Summary:
Provides a character analysis of Esperanza, the main character in Hispanic American writer Sandra Cisneros' novel, The House on Mango Street. Provides a plot summary. Also discusses themes and symbols.
The House On Mango Street
The family in this book moved around a lot. There were six people living all together in the house and the parents were two of them. There old homes were memories to them. They had a house on Loomis Street but the pipeline busted and the landlord would not fix it. The family dreamed of a house that they wouldn't have to move out of. Their house on Mango St. Was not all that they dreamed of but they had to deal with it.
Hairs
The family in this book all have unique hair styles. The Father has hair like a broom up in the air. The narrator (which of now has not given a name) has very lazy hair that does not like hair accessories. Carlos, the brother has thick and straight hair. Nenny, the younger sister has slippery wet hair that is hard to grip. And KiKi,the youngest brother has furry hair. The Mothers hair is different. It has a totally different vibe to her hair. Her hair is like little flowers, or candy circles it is very curly. Her hair out of everyone's is very relaxing and calm. Her hair can make you feel safe and warm.
Boys&Girls
The boys and girls in the house on Mango St. Are very strange. The two brothers Carlos and KiKi will speak to their sisters while there in the house but while there outside with their friends they'll ignore them. The girls have no one to talk to and play with especially Nenny because she wants to play with her big sister like her brothers are but her sister feels she needs someone her age to joke around with.
My Name
The narrators name is very important in the family because it was handed down over generations. Her great grandmother also had this name. Her name has many meanings like hope, sadness, waiting and there's more. Her great grandmother's Chinese symbolic animal was a horse. The narrators name is Esperanza. No one in her school could pronounce her name correctly and if she could change it she would.
Cathy Queen of Cats
There are many faces and many personalities in the town of Mango. The most commonly known is Cathy Queen of Cats. Cathy has big cats, skinny cats, baby cats, and sick cats. Esperanza was desprit for a friend so she made up a story on how her grandmother was the Queen of France. She told this to Cathy and Cathy said she would be her friend until Tuesday.
Our Good Day
In this chapter two girls ask Esperanza and Cathy if they could have five dollars. The girls explain they already have ten and all they need is five more dollar to get a brand new bikes. Esperanza doesn't like the fact that the bigger looking girl is letting the little girl do all the talking and Cathy doesn't like them and doesn't want Esperanza to give them the money at all. Cathy threatens to end her and Esperanza's friendship and Esperanza gives them the five dollars anyway. The two girls tell Esperanza there names. Lucy, the older sister, and Rachael, the younger one. The two girls are from Texas. The girls buy the bike and all three of them take turns riding up and down Mango.
Laughter
Esperanza and her sister may not look alike but they do have things in common like the way they laugh. Lucy and Rachael laughs are soft and gentle but Esperanza and Nenny's laughter are like dishes crashing to the floor. While all the girls are playing, Nenny included, they stop near a house for some reason Esperanza thought it felt like there were Mexicans living in it in the past. She told her friends but before they had a chance to laugh her sister Nenney said yes that's Mexico.
Gil's Furniture Bought & Sold
On Mango there is a junk store that Esparanza and her family go to some times. It is a very old dusty place with a variety of things to sell. The family once bought a refrigerator from here and Carlos once sold a box of magazines. The junk store has televisions's stacked up high its hard to move around in there. The owner of the store is black and he doesn't talk much. Nenny found a music box in the store once. Esperanza thought it was stupid because when Nenny call her over and told her she found a music box Esperanza expected a pretty flower box with a dancing ballerina in it. When Nenny asked how much it was he said its not for sale.
Meme Ortiz
Cathy moved out of her home and a boy named Meme moved in. His name wasn't really Meme but when someone asked him his name he called himself Meme. So, everyone calls him that except for his mother who calls him by his real name Juan. Meme has a dog and it's a Shepard, it is huge. Cathies father built the house and everything in the house is lopsided. In their backyard there is this huge tree that was used to provide shelter for animals. That tree also held the first Tarzan Jumping contest. Meme won but he broke both his arms.
Louie, His Cousin and his Other Cousin
The Ortiz family has a downstairs basement and they have made it an apartment. They rented it out to a Puerto Rican family . There was a boy named Louie that lived downstairs with his family. He has to little sisters. Carlos and Louie are best friends and they always hang out together. Louie's cousin lives with him and his family. His cousin always has the job of taking care and watching out four the little sisters. Her name is Marin and she doesn't mind watching them because she is a girl like them. One day his other cousin came and he was in a yellow Cadillac. He let all of Esperanza's friends and her in the car. He rode around the block a couple of times until he heard a siren. He told the kids to get out of the car and he sped off. The cop car chased him down the rode and he tried to get away. He had stole the Yellow Cadillac and he was sent to jail for his crime.
Marin
Marin Louie's cousin has a boyfriend in Puerto Rico. They plan to marry each other once Marin returns to Puerto Rico with him. Louie's family are going to send her back because they say she's to much trouble. Esperanza and her friends and siblings thought theat was to bad because she was very useful in time of need. They say they never saw Marin a lot unless her Aunt came home. They don't let Marin leave the step but every night she sits on the step and smokes a cigarette.
Those Who Don't
People that come Into the neighborhood are frightened and they believe the people are dangerous. Those people are usually lost. The people from this neighborhood are safe and relaxed here but when they travel to a different neighborhood with different color appearances they get frightened also.
There was an Old Women She Had so Many Children She didn't Know What to Do.
Rosa Vargas is a woman who has lots of children. Her children are very bad because she can never keep up with all of them and because she is always tired from the kids constant babbling and whining. The children are without respect for things living and non-living. These children act so bad now know one even pays them any attention.
Alicia who see's Mice
Alicia who is one of Esperanza's friends believes she see's mice. Her father tries to tell her that what she is seeing is not real and that she should get rest so she can get up to make breakfast. Alicia's mother died and now all her mothers duties were passed down to her. Alicia is a very smart girl and is not afraid of anything except for mice and fathers.
Darius& the Clouds.
Clouds are a symbol of peace and relaxation. There aren't that many clouds on Mango St. But people make due, even a kid named Darius. Darius is a very bad kid. He likes to chase girls with firecrackers and annoy them with things that are disgusting. One day Darius put aside all his annoyances to show them the clouds. He believes you can go there when your down because God lives in one.
And Some More
In this section of the book the four friends Esperanza, Rachael, Nenny, and Lucy are talking about the various names for things that people don't even know about. They make a game to say as many names of one thing as possible. While Nenny is saying as many names as she can, her sister and friends get into a very heated argument. The argument winds up splitting the friends up (but not for long).
The Family of little Feet
There was a family that were very small. Everything on them their arms legs height but especially their feet. The grandfather had fat and doughy feet. The grandmothers feet were as lovely as pink pearls and were always dressed in high heels. The babies feet had ten tiny toes that you could see through. The Mothers feet were plump and polite. One day the mother decides to give some of her shoes away to Lucy, Rachael, and Esperanza (there friends again). The girls try on the heels. One pair is a lemon color the other is red but the last was white but they are now a pale blue. They walk around Mango street boys checking them out, girls jealous and people just giving them compliments. A bum liked Rachael the best with her lemon color shoes on and he told her he would give her a dollar if she kissed him. The girls started to run they ran with the high heels all the way back to Mango St. And put the high heels in storage.
A Rice Sandwich.
Esperanza believes it's not fair that only special people get to eat in the canteen. The canteen was an after school and during lunch, lunch. Esperanza believed that you could get way better food in the canteen then in the cafeteria. Esperanza then begged her mom to right a note to the Superior nun saying that she needed to eat in the Canteen because of her problems. The Nun believed that Esperanza did not live far enough to eat in the canteen. Esperanza d'esprit put on an act and began to cry. The Nun felt bad and told her she could stay one day. Esperanza found out that it wasn't all the good of food anyway.
Chanclas
Esperanza's mother returns from shopping to give Esperanza her clothes for the baptism there going to. Her mom forgets to buy shoes and Esperanza has to wear her Chanclas. After the baptism there is dancing and food but Esperanza wont dance, even with this boy who asks her, she's to embarrassed. Her Uncle tells her to come dance and they dance all night long.
Hips
There is a game the four friends like to play. It is a jump rope game and this is how it goes. While there in the rope they must make up there own riddle. The riddle has to rhyme and it has to be something they made up. Everyone is playing well except Nenny. Even though she doesn't play right the girls are all patient with her.
The First Job
Esperanza finds her first job at The Peter Pan Photo Finishers. Her aunt works there and her aunt told her to lie about her age and say she was a year older than she really was. She was hired and her first assignment was to take the negatives and put them in aa envelope with the actual photo's and repeat this with the others. At lunch time she was very nervous and she didn't know anybody there so she ate fast and got back to work early. There was an Oriental man who said he wanted to be her friend. He said it was his birthday and could he have a kiss. She thought because he was old and they were now friends she would. When she went to kiss his cheeks he grabbed her face and forced her to kiss his lips for a long time.
Pa-Pa who wakes up Tired in the Dark
It is very early in the morning when Esperanza's father comes in her room and tells her that his father has died. She gets very sad and she wants it to be a dream. Her grandfather is dead. He begins to cry and he tells her they will be having the funeral in Mexico because of the traditions of the family. He tells her to tell everyone else the bad news because he can not bear the pain of his families sorrow.
Born Bad
Mama said Esperanza was born on an evil day. Esperanza never really believed her until the day her aunt died. Her aunt use to be a swimmer until she got sick. Esperanza's aunts name was Lupe. Aunt Lupe was very sweet. She listened to all Esperanza's poems and always complimented her work. Aunt Lupe became blind and became skinny and wrinkly. There was a game that Esperanza and her friends made up. They acted out a person that they all knew. That day they decided to act out Aunt Lupe. That day she died and they blamed their game.
Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water
Elenita is considered the which of the town. She is reading the palm of Esperanza and she shows her what the future holds. Esperanza is disappointed after the fortune and doesn't really understand it but she knows it means something special.
Geraldo No Last Name
Esperanza met a boy named Geraldo at a dance. She thought he was attractive and she decided she liked him. Marin was a very good dancer and she danced at many different clubs. She danced with the boy that Esperanza had her eye on. Something happened that night but nobody remembered but the boy was rushed to the hospital and he lost lots of blood. Nobody knew anything about him and the only thing they found out was his name.
Edna's Ruthie
Edna was Ruthies mother. Ruthie hung out with Esperanza and her friends sometimes. To Esperanza it seemed like Ruthie never took advantage of the little things that kids usually take advantage of. In this chapter Esperanza just explained Ruthies personality.
The Earl of Tennessee
Earl lives behind Edna in an apartment that smells like mold. Earl never comes out of his house except to go to work or to tell the kids outside to quiet down. Earl has two black dogs that he takes everywhere. He also has a wife that he invites over his house every so often. Know one ever really gets to get a good look at her so everyone has there own opinion on how she looks.
Sire
In this chapter Esperanza speaks of a boy who seems to intimidate her. When she goes by him she acts as though she is not scared or intimidated. One day while walking by they locked eyes and he crashed his bike. His girlfriend came to help him and Esperanza felt a little bad but she still liked him. What did that girl have that Esperanza didn't have", kindness, courteousness, politeness, manners, and lots of others. Esperanza felt beaten.
Four Skinny Trees
In this chapter they use a simile to compare humans to a tree and its roots. In a tree the strength of that tree is its roots. It is planted and cannot be moved. They say this is how people should be. They also state all the good qualities of a tree that humans don't posses.
No Speak English
The man that lived across the street has a mother that lives all by herself raising a baby boy in Mexico. He works night and day to pay for his mother to come live with him. He finally earns the money for his mother to come and live with him. She doesn't speak English and she gets homesick which really annoys him. The baby one day spoke his first word but it was in English! She was very unhappy about that and wanted to go back to Mexico.
Rafaela who drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays
Rafaela has a husband who always goes to play dice on Tuesdays. He locks her in the house because he is afraid she will run away because of her beauty. Rafaela always looks out the window and hopes that while her husbands out he will find someone more beautiful that her. She always asks Esperanza and her friends to go buy her some Coconut or Papaya juice.
Sally
In this chapter they talk about a girl named Sally. She was beautiful and all the boys liked her. She had silky, shiny, black hair. Sally had a best friend but they got in an fight and stopped their friendship. Also her father is very strict about their religion. His sister did not follow the religion and every time he thought about her he took it out on Sally. Sally has to come straight home from her school and always has to stay in the house. Esperanza sometimes asks her doesn't she want to be free and alone. Instead of being all bunched up strict rules and all noise all the time. She can't answer.
Minerva Writes Poems
Minerva is only a little older than Esperanza with two kids. She lets Esperanza read her poems and sometimes Esperanza listens to hers. Her poems are mostly sad because her and her husband got a divorce. He came back and began to abuse her.
Bums in the Attic
Esperanza says when she gets older she will open her home to any bum out of gratitude. She belies that people that have fancy things and all the good things in life forgot there lineage and forgot where they came from. She says she will never forget hers.
Beautiful&Cruel
Nenny decided she wouldn't wait her whole life for her husband to find her. Nenny wants things all her own, to pick a man and choose a man. However, Esperanza says its not that easy for people that are not attractive or famous. She says she wants to be like the people in the movies that are both beautiful and cruel. Esperanza says those kind of women drive men crazy and make them laugh away. She said they chase them and adore those kind of women and that she would be one of the ones that would be getting chased. Her sister was very impressed.
The Smart Cookie
In this section of the book Esperanza's mother tells her she doesn't have to worry about her look as long as she gets good grades. Esperanza's mother is very talented in many ways. She could have been many things but she didn't finish school because of her looks and her clothes. She had very little clothes so she had to wear the same clothes a few times a week and kids teased her. She was so ashamed she quit school. She was a smart cookie. She went on about the importance of school and how she could never drop out because of something so petty.
What Sally Said
Sally was always mistreated by her father. She would always tell her mother it didn't hurt and her friends and teachers she fell.. Her face was beautiful until the beatings occurred. Esperanza and her family let her stay with them but one night he came and begged for her forgiveness. She forgave him and everything seemed fine until one day her say her talking to a boy. He changed back and really broke in to his hands. Noone heard from her or from him in a very long time. People were worried and didn't know what to expect.
The Monkey Garden
There was a family that had a monkey. The monkey and its family moved to Kentucky and now Esperanza and her friends aren't scared to go into the monkey garden. There were plants everywhere of all shapes, sizes, and colors. There were plenty of bugs and creatures through the whole garden. After the spring vacant cars started to appear in the garden. The garden got dirty and trashy. The kids made a club house from the cars and Esperanza played with the boys in games such as hide-and-go-seek and tag. Sally was playing with Tito and his friends and they stole her keys and to get them back she had to kiss all of them. Sally acted mad but she didn't mind. Sally got nervous and ran to tell Tito's mother but she didn't care. Esperanza went to save her and made a fool out of herself. She left and went under a tree to cry.
Red Clowns
Sally and Esperanza go to a carnival where Sally gets on a tilt-a-whirl. Sally goes off with a boy that was watching her and tells Esperanza to wait near the red clowns. She waits and waits but Sally does not come. The clowns touch her and grab her and says " I love you Spanish girl." They press their lips against hers. Sally left her there.
Lincoln Roses
Sally gets married which everyone knew was going to happen. She finds a state that legally a 8th grader could get married and she gets married. She says she likes it but everyone knows she just trying to get away from everyone. Her husband sometimes has anger burst but it is not a daily thing. He makes her stay in the house while he's at work, he wants her all to himself. She feels a little better with him than with her father but she still has not got her full freedom.
The Three Sisters
Lucy and Rachael baby sister died and they have a little funeral in th living room of their home. At the funeral was Lucy and Rachael's Aunts. They all have physic abilities. One had laughter like tin and one with eyes like a cat and one with hands like marble. Esperanza spoke to the three sisters and they said it would rain the next day. They said she was special and told her to make a wish. They told her wish would come true but in order for her wish to come true she would have to come back for her family when she left Mango ST. She was amazed they knew because she didn't speak her wish she thought it.
Alicia and I Talking on Edna's Step
Esperanza feels ashamed of her home and feels she doesn't have a home or a place to say she lived. She says she would never come back to 4006 Mango St. Alicia tells her she should like her house and remember it for what it is and treasure it. Esperanza tells her that she has something to remember not her.
A House of My Own
This chapter consist of a poem written by Esperanza about her home and how it feels and how it will feel and how it looks and how it will look. It talks about her having space and quietness.
Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes
Esperanza admits she will remember some things a bout her home when she leaves but she will not cherish the house because it did not hold her with two arms and make her feel safe and warm. She did not feel like she belonged in the house. She wont miss Mango St. but she will say goodbye.
This is the complete article, containing 3,914 words
(approx. 13 pages at 300 words per page).
