Esperanza and her family live on Mango Street, but Esperanza isn't too proud of the house they live in. In fact Esperanza is ashamed of everything, her name, hair, culture, the house, and the people around her. She meets a lot of people that have problems with there own lives and have no control over them. Esperanza can't wait to move out of Mango Street and live a better life. But as Esperanza gets older she learns more about herself and the impact Mango Street has left her, and discovers that she must come back to help the others in the same way.

For a cousins baptism Esperanza's mother buys her a new dress. Esperanza is very proud of the dress but can't seem to take her eyes off her old big brown Chanclas. Even though she looks very pretty in the dress she hates the way the...