The House on Mango Street

Bibliographic Information: Cisneros, S. (1984). The house on Mango Street. New York: Knopf.

Plot Summary: The House on Mango Streets contains a series of vignettes about a young girl named Esperanza.  She grew up in a latino neighborhood in Chicago, and her neighbors provide her many lessons about the realities of growing up.  Esperanza dreams about having a house all their own, but is disappointed in the house her parents move to in her neighborhood.  It is not the house of her dreams, but it will do for now.  Esperanza meets some neighborhood girls, who befriend her sister and her.  We read about Esperanza’s embarrassment of eating rice sandwiches at school, her friend who is black and blue from the abuse she’s dealt at home, the neighbor girl whose husband refuses to let her leave the house, and the old man who is cheating on his wife.  Esperanza also faces the reality of rape when she is taken advantage of by a boy at carnival.  She also tells stories about her own family- her mother who “could have been someone,” but chose to marry and have a family instead, and her father whom she had to comfort when his father passed away.  Through these experiences Esperanza discovers what she wants out of life and vows to one day have a house all her own where her dreams can come true.  

Critical Evaluation:  Esperanza’s life on Mango Street reflects those similar to her in reality.  She has eccentric neighbors through which she catches glimpses of a reality she isn’t ready for.  Her character is one who dreams of something bigger, who longs for more than what she has, and one who is determined to make something of herself despite the low expecations people have of her.  In one of the final chapters titles “A House of My Own,” we get a peek into Esperanza’s future hopes.  Growing up on Mango Street, Esperanza learned valuable lessons about education, relationships, friends, abuse, pride, and expectations.

Cisneros tells Esperanza’s story beautifully with figurative language.  The similes, metaphors, and personification bring the story to life and provide powerful mental images. She uses lines like “my feet swell big and heavy like plungers” shows Esperanza’s hesitancy to dance with her uncle because she is embarrassed of her shoes.  The figurative language invites readers in, and reminds readers what it is like to be young and imaginative.  

Reader’s Annotation: We were supposed to move to a nice house, but instead, we ended up on Mango Street in a house too old, too small, and too ugly to be claimed by me.  One day, I will have a house all my own where I don’t have to share anything with anybody.  

Information about the author:  Sandra Cisneros has had several careers including a teacher, college-recruiter, arts administrator, and poet-in-the-schools (which explains her uncanny ability with figurative language.  Cisneros has published some poetry books, a few novels, and some story collections.  

    She founded the Macondo Foundation, and the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation, and serves as president for both.  Cisneros has won numerous awards and fellowships, and House on Mango Street has sold over two million copies, and is required reading in schools and universities all over the country (Cisneros, 2012).  

Genre: Fiction

Curriculum Ties: English (figurative language)

Booktalking ideas (one or two):

1. Read a description of the Esperanza’s house on Mango Street.

Reading level/Interest age: 14+

Challenge Issues: This book contains references to sex and abuse.

To defend challenged material I would:

1.    Read/watch/listen to the material to become familiar with the content.

2.    Familiarize myself with the Arizona Common Core curriculum standards http://www.azed.gov/azcommoncore/teacher/ to defend how the material can support the learning of these standards.

3.    Refer to the Library Bill of Rights: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill

4.    Refer to the collection policy of my library.

5. Collect reviews from staff/students/patrons who have used the material

Why I chose this book: The House on Mango Street is a great addition to my collection because it showcases a Latino young adult experience.  Many young adult patrons can relate to Esperanza's less-than-ideal life in her neighborhood.  The lush figurative language employed by Cisneros exposes students to powerful language.    

References:

Cisneros, S. (2012, September 25). About Sandra Cisneros. Sandra Cisneros. Retrieved 6 May 2013 from http://www.sandracisneros.com/bio.php