The House on Mango Street About the Author

The House on Mango Street About the Author Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago in l 954, the third child and only daughter in a family of seven children. In the past she has worked as a teacher and counselor to high-school dropouts, and has taught creative writing at every level. She has won many awards for her books, which have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

The House on Mango Street The work is narrated by Esperanza Cordero, thirteen, a girl in Chicago. Although told in the voice of a young girl, it addresses mature subject matter. As she watches her neighborhood, she decides that she will not become like the women she knows, trapped and powerless in a man’s world. The story takes place in a barrio in Chicago. Esperanza dreams of the house she will someday have – her own house, not on Mango Street.

A Few Important Terms/ details Barrio - refers to a lower-class “ghetto” with mostly Spanish-speaking residents. Vignette - a short, well written sketch or descriptive scene, usually using poetic language. The novel is told as a series of vignettes, 1 -4 pages each.

A Few Important Terms/ details There is no real chronological plot, but a series of insights into Esperanza’s thoughts and feelings. The vignettes show the trends in behavior in the community and provide a contrast between strength and weakness, between freedom and bondage.

STYLE: How does she say it? Cisneros uses the following poetic devices to bring this story alive: Simile – “My papa’s hair is like a broom” (p. 6) Metaphor – “Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor” (p. 9) Personification – “Four skinny trees…grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger” (p. 74) Alliteration – “…mother who is tired all the time from buttoning and bottling and babying…” (p. 29)

Why is this book worth reading? This story should be easy to relate to because we all struggle with what it means to grow up and search for our own identities. The vignettes ted to be enjoyable because they are short, very descriptive and interesting to discuss. They are an easy way to start “reading between

THEMES: What is the author trying to say? The Power of Language: Esperanza observes the people around her and realizes that not knowing the language creates powerlessness. The Struggle for Self-Identity: Esperanza’s struggle to define herself underscores her every action and encounter. Esperanza must define herself both as a woman and as an artist, and her perception of her identity changes over the course of the novel.

Themes continued Coming of Age Story – a story in which the young protagonist undergoes adventures and inner turmoil in his or her growth and development as a human being. Gender Roles- a story which discusses the stereotypical/ socially acceptable roles of both male and female characters. There is usually a character that goes against these roles.

“In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting” (p. 10) - Esperanza Cordero, age 12

If you like The House on Mango Street, you might also like these… MOVIES: Real Women Have Curves, Stand By Me, Mean Girls, ATL, Holes BOOKS: The Outsiders, To Kill A Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Persepolis POETRY: 19 Varieties of Gazelle by Naomi Shihab Nye

To find out more, visit these… The Authorized Sandra Cisneros Web Site http: //www. sandracisneros. com/home. html The Barrio Museum (el Museo del barrio) http: //www. elmuseo. org/ Glossary of Poetic Devices http: //www. kyrene. org/schools/brisas/sunda/p oets/poetry 2. htm Teen Ink Review of The House on Mango Street http: //teenink. com/Past/2001/September/Boo ks/The. Houseon. Mango. html