.
The monkey garden is an ironic twist on the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden; it is a place of mystery and
promise for poor urban youth. The garden itself is a manifestation of the themes of self-definition and
determination, as exemplified by the childrens' ability to hide from their parents and invent their own play
spaces there. So too, like the Eden story, paradise becomes humiliation and disappointment for Esperanza; it is
the place where she is forced to let go of childhood. Faced with the reality that she no longer belongs playing
with children, nor kissing the boys with Sally, Esperanza feels like a stranger to herself and keenly feels her lack
of self-identity and a welcoming place to forge it. "They (my feet) seemed far away. They didn't seem to be my
feet anymore. And the garden that had seemed such a good place to play didn't seem mine either."
Esperanza's feelings of isolation are emphasized by the fact that a personified tree is her only source of comfort,
as it is the sole being "that wouldn't mind if I lay down and cried a long time." Esperanza's impossible desire to
control her sadness I revealed in the imagery depicting her eyes: "I closed my eyes like tight starseverything
inside hiccupped." "I wanted to be dead, to turn into the rain, my eyes melt into the ground like two black
snails" she longs to become part of nature, a member of the beautiful natural garden she first explored before
this harsh loss of innocence.
Red Clowns
Summary:
In this chapter, Esperanza's illusions of her first kiss are shattered when a boy forces himself upon her at a
carnival. Waiting for her companion, Sally, who has gone somewhere with "that big boy," Esperanza waits "by
the red clowns, just like you said, but you never came, you never came for me." Instead, Esperanza is
surrounded and assaulted; the fear and humiliation she experiences are far from the pleasure Sally, novels, and
magazines promised her a kiss would be.
Analysis:
Cisneros' diction and syntax creates this chapter's tone of panic. The repetition, for example, of "you lied," "why
did you lie?" and "you're a liar" emphasize how Esperanza feels that Sally has both physically and emotionally
misled her. Indeed, Esperanza's barrage of questions (such as "Why didn't you hear me when I called? Why
didn't you tell them to leave me alone?") aid our understanding of her helplessness and abandonment.
37
The theme of this chapter is male domination in taking sexual advantage of women. In particular, we see the
dangers of stereotyping. As Esperanza is friends with Sally, a girl with a bad reputation, the boys feel justified
in taking advantage of Esperanza, who by sheer association, is assumed to have loose morals too.
The dangers of racial prejudice is also a theme, as Esperanza's attacker says "I love you, Spanish girl." The
impact these words have upon Esperanza is evidenced in her repetition of the refrain throughout the chapter.
These words reflect the attacker's assault not only on her womanhood, but on her individual identity as well.
Linoleum Roses
Summary:
In this chapter Sally's fate is finally sealed: she marries a marshmallow salesman from a school bazaar "in
another state where it's legal to get married before eighth grade." Although she has material goods now and
claims to be in love, Esperanza is not fooled and wisely claims "I think she did it to escape." The rest of the
chapter is a series of advantages to Sally's marriage which are promptly nixed by far worse disadvantages. Sally
can now buy things, but only when her husband gives her money. She claims to be happy, yet her violent
husband broke the door with his foot in one of his outbursts of anger. His possessiveness prevents Sally from
using the telephone, having visitors, going outside, or even looking out the window. The only pleasure she
seems to be allowed is admiring the way the walls, ceiling, and linoleum rose floors of her home perfectly meet.
Analysis:
This chapter plays upon the "unhappy woman by the window" theme, but in this case the man is so jealous that
even that harmless act is forbidden. Indeed, irony prevails- from Sally running from one violent possessor to the
arms of another to Sally's new favorite pastime. One of the only actions she is allowed to take, Sally looks at the
"the linoleum roses on the floor and the ceiling smooth as wedding cake." It is ironic indeed that the substance
of girlhood dreams- a husband, a house, romantic roses and celebratory wedding cake- can so quickly be
transformed into a prison with just two dangerous words, "I do" to the wrong person.
38
Summary and Analysis of The Three Sisters-Mango

Says Goodbye Sometimes
The Three Sisters
Summary:
This chapter begins with the death of Lucy and Rachel's baby sister. At the funeral, Esperanza meets "las
comadres" or the three strange and mysterious old sisters who "had the power and could sense what was what."
Without any warning, the old ladies inquire her name and examine her hands; they then tell Esperanza to make a
wish. They promise that the wish will come true, and then "the one with marble hands" calls her aside and
teachers her an important lesson. Esperanza learns that her ties are a circle and that, although she will leave
Mango Street, she must return for those who cannot escape as easily. As if in answer to Esperanza's insecurities,
the mystical woman tells Esperanza that she cannot forget what she knows, which is Mango Street, nor her
identity, which is linked to her name. After she promises to return to her roots, Esperanza joins her playmates
and never sees these mysterious women again.
Analysis:
Once again, Cisneros gives us vibrant portraits of interesting characters; such as the old women who are "thin as
a spider web and barely noticed" Indeed, the use of language is special because it perfectly depicts how only a
special child such as Esperanaza would observe "three who did not seem to be related to anything but the
moon."
This chapter's theme is superstition and the cultural value of mysticism. For example, the baby's approaching
death is symbolized by the crying dog and the flight of a yellow bird through an open window. The old ladies
predict Esperanza's good fortune based on the luck of her name and the power revealed in her palms.
So too, the fortune they predict for Esperanza is noteworthy. Although the themes of home and name are
common in this story, in this chapter we learn that while Esperanza's dream will come true, she must accept a
new responsibility of completing the circle. Thus, in subsequent treatment of self-creation through a new home
and name, we will see that Esperanza is unable to escape ties of heritage and duty to Mango Street.
Alicia & I Talking on Edna's Steps
Summary:
Alicia listens to Esperanza's sadness at not having a her own house. Unlike Alicia's dream to one day return to
Summary and Analysis of The Three Sisters-Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes

39
Guadalajara, Mexico, Esperanza has no sense of belonging to Mango Street, nor does she want it to be her place
of origin. Alicia, wise as others before her, tells Esperanza that she cannot escape being a part of Mango Street,
and that one day she will return. Esperanza retorts that she will not come back unless someone improves the
neighborhood, and the chapter ends with ironic, double-edged laughter: if the mayor won't help Mango Street,
who will? The question is left to be answered.
Analysis:
The metaphor "you are Mango Street" is a very important lesson for Esperanza, she begins to realize that she
cannot deny her heritage, and that even in time she will embrace it and help the community where she learned
so much about womanhood and human relations.
Cisneros writes with irony when Esperanza "shakes her head" to "undo the year she lived here," and criticizes
the attitude that such marginal communities cannot be improved. This leads the reader to ponder if Esperanza
will one day build her house of heart by working for the community she so adamantly rejects now.
A House of My Own
Summary:
This chapter finally describes Esperanza's dream home. It is neither an apartment nor a man's house, but rather a
"house all my own" which fulfills Esperanza's personal needs and dreams. She would fill this house with the
special things she likes: flowers and pillows on the porch, books and stories. She would relish the solitude and
independence; she longs to live in a pristine world, as evidenced by her dreams of "quiet as snow" and "clean as
paper."
Analysis:
Themes of feminine independence, free from duties such as "garbage to pick up after" this wistful vision is
written in very poetic prose; once again we see the lyrical qualities of Cisneros' writing. For example, in the line
"With my porch and my pillow, my pretty purple petunias" has both the meter and the alliteration of verse. So
too, note the rhyme and meter of the last line: "Only a house as quiet as snow, a place for myself to go, clean as
paper before the poem" this last line also alludes to Esperanza's literary inclinations, as if she herself is writing
this description of her dream. "my books and my stories" also bolsters the assumption that Esperanza is a
budding writer.
Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes
Summary:

40
The last chapter both confirms suspicions about Esperanza's writing and clarifies doubts that would normally
come at the beginning of a conventional novel. Esperanza lives a life of true stories which she writes in her
head. She tells the reader that "I am going to tell you a story about a girl who didn't want to belong" Esperanza
again gives the summary of the family's different addresses, but she stops at Mango Street because she
remembers the "sad red house, the house I belong but do not belong to" the most.
Analysis:
The painful emotions which Mango Street evokes in Esperanza are relieved when she finally expresses her
love-hate relationship with the place upon paper. That is when "Mango says goodbye sometimes" at the
moment, Mango is stronger than Esperanza, but she vows that "one day I will pack my bags of books and paper.
One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever" the final lines of the
novel reveal Esperanza's true reason for wanting to move far away from Mango Street: so that one day she can
come back for those- like so many of the characters we have met- who cannot make it out on their own.

41
Related Links
http://www.nagasaki-gaigo.ac.jp/ishikawa/amlit/c/cisneros21.htm
List of links
Related Links
42
Author of ClassicNote and Sources

Eileen O'Conner, author of ClassicNote. Completed on March 30, 2000, copyright held by GradeSaver.
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Arte Publico Press, 1984.
Author of ClassicNote and Sources
43
Essay: The Home and Family in The House on Mango

Street and Cry, the Beloved Country
by Tad Mehringer
August 21, 2002
The House on Mango Street and Cry, the Beloved Country both involve themes emphasizing the home and
family. From the old umfundisi seeking for his prodigal son to Esperanza searching and wanting a place of her
own, both of these prolific stories involve how one reacts to the attraction of home and family. These novels
have different writing styles and different ideas about the home as a place of refuge and belonging and these
ideas are shown throughout each story. Over all, it is the main characters who show through their experiences
why they desire to come back to a place they call home.
In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza communicates through her experiences that "home" is a dream that
looks bleak from the poverty of Mango Street. For example, she says, "I knew then I had to have a real house. A
real house. One I could point to. But this isn't it. The House on Mango Street isn't it. For the time being, Mama
says. Temporary says Papa. But I know how those things go" (Cisneros, 5). For Esperanza, a real home is
something distant and cloudy, something she can only look forward to in her dreams. Esperanza really desires a
home where she can feel like she belongs, a home not just solid on the outside, but on the inside as well. In
addition, the poverty on Mango Street causes more heartache for Esperanza and makes her dream even more
sorrowful. For example, the shame Esperanza feels when a nun asks her where she lives is shown in her words:
"There. I had to look where she was pointing - the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on
the windows so we wouldn't fall out" (Cisneros, 5). The mortification Esperanza feels from having to point to
the apartment over a "laundromat" with peeling paint and barred windows causes much shame and further
solidifies her dream for a "real" house. Here we see the main theme of the novel and one that is woven around
the story: Esperanza's desire to find a physical and emotional space of her own, a place to call home. For
Esperanza, her experiences on the poverty - stricken Mango Street shame her, until her dream of a real house is
just that.
In Cry, the Beloved Country, the old parson's journey to Johannesburg and back portrays how the author, Alan
Paton, felt about the unity and importance of family and nations. For example, a major theme that Paton
develops is that family life in South Africa is broken; he illustrates this primarily through the Kumalo family,
but then also mentions other instances of broken families, like the Jarvis family. The troubles mentioned in
Johannesburg help Kumalo to realize that villages such as Ixopo and the nation of South Africa in general need
to be reunited. This is portrayed in another way through the poverty - filled streets of Johannesburg and through
the work of Arthur Jarvis, who wrote so the nation of South Africa might come together. In addition, the author
makes the journey of Kumalo the central idea to branch off, showing how it is the family that makes up the
home. Like Esperanza, Kumalo dreams of a house, not a house of his own, but a house united by family. This is
Essay: The Home and Family in The House on Mango Street and Cry, the Beloved
Copyright
Country
(C) 2000 GradeSaver LLC
44
a key difference between the main characters of each novel; Esperanza wants a house strong on the outside, one
that appears beautiful, while Kumalo wants a house strong on the inside, one that is united by family. Paton
seeks to show the importance of a united family by portraying the sights that Kumalo sees while on his journey
to find his son.
Both of these interesting novels provide insights into the culture that surrounded the time that these books were
written, and it is the culture that provides background and ideas for each novel. For example, the adjustment of
Esperanza as she moves from place to place was a predominant issue for every Latina girl who was poor. The
way Cisneros used Esperanza as a narrator helped the readers to understand the problems ethnic families,
especially Hispanics faced in big cities. This was a major factor and underlying theme that Cisneros wanted to
show in her novel: the hardships facing a poor Latina girl. In addition, Paton attempts to weave the concept of
apartheid, a key argument for South Africa, throughout the parson's journey to exemplify the need for the unity
of races. Paton intended to remind the reader of the real reason of the hatred and poverty of Johannesburg and
other countries: the hatred of one race for another. As Msimangu says, "I see only one hope for our country, and
that is when white men and black men, desiring neither power nor money, but desiring only the good of their
country, come together to work for it" (Paton, 460). This theme is again conveyed in Msimangu's words, "I have
one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving, they will find we are turned to hating."
Both authors provide cultural references and insertions to help the reader understand the reasons for the writing
of each novel.
These novels were written by authors who intended to send a message to the people of their day. Although the
times are later and the ideas have changed, these books still hold forth truths to heed. Alan Paton seemed to say,
"hold on to your family and appreciate them, they may not be around later." And as for Esperanza, she seems to
say that we should value our family, strive for something better, and never lose you dreams. Both authors seem
to want all readers to remember that the journey of life through the big city is hard, but with family united by
love it is like coming home again.
Essay: The Home and Family in The House on Mango Street and Cry, the Beloved
Copyright
Country
(C) 2000 GradeSaver LLC
45
Copyright Notice
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Biography of Cisneros, Sandra (1954-)

Biography of Cisneros, Sandra (1954-)

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Biography of Cisneros, Sandra (1954-)

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verbal beating suffered by the narrator.

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