The House on Mango Street

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I thought The House on Mango Street was enjoyable to read. The biggest issue I had was that it was hard to keep up with because of all the different characters introduced. Since there isn't really a plot line, this becomes less important though. The narrator's voice was the most important element in the book, and the descriptive language added a lot of perspective to the reading. Sandra Cisneros has a true knack for putting the reader inside Esperanza's head. It feels very realistic as you read about the stories that occur on Mango Street.

Innocence stood out to me as a theme in this book. Esperanza witnesses a lot of adult issues on within her community, and it leads to her maybe growing up a little faster. For example, when their grandpa dies Esperanza is put into a situation where she has to be a parent figure for her siblings. "Because I am the oldest, my father has told me first, and now it is my turn to tell the others. I will have to explain why we can't play. I will have to tell them to be quiet today" (56-57). Later, feeling guilty for imitating her dying aunt, Esperanza rationalizes "Most likely I will go to hell and most likely I deserve to be there" (58). There seems to be a sense of childhood that is non-existent in her situation at times. She's forced to grow up quick, and I was wondering how this relates to Hispanic culture as I was reading.

I agree with Cisneros' portrayal of adolescence because I believe a lot of teens are forced to grow up faster than others. Depending on family dynamics, sometimes teens have to play the role of adult as much as the role of a child. This portrayal reminded me of Arnold in Part-Time Diary because he was forced to grow up quick. His parents weren't always responsible, and he sometimes had to assume those adult responsibilities. With both main characters being a minority, I am curious about the connections between these two.

Overall I think this text is worth reading. I don't know whether I would teach it in my class or not, but I think it definitely has some value for starting a conversation about issues within the Hispanic culture and also teen culture. I think young adolescents can relate to the narrator here.

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