Author: Sandra Cisneros
Title: The House on Mango Street
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Vintage, 2013.
Grade Level: 9th Grade
Pages: 103 pages
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a coming-of-age novel that showcases the experiences of Esperanza Cordero through a series of vignettes. The novel covers one year of Esperanza’s life as she transitions from childhood to womanhood. With this transition comes challenges in her life and others around her that often involve issues like social class, race, and sexuality.
Possible Teaching Concerns:
This novel deals with mature themes. One of these themes is sexuality discussed in the novel. Originally, the readers witness Esperanza explore her sexuality as she wants to be perceived by those around her as beautiful and cruel. However, later she is sexually assaulted which causes her to redefine how she wants to be seen by the world. Although this experience inspires Esperanza to take control of her life and become more independent by developing her talent as a writer, these themes might cause some concern for students in the classroom and parents. Another theme that is delt with in this novel, is the racism seen against the Mexican-Americans. In the chapter, “Geraldo No Last Name” the narrator, Marin, witnesses a man who pretty much forgotten after his death because he had no last name due to being an illegal immigrant. In this novel, racial slurs are used to refer to Geraldo which might make some students uncomfortable and cause tension in the classroom. Although these topics are important to talk about, it is important to do so in a safe classroom environment and that teachers are mindful of what their students from each class can handle.
Personal Reactions:
Although this novel brings up some difficult topics, I still believe it is important that we are teaching in the classroom. I believe this novel is a classic, even though some will refer to it as young adult literature. It talks about important topics that are relatable to the audience. Although not everyone will experience the experiences that Esperanza and other characters have from The House on Mango Street, this novel makes something that might be unrelatable to some students suddenly relatable through the empathy created through these characters.
Canonical Work:
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was a book that came to mind while reading this novel. It follows the life of a young Nigerian girl, Kambili, who navigates life as she transitions from childhood to womanhood. When she is forced to live with her mother’s sister, instead of in her own home with her very religious and harsh father, Kambili is able to become more self-aware of herself and her own desirers. These desires, including those of her sexuality, begin to blossom in a home where her and brother are able to express their own opinions. I felt that I saw a lot of similarities between Kambili’s and Esperanza’s lives even though they come from different backgrounds and don’t necessarily experience the same experience. We see that both these characters, through their experiences, grow into themselves more and more and make a life for themselves that fights back against the expectations that society has for them as young women.
Read House on Mango Street Here
Interview with Sandra Cisneros
Summary and Analysis
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