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The House on Mango Street MAG
InThe House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros defies traditional form and grammar tocreate an honest and passionate work. Her simplicity is beautiful, as are herabundant images and metaphors.
Through the young and imaginative eyes ofthe narrator, Esperanza, Cisneros gives the reader snapshots of a childhood in animpoverished Latino family in Chicago. Each brief passage highlights an incidentor observation in her life, from the childish pleasures of a used bicycle and thecompanionship of neighborhood trees, to the disappointment of moving to MangoStreet and the guilt of losing a relative.
Gifted with effortlessstorytelling ability and poetic sincerity, Cisneros brings together these storieswith their common thread of cultural oppression of women. Esperanza watches asthe women in her life become stuck in hopeless poverty and loneliness due totheir fathers or sweet-talking boyfriends who leave them with too many children.Esperanza sees the young mothers with a baby balanced on each hip, and the oldimmigrant women desperately struggling to maintain their Mexican roots. She vowsto leave Mango Street and work as a writer, but never to forget the women whocould not escape.
Esperanza's growth into a young woman and her desire torise above her beginnings make The House on Mango Street a poignant book forstudents of any culture and background. Its concise prose makes it ideal forreading either in a single evening, or in short sections over a longer period oftime.
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This article has 71 comments.
markushernandez said...
on Oct. 15 2019 at 1:36 pm
the house on mango street is about a little girl named esperanza who is moving into a new house which her family just purchased and while moving she comes across a couple problems like moving to a new school and having to make new friends and get used to her new neighborhood and her new life on mango street.I enjoyed this book and recommend it for mature audience to understand their humor
daisy_reynosa8 said...
on Oct. 7 2019 at 2:23 am
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, is about a girl named Esperanza who talks about her neighborhood and her life on Mango Street. She also describes the life around others in the novel as well. She describes how her family is in poverty and how she wants to move out of her neighborhood and into a house of her own. I think people should read it because it talks about how life is a real struggle and some times.
YazzyI said...
on Sep. 10 2019 at 1:21 pm
I think people should read this because it talks about life and how difficult it can be. So the book of The House on Mango Street is the street that they live in. There are so many characters in the story like Sally is a gorgeous girl. Nenny is esperanza kids sister. Esperanza is latina teenage girl and she struggles with her life.This book makes you think about life and you can see where she comes from and her struggles.in my opinion this book should be read by everyone to teach them about life and how it can be for others.
LiyahWade said...
on Aug. 22 2019 at 2:15 pm
“The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros is a very interesting book that I think everyone should read. The story talks a lot about things that happen in the real world.
nataliehello3 said...
on Aug. 6 2019 at 1:25 pm
The House On Mango Street Review essay
By, Sandera Cisneros
I think people should read this book because it is a remarkable story about a girl named Esperanza Cordero , Esperanza is a young Mexican american girl who is about 12 years old. During the book she moves in with her family on Mango street. The house was the first house her parents had ever bought however, the house isn't what esperanza dreamed of, the house is small and run down and is in a neighborhood where poor people live. As she lives on mango street she meets new friends like Sally , Alicia , Cathy , Meme Ortiz, Minvera, and Sire. Sally is a gorgeous girl that all the boys talk about at school, Alicia is an older girls who lives in the neighborhood and studies at the university, Cathy is a snob who tells esperanza that she will befriend her but tells her that their friendship will be short lived, Meme ortiz is a new kid on the block his real name is juan but he goes by meme , and sire is the first boy that always stares at esperanza but makes her feel uncomfortable.
The setting of this story takes place on the block of mandango street, I liked the book because the story is quirky. As you are reading the book you never know what's about to happen next or what the characters are going to do, this makes the book fun and exciting to read.
overall i recommend this book to all ages even schools
By, Sandera Cisneros
I think people should read this book because it is a remarkable story about a girl named Esperanza Cordero , Esperanza is a young Mexican american girl who is about 12 years old. During the book she moves in with her family on Mango street. The house was the first house her parents had ever bought however, the house isn't what esperanza dreamed of, the house is small and run down and is in a neighborhood where poor people live. As she lives on mango street she meets new friends like Sally , Alicia , Cathy , Meme Ortiz, Minvera, and Sire. Sally is a gorgeous girl that all the boys talk about at school, Alicia is an older girls who lives in the neighborhood and studies at the university, Cathy is a snob who tells esperanza that she will befriend her but tells her that their friendship will be short lived, Meme ortiz is a new kid on the block his real name is juan but he goes by meme , and sire is the first boy that always stares at esperanza but makes her feel uncomfortable.
The setting of this story takes place on the block of mandango street, I liked the book because the story is quirky. As you are reading the book you never know what's about to happen next or what the characters are going to do, this makes the book fun and exciting to read.
overall i recommend this book to all ages even schools
Shanemagennis said...
on Aug. 4 2019 at 10:11 pm
I had to read “The House on Mango Street”by Sandra Cisneros for a summer school project. I personally wasn’t too into it for most of the story although some parts of the story were intriguing, touching, and sometimes a little disturbing. The book gives a lot of insight on many issues whether it be enforced traditional gender roles, the ties between poverty and violence, and the struggle to succeed in poverty stricken communities.
“The House on Mango Street” is about a twelve year old girl, Esperanza, whose family and her move from an apartment to a small and unsatisfying house on Mango Street. Throughout the story Esperanza makes several friends and goes through some eye opening and life changing experiences.
Esperanza is a young girl who doesn’t really understand why she had to live in the small house they moved into. She grew up in many poor neighborhoods but she mentions that the house on Mango Street was the one she remembers the most. She goes through a lot throughout the story, some experiences are good and others are very bad.
The story takes place on Mango Street, a neighborhood of mostly Latino population and a very poor neighborhood as well. She lives in a small house with her whole family.
Although it’s definitely not the best book out there, and the written style seems a little childish, “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros is a good and easy read for if you need anything to help pass the time.
“The House on Mango Street” is about a twelve year old girl, Esperanza, whose family and her move from an apartment to a small and unsatisfying house on Mango Street. Throughout the story Esperanza makes several friends and goes through some eye opening and life changing experiences.
Esperanza is a young girl who doesn’t really understand why she had to live in the small house they moved into. She grew up in many poor neighborhoods but she mentions that the house on Mango Street was the one she remembers the most. She goes through a lot throughout the story, some experiences are good and others are very bad.
The story takes place on Mango Street, a neighborhood of mostly Latino population and a very poor neighborhood as well. She lives in a small house with her whole family.
Although it’s definitely not the best book out there, and the written style seems a little childish, “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros is a good and easy read for if you need anything to help pass the time.
krisitna said...
on Aug. 1 2019 at 2:57 am
Recently I read the book, “The House on Mango Street” written by Sandra Cisneros. Based off of my taste in literature, I personally wasn't too intrigued but did find some parts interesting. It may not have been the right choice in book for me but I would still recommend it to others.
The book is about a young girl named esperanza who struggles with her life. Her family moved from an apartment into a home on Mango Street, the house the family moved into is not what she wanted because it was small. She lives in a poor neighborhood that’s surrounded by latinos. Throughout the year she matures and goes through life changing experiences.
The writing style in this book is a major factor as to why I didn’t feel pulled into the storyline. I feel that it made it harder to both understand and find interest in. An example being, on page 31, It is mentioned that Alicia is seeing mice and her father is telling her that she's just imagining it. They way it’s written and is described was hard for me to understand because I felt like the details were all over the place.
Although I didn’t fully understand the writing style, I did find the purpose of the book very interesting. I liked the characters development in the story especially esperanza. I liked how her character developed. In the beginning she tells herself that she's going to buy herself a house and leave mango street and that’s exactly what she does.
Although the writing style is hard to understand, I did enjoy the story's plot and I think teenagers would enjoy it as well, especially those who like a challenge.
The book is about a young girl named esperanza who struggles with her life. Her family moved from an apartment into a home on Mango Street, the house the family moved into is not what she wanted because it was small. She lives in a poor neighborhood that’s surrounded by latinos. Throughout the year she matures and goes through life changing experiences.
The writing style in this book is a major factor as to why I didn’t feel pulled into the storyline. I feel that it made it harder to both understand and find interest in. An example being, on page 31, It is mentioned that Alicia is seeing mice and her father is telling her that she's just imagining it. They way it’s written and is described was hard for me to understand because I felt like the details were all over the place.
Although I didn’t fully understand the writing style, I did find the purpose of the book very interesting. I liked the characters development in the story especially esperanza. I liked how her character developed. In the beginning she tells herself that she's going to buy herself a house and leave mango street and that’s exactly what she does.
Although the writing style is hard to understand, I did enjoy the story's plot and I think teenagers would enjoy it as well, especially those who like a challenge.
OliverHdez said...
on Jul. 30 2019 at 1:28 am
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros was published in 1984 and it’s a story that is told through a series of vignettes all of them quite short and narrated by the character Esperanza. The story is being told from the perspective of a young girl who moved to a new house but it’s not what they expected and she tells the reality of what the people’s lives were at that time.
The way the story is told we check in with different characters as Esperanza observes them and it’s not always clear what each character’s relevance is to the whole story. What Esperanza is observing is poverty and in many cases a lot of domestic violence and a lot of the limits placed on women by society in their culture. The significance of The House on Mango Street is not just that it is the center of the world, that she’s observing, but that she’s ashamed of it. She just wanted to have a permanent house to live and a house of their own but the house on Mango Street does not live up to her ideal. Later the idea of a house comes to represent much more that she dreams of having a house of her own that is not owned by any man where she can leave all of her books and things and she can go to be alone. It pretty much represents freedom and making your own way in the world. For me it is a bit boring because she is talking about everything that she sees in her neighborhood and in her house on Mango Street in Chicago: but, it is also very interesting to see that what she observes is the reality of life back then and nowadays.
It is a very interesting book and I recommend it because it shows you about the reality of how other people’s lives were through the point of view of a young girl. If you like books that show reality from indirect or not so direct perspectives I definitely recommend it.
The way the story is told we check in with different characters as Esperanza observes them and it’s not always clear what each character’s relevance is to the whole story. What Esperanza is observing is poverty and in many cases a lot of domestic violence and a lot of the limits placed on women by society in their culture. The significance of The House on Mango Street is not just that it is the center of the world, that she’s observing, but that she’s ashamed of it. She just wanted to have a permanent house to live and a house of their own but the house on Mango Street does not live up to her ideal. Later the idea of a house comes to represent much more that she dreams of having a house of her own that is not owned by any man where she can leave all of her books and things and she can go to be alone. It pretty much represents freedom and making your own way in the world. For me it is a bit boring because she is talking about everything that she sees in her neighborhood and in her house on Mango Street in Chicago: but, it is also very interesting to see that what she observes is the reality of life back then and nowadays.
It is a very interesting book and I recommend it because it shows you about the reality of how other people’s lives were through the point of view of a young girl. If you like books that show reality from indirect or not so direct perspectives I definitely recommend it.
21205 said...
on Jul. 27 2019 at 5:33 pm
The House on Mango Street is a story about a young woman named Esperanza who lives in a mostly poor community with her family, who experiences something new everyday. This story deals with a lot of things such as, friendship, communities, family, and dreams. Esperanza has many dreams to leave Mango Street and move on to somewhere else in life so she can explore the world around her. The plot of this story is very interesting, and has many up's and down's throughout it. The author provides many details about each character and setting and about a lot of events that happen. I think the author's purpose is to show, the struggles of being a woman and a child in a poor latina community. I liked a lot about this story but i felt as if, there were some sections in the story that were unimportant but these still gave extra facts that made it fun.This story isn't a long book but I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to read something original.
crystalll said...
on Jul. 18 2019 at 7:59 am
The house on mango street is a small story about a young girl called Esperanza’s life. Esperanza lives on Mango Street which she likes because of the appearance of the house. Esperanza wishes to have a house of her own to live in. Throughout the story you will notice characters you can probably relate to and throughout the story you will understand Esperanza’s young life.
Hopsyyyyyyy said...
on Jul. 17 2019 at 5:32 pm
The house on mango street is about a Mexican family living in poverty, and Esperanza (main character) doesn’t want to keep living this way. The author Sandra Cisneros does an excellent job sharing the surroundings of Esperanza and her family’s situation
Esperanza’s family lives in wait. They wait for their lottery. They wait for a chance to be better financially. Esperanza hates the wait. She doesn’t want to wait anymore. She wants to do something about it and leave her terrible house on mango street. But if she leaves she will have to come back for everyone else. She wants her independent house. She wants it to be quiet. But she is hesitant on leaving her family behind. So she promises to come back for them.
This book is very important when it comes to children. They can learn the importance of independence. They could learn to not wait for something to happen. This book truly helps kids in waiting.
Esperanza’s family lives in wait. They wait for their lottery. They wait for a chance to be better financially. Esperanza hates the wait. She doesn’t want to wait anymore. She wants to do something about it and leave her terrible house on mango street. But if she leaves she will have to come back for everyone else. She wants her independent house. She wants it to be quiet. But she is hesitant on leaving her family behind. So she promises to come back for them.
This book is very important when it comes to children. They can learn the importance of independence. They could learn to not wait for something to happen. This book truly helps kids in waiting.
CLAR_10418 said...
on Jul. 13 2019 at 1:51 am
THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE BOOK SINCE I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, I L ALSO LOVE SANDRA CISNEROS BOOK BUT MY FAVORITE HAS TO BE THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET BECAUSE I CAN RELATE TO SOME OF THE CHAPTERS.
cecinancee said...
on Jul. 5 2019 at 5:05 am
The House On Mango Street was an emotionally charged, artistic, eye opening piece of literature every young woman my age and older should read. Why you should read it? You will feel and be able to mentally see these real life occurring situations and connect to them as well.
The story takes place in the 1980's, located in Chicago, in a mostly Latin neighborhood. It grasps on young aspiring writer Esperanza's life throughout her early tween-teen years. It shares stories of herself and her struggles, and others she comes across in the neighborhood; showing the struggles of poverty, domestic abuse, and self exploration and acceptance of self. What I loved about this book is how in depth the author goes into character descriptions, details of scenery, as well as the excellent POV writing style making it feel like we are there witnessing Esperanza’s every moment. I personally do not have any dislikes towards this book.
Overall, this is an absolutely touching and inspiring book. A beautiful read and take on life in a different perspective. I highly suggest any woman, or anybody, to pick up this book and read it with not only your eyes and mind but with your soul and heart.
The story takes place in the 1980's, located in Chicago, in a mostly Latin neighborhood. It grasps on young aspiring writer Esperanza's life throughout her early tween-teen years. It shares stories of herself and her struggles, and others she comes across in the neighborhood; showing the struggles of poverty, domestic abuse, and self exploration and acceptance of self. What I loved about this book is how in depth the author goes into character descriptions, details of scenery, as well as the excellent POV writing style making it feel like we are there witnessing Esperanza’s every moment. I personally do not have any dislikes towards this book.
Overall, this is an absolutely touching and inspiring book. A beautiful read and take on life in a different perspective. I highly suggest any woman, or anybody, to pick up this book and read it with not only your eyes and mind but with your soul and heart.
Abby12 said...
on May. 22 2019 at 12:50 pm
The house on the mango street is a really good story that would really recommend anyone to read. This story is talking about some problems that you or maybe even someone that you know has been through this or has even gone through this.
kennethblanton03 said...
on May. 15 2019 at 12:17 pm
The house on mango street is a bildungsroman that centers on the life of esperanza. A twelve year old Chicana girl living in the slums of Chicago. The book deals with many of the issues of growing up as a women, such as emotional development and sexism in society. I personally found the book impactful even though I could not relate to most of the stories. It is a short read and has a very interesting format. The novel is constructed as a collection of poetic short stories that outline a year in the main characters life. One of the most compelling arguments made by the author is the role of ambition in breaking systems of oppression. Throughout the novel, Esperanza describes being sexually assaulted by a group of boys, forcibly kissed by an old man, and her family’s impoverished condition. But, she decides that she will not become a victim of her condition. She was born in the Chinese year of the horse, as was her great-grandmother who also was named Esperanza. The main character chooses to be as strong as a horse even though she recognizes that Mexican and Chinese culture “don’t like their women strong”. Her great-grandmother was at one time “a wild horse” until her great-grandfather reined her in. Esperanza refuses to end up the way that her great-grandmother did, even saying “[Her great-grandmother] looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window”. She finds later in the novel that she is a gifted writer and could use that talent to leave Mango Street, which to her represents perpetual poverty and patriarchy.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It made a multitude of arguments about society, some I agreed with and some I did not. But, it gave a perspective that I do not usually hear in high school which was refreshing. I would give this book a four out of five
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It made a multitude of arguments about society, some I agreed with and some I did not. But, it gave a perspective that I do not usually hear in high school which was refreshing. I would give this book a four out of five
izzyashely said...
on May. 14 2019 at 12:45 pm
The House on Mango street by Sandra Cisneros is a excellent book. It shows many problems, thoughts that many people go through.I really did like the book like it shows real life issues that not only that have for parents but also teens and everything else. It is forsure a novel i do enjoy reading constantly. Esperanza desribes being sexually assulated by boys, like its bringing the attention that is really good for younger readers to read
ken1010 said...
on May. 14 2019 at 12:37 pm
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a Bildungsroman that centers on the life of Esperanza, a twelve year old Chicana girl living in the slums of Chicago. The book deals with many of the issues of growing up as a woman, such as emotional development and sexism in society. I personally found the book impactful even though I could not relate to most of the stories. It is a short read and has a very interesting format. The novel is constructed as a collection of poetic short stories that outline a year in the main character’s life.
One of the most compelling arguments made by the author is the role of ambition in breaking systems of oppression. Throughout the novel, Esperanza describes being sexually assaulted by a group of boys, forcibly kissed by an old man, and her family’s impoverished condition. But, she decides that she will not become a victim of her condition. She was born in the Chinese year of the horse, as was her great-grandmother who also was named Esperanza. The main character chooses to be as strong as a horse even though she recognizes that Mexican and Chinese culture “don’t like their women strong” (p.10). Her great-grandmother was at one time “a wild horse” (p.11) until her great-grandfather reined her in. Esperanza refuses to end up the way that her great-grandmother did, even saying “[Her great-grandmother] looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window” (p.11). She finds later in the novel that she is a gifted writer and could use that talent to leave Mango Street, which to her represents perpetual poverty and patriarchy.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It made a multitude of arguments about society, some I agreed with and some I did not. But, it gave a perspective that I do not usually hear in high school - which was refreshing. I would give this book a four out of five.
One of the most compelling arguments made by the author is the role of ambition in breaking systems of oppression. Throughout the novel, Esperanza describes being sexually assaulted by a group of boys, forcibly kissed by an old man, and her family’s impoverished condition. But, she decides that she will not become a victim of her condition. She was born in the Chinese year of the horse, as was her great-grandmother who also was named Esperanza. The main character chooses to be as strong as a horse even though she recognizes that Mexican and Chinese culture “don’t like their women strong” (p.10). Her great-grandmother was at one time “a wild horse” (p.11) until her great-grandfather reined her in. Esperanza refuses to end up the way that her great-grandmother did, even saying “[Her great-grandmother] looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window” (p.11). She finds later in the novel that she is a gifted writer and could use that talent to leave Mango Street, which to her represents perpetual poverty and patriarchy.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It made a multitude of arguments about society, some I agreed with and some I did not. But, it gave a perspective that I do not usually hear in high school - which was refreshing. I would give this book a four out of five.
DennisC said...
on Feb. 28 2019 at 5:49 pm
The house on mango street written by Sandra Cisneros, I think people should take the time to read this book since it tells how different people live and what they have to deal with. It's worth giving it a shot it only takes two hours to finish the book in one sitting.
The story introduces you to a little girl names Esperanza that talks about her life and the life of other in the neighborhood. She starts by saying how the house they moved into is not what she imagined and how she want to leave that house as soon as possible. I wish that they went into more detail about people in the neighborhood since some of them where briefly explained. Like the character named meme “This is the tree we choose for the annual Tarzan Jumping contest. Meme won. And broke both his arms.” personally I would have liked to know more about how that happened. I encourage people to read this book since it cover serious topics that show why it's bad and easy to understand to younger readers.
The story introduces you to a little girl names Esperanza that talks about her life and the life of other in the neighborhood. She starts by saying how the house they moved into is not what she imagined and how she want to leave that house as soon as possible. I wish that they went into more detail about people in the neighborhood since some of them where briefly explained. Like the character named meme “This is the tree we choose for the annual Tarzan Jumping contest. Meme won. And broke both his arms.” personally I would have liked to know more about how that happened. I encourage people to read this book since it cover serious topics that show why it's bad and easy to understand to younger readers.
101Karma_Akabane said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 5:30 pm
i just love how esperanza personality is very adorable but very interesting to know about sometimes she acts very funny or when she with friends or cousins she still has a good time or some bad ones but they always end in good ways to enjoy while she still deals with some issues that happen in her life she still doesnt let it ruin her life as much as other do but in my opinion i think its a good book
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