Hope or Esperanza

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  At first I was completely lost when reading The House on Mango Street. I am used to read books that tell a story, beginning middle and end. The personification that Cisneros uses also can get overwhelming at times and confused me when reading. Besides this small critique of mine, House on Mango Street was a great short read. Reading about Cisneros and seeing how close to her heart this book must have been made it a great read for me. In ways this book connects with my early experiences. People say that where you come from will often shape who you will become, sometimes it is a good thing but others not so much. Esperanza talked about Mango street in a way that it feels like she recents her roots. Often times we try to run away from who we really are but, where we come from shapes we are. Like Cisneros or "Esperanza" because of where she comes from she is able to appreciate all that has overcome. The best example and the part of the book that I feel transmits this feeling of Esperanza is in the beginning with the chapter that reads, My Name. Her name is Hope, in a town where she feels like there isn't any hope for people, much less women like her. Although she doesn't have any in the beginning I believe that by the end she does feel a sense of hope.  I love the line, "I have inherited her name, but I don't want to inherit her place by the window" (pg. 11). Being of a hispanic culture I know exactly what she is trying to say in this line. I know a lot of strong women who's life "ends" as soon as they get married. A woman's role in the hispanic culture is to get married, have kids and be a submissive wife. A hispanic woman who has dreams and goals are seen as selfish for not putting their family first. I, at times get looked down upon because I am trying to get a college education. An education that many times pulls me away from family duties. I have a husband who works with me and lucky for me knows the value of a good education. I cannot say that for many women, and it is not that hispanic men are evil they just consider that the norm. A norm that women like Cisneros are working hard to break. The last paragraph she writes, "I am too strong for her to keep me here forever" (pg 110). I love that this book teaches us that it doesn't matter where we came from, it matter that we don't lose hope while we get to the other side.

Comments

  1. KeyCOctober 6, 2017 at 8:50 PM

    I can agree with you about the woman's role of being tied to being submissive and I don't think it is just in the hispanic community, but for society in general. I'm always in debates about how women have evolved over the years, and how being "traditional" wives are old news lol. I'm surprised that it was overwhelming for you at first with reading this lol, or maybe I appreciated the style so much I didn't really pay attention to how it was all over the place.

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  2. UnknownOctober 9, 2017 at 9:44 AM

    It's great that you can make that personal connection to the text, and like Esperanza , strive to be greater than the societal norm. I love how Cisneros gave Esperanza her name and correlated it to her environment. I really support you for breaking out of that societal expectation to better yourself.

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