This blog post is going to be a bunch of random thoughts mushed together!

I remember one of my little sisters bringing home “The House on Mango Street” in grade 7 and asking me for help with the assigned questions.  She kept saying she didn’t understand the point of the book, and didn’t know why the chapters were so short.  Looking back, I can understand why someone in grade 7 might not understand the ‘point’ of this particular book.  The problem is that they are always looking for a point.  It’s interesting that at the beginning Sandra Cisneros even says that she didn’t want to write a book that “a reader won’t understand and would feel ashamed for not understanding” (xvii).  On the topic of shame, one of the biggest ‘themes’ (not sure if it’s a theme in the book but whatever) that stood out to me throughout this book was in fact shame.  Esperanza talks about her aunt being ashamed, herself being ashamed, etc.

Just like with Piri and Antonio, we are able to follow Esperanza’s  ‘journey’ and witness her growth; however with this book, for first time we are presented with a female protagonist.  One part that really stood appears in what’s perhaps one of the shortest chapters I have ever seen: “Those Who Don’t” (28). The chapter begins with the following: “Those who don’t know any better come into our neighbourhood scared.  They think we are dangerous.  They think we will attack them with skinny knives.  They are stupid people who are lost and got here by mistake.” (28).  It’s interesting that Esperanza uses “we”; she clearly identifies very closely with her community, but on the other hand, we see later on that her own community also causes her problems.  What’s clear at the beginning is that she wants to be involved and play an active role in her community.  Esperanza is also always talking about what she wants in the future; it’s as if she is rushing the experience of growing up.  I think this is a very relatable feeling for many young girls.  On page 73 she says: “I want to be all new and shiny”.  In other chapters she talks about wanting to own her own house, being held by a boy, etc.  She also doesn’t consider herself like other girls, and she makes it clear; she doesn’t even “cross the street like other girls” (72).  Esperanza seems to like having responsibilities, no matter how small or big they are.  “One day I’ll own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from.” (87).  This is just one example where I began to think about the whole idea of ‘pride’ and the role it has played in this book, as well as the others.  My question is: what role does pride play in this book?

On page 56 we learn that her abuelito has died and because she is the oldest, the responsibility is on her to tell the others.  She has never seen her father cry before, she has never seen him vulnerable; now she is holding him in her arms. I remember seeing my dad cry for the second time when my grandmother died; it’s such a strange feeling seeing your parents in a vulnerable state, and having to comfort them instead of the other way around.  I don’t think Esperanza ever thought she would see her father like that and have to comfort him, after all, he is a ‘man’.

I was thinking about a question Jon asked us last week:  is this Esperanza’s story or is this every young female Chicano’s story?