The Woman I Once Was -- Mango Street -- Lindsey Dawkins

House on Mango Street is one of those books that ends up covered in pencil marks, underlines, hearts, and exclamation points, because the sheer volume of wonderful words and things that show up in it is almost overwhelming. Even though not all of us are immigrants or from a culture that is a minority, I think this book has a little something for everyone. For me, however, the most captivating part of the entire book is the Introduction.

            The very name of the Introduction kind of frontloads the entire concept of the rest of the vignettes. “A House of My Own” tells the reader that the “House on Mango Street” isn’t the only house this author has identified as her own space. I love the distinction between the two settings, and I love that it is developed right from the beginning. I think we can all understand early on that just like there are two important “houses” there are two important people in the book. Cisneros’ identity is largely tied to her home, which I think is a universal theme. Her identity truly comes into itself when she gets her own apartment, and I think that is also something that is undeniably true. Cisneros’ writes that the space is somewhere for her to “look and think”, which is vital to anyone (xii). Kind of makes sense why teenagers are so adamant about their own rooms, huh?

            The tense of the Introduction is third person in many places, and I think this creates a powerful effect. For example, Cisneros’ writes “She’s trying to live like a writer” (xv). This sentence alone breaks the fourth-wall. A writer is reflecting on herself, and writing about herself trying to live like a writer. The third person tense is something one would expect in a typical novel, and It’s a fascinating shout-out to writing as a career. I think the switch between third and first person also helps the reader to distinguish between the two “women” in the Introduction, because there is most certainly two of them. Cisneros’ refers to herself as “the woman I once was” which implies that the woman in the photo is not the woman writing the introduction (xvii). The illustration of identity development and change is something that I find to be inspiring and relevant to adolescents, and even those of us in what I like to refer to as “adultolescence.”

            I think the Introduction alone is a vital part of the book. Without it, I don’t think we would be able to understand how these experiences of Cisneros’ and those she knew (knows) influenced her vignettes. The appearance of her mother in the introduction makes the vignette “Hairs” all the more powerful, because by the time we get to “Hairs” in the novel, we know that Mother is an important figure, and one that meant a lot to Cisneros’. The Introduction ends in a memoriam for her mother, and I think it’s telling that a series of vignette’s all about development, true self, and the search for self is started with a shout-out to where it all began; her mama.

            This is by far and large my favorite we have read so far. Cisneros’ structure and beautiful imagery is something that I can see, smell, hear, and almost touch if I try hard enough. I think it’s words like these that matter the most, and Cisneros’ truly do touch the soul.