The House on Mango Street Essay
Prompt
Because she has the opportunity to witness the mistakes made by several different women in her neighborhood, Esperanza learns that she can only rely on herself if she wants to escape the poverty and discrimination that enslaves her neighborhood. Describe how the life experiences of three different women influence Esperanza to only depend on herself in order to escape Mango Street.
Initial grade: 70/100 Final Grade: 94/100
What I learned
By writing this essay, I learned how to write in present tense. I had always struggled writing in present tense through a whole writing piece simply because I would not feel like it would sound right. But with help from my classmates and Jill, the critique process helped me realize my mistakes and learn how to prevent them. I also learned how to set up an essay that has a lot of concrete detail and commentary that helps make an essay stronger.I feel that I mastered both of those skills, but I could probably work on my use of casual language and not writing an essay that is too repetitive.
Learning to Live Without a Man
General George Patton once said, “Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” Esperanza faces many challenges while growing up and overcomes them to achieves many of her goals. In the book The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza is a young, Hispanic girl who grows up on Mango Street, a rough and run down neighborhood that she wishes to leave. However, in order to leave Mango Street Esperanza must first overcome many struggles before she is able to live her dreams. Esperanza learns from the mistakes of many women in her life such as Alicia, Marin and Sally who teach her that she must be independent to truly become successful.
Alicia influences Esperanza in many ways. She helps Esperanza realize that she must use her own education in order to be successful and leave Mango Street. This is evident when Esperanza states, “Two trains and a bus, because she doesn’t want to spend her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin. Is a good girl my friend, studies all night and sees the mice, the ones her father says do not exist” (Cisneros 31-32). Despite the situations Alicia must face at home, she takes two trains and a bus to get to school so she can become successful and leave Mango Street to a place far away from her abusive father. Alicia influences Esperanza because she wants to get a good education and a good job instead of relying on someone else to take her away from Mango Street, regardless of how difficult this will be. However, this is not the only way that Alicia influences Esperanza. She knows that Esperanza will one day be able to get away from Mango Street, she also knows that not everyone is as fortunate. Because of this she says to Esperanza, “Like it or not you are Mango Street, and one day you’ll come back too. Not me. Not until somebody makes it better. Who’s going to do it? The Mayor? And the thought of the Mayor coming to Mango Street made me laugh out loud” (Cisneros 107). Alicia tells Esperanza that she has to come back to Mango Street and make it better for those who cannot escape as easily. She influences Esperanza to be successful so that she can later come back and save young women from Mango Street by showing them that there are other ways to live their life. Alicia is one of many women Esperanza knows growing up, who influences her in many positive ways.
Marin is also a girl who influences Esperanza. Marin wants to leave Mango Street and have a better life just like Esperanza. This is clear when Esperanza explains, “Marin says that if she stays next year, she’s going to get a real job downtown because that’s where the best jobs are, since you always get to look beautiful and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you and take you to live in a big house far away” (Cisneros 26). Marin wants to get a job downtown if she stays on Mango Street where she can look nice and pretty for the boys. Marin influences Esperanza because she wants to leave Mango Street in search of a better life. However, instead of using success and courage, she is relying only on her beauty to attract a man to save her. Marin’s choices also influence Esperanza in other ways as well. Marin wants to leave Mango Street, but she depends on someone else to take her away. This is clear when Esperanza says, “Marin under the street light, dancing by herself is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life” (Cisneros 27). Marin is waiting for a man to pick her up and take her far away from Mango Street. Instead, Esperanza wants to become successful by writing stories. She wants to leave Mango street as a strong, independent woman who does not rely on anyone else to “save” her. Marin may not get as far in life if she is always depending on someone else to make things better. Marin is one girl who influences Esperanza because she wants to leave Mango Street, but only shows Esperanza choices that will not lead to success.
In addition, Sally is a friend who influences Esperanza. Her influence is apparent when Esperanza says, “Her father says to be this beautiful is trouble. They are very strict in his religion. They are not supposed to dance. He remembers his sisters and is sad. Then she can’t go out. Sally I mean” (Cisneros 81). Sally is controlled and abused by her father. She wants to get away from Mango Street and be noticed by a man. Esperanza does not rely on anyone else to take her away from Mango Street. Sally influences Esperanza because they both want a better life, but Sally wants a man as well, which may get in the way of her goal of leaving Mango Street. She also influences Esperanza in new ways after she gets married. “Sally says she likes being married because now she gets to buy her own things when her husband gives her money. She is happy, except sometimes her husband gets angry and once broke the door where his foot went through, though most days he’s okay” (Cisneros 101). Sally influences Esperanza when she gets married and claims that she is happy because of the gifts and the money she gets from her husband and because she is away from her father and away from Mango Street. Esperanza knows that despite what Sally says, she is really lonely and unhappy. She escapes Mango Street and her abusive father only to end up in another abusive relationship with her husband. Sally’s decisions influence Esperanza because she shows her another reason why she does not want to marry a man, but that she needs to be independent to escape Mango.
Through the influences of Alicia, Marin and Sally, Esperanza learns the importance of independence and education and eventually follows her dreams to a successful life outside of Mango Street. They also taught her that she does not need a man to be happy. She has to use her success to leave Mango Street on her own. Esperanza’s story teaches young women that they do not need to marry a man to live a satisfying life and that they must be successful and independent to achieve their goals.
Because she has the opportunity to witness the mistakes made by several different women in her neighborhood, Esperanza learns that she can only rely on herself if she wants to escape the poverty and discrimination that enslaves her neighborhood. Describe how the life experiences of three different women influence Esperanza to only depend on herself in order to escape Mango Street.
Initial grade: 70/100 Final Grade: 94/100
What I learned
By writing this essay, I learned how to write in present tense. I had always struggled writing in present tense through a whole writing piece simply because I would not feel like it would sound right. But with help from my classmates and Jill, the critique process helped me realize my mistakes and learn how to prevent them. I also learned how to set up an essay that has a lot of concrete detail and commentary that helps make an essay stronger.I feel that I mastered both of those skills, but I could probably work on my use of casual language and not writing an essay that is too repetitive.
Learning to Live Without a Man
General George Patton once said, “Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” Esperanza faces many challenges while growing up and overcomes them to achieves many of her goals. In the book The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza is a young, Hispanic girl who grows up on Mango Street, a rough and run down neighborhood that she wishes to leave. However, in order to leave Mango Street Esperanza must first overcome many struggles before she is able to live her dreams. Esperanza learns from the mistakes of many women in her life such as Alicia, Marin and Sally who teach her that she must be independent to truly become successful.
Alicia influences Esperanza in many ways. She helps Esperanza realize that she must use her own education in order to be successful and leave Mango Street. This is evident when Esperanza states, “Two trains and a bus, because she doesn’t want to spend her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin. Is a good girl my friend, studies all night and sees the mice, the ones her father says do not exist” (Cisneros 31-32). Despite the situations Alicia must face at home, she takes two trains and a bus to get to school so she can become successful and leave Mango Street to a place far away from her abusive father. Alicia influences Esperanza because she wants to get a good education and a good job instead of relying on someone else to take her away from Mango Street, regardless of how difficult this will be. However, this is not the only way that Alicia influences Esperanza. She knows that Esperanza will one day be able to get away from Mango Street, she also knows that not everyone is as fortunate. Because of this she says to Esperanza, “Like it or not you are Mango Street, and one day you’ll come back too. Not me. Not until somebody makes it better. Who’s going to do it? The Mayor? And the thought of the Mayor coming to Mango Street made me laugh out loud” (Cisneros 107). Alicia tells Esperanza that she has to come back to Mango Street and make it better for those who cannot escape as easily. She influences Esperanza to be successful so that she can later come back and save young women from Mango Street by showing them that there are other ways to live their life. Alicia is one of many women Esperanza knows growing up, who influences her in many positive ways.
Marin is also a girl who influences Esperanza. Marin wants to leave Mango Street and have a better life just like Esperanza. This is clear when Esperanza explains, “Marin says that if she stays next year, she’s going to get a real job downtown because that’s where the best jobs are, since you always get to look beautiful and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you and take you to live in a big house far away” (Cisneros 26). Marin wants to get a job downtown if she stays on Mango Street where she can look nice and pretty for the boys. Marin influences Esperanza because she wants to leave Mango Street in search of a better life. However, instead of using success and courage, she is relying only on her beauty to attract a man to save her. Marin’s choices also influence Esperanza in other ways as well. Marin wants to leave Mango Street, but she depends on someone else to take her away. This is clear when Esperanza says, “Marin under the street light, dancing by herself is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life” (Cisneros 27). Marin is waiting for a man to pick her up and take her far away from Mango Street. Instead, Esperanza wants to become successful by writing stories. She wants to leave Mango street as a strong, independent woman who does not rely on anyone else to “save” her. Marin may not get as far in life if she is always depending on someone else to make things better. Marin is one girl who influences Esperanza because she wants to leave Mango Street, but only shows Esperanza choices that will not lead to success.
In addition, Sally is a friend who influences Esperanza. Her influence is apparent when Esperanza says, “Her father says to be this beautiful is trouble. They are very strict in his religion. They are not supposed to dance. He remembers his sisters and is sad. Then she can’t go out. Sally I mean” (Cisneros 81). Sally is controlled and abused by her father. She wants to get away from Mango Street and be noticed by a man. Esperanza does not rely on anyone else to take her away from Mango Street. Sally influences Esperanza because they both want a better life, but Sally wants a man as well, which may get in the way of her goal of leaving Mango Street. She also influences Esperanza in new ways after she gets married. “Sally says she likes being married because now she gets to buy her own things when her husband gives her money. She is happy, except sometimes her husband gets angry and once broke the door where his foot went through, though most days he’s okay” (Cisneros 101). Sally influences Esperanza when she gets married and claims that she is happy because of the gifts and the money she gets from her husband and because she is away from her father and away from Mango Street. Esperanza knows that despite what Sally says, she is really lonely and unhappy. She escapes Mango Street and her abusive father only to end up in another abusive relationship with her husband. Sally’s decisions influence Esperanza because she shows her another reason why she does not want to marry a man, but that she needs to be independent to escape Mango.
Through the influences of Alicia, Marin and Sally, Esperanza learns the importance of independence and education and eventually follows her dreams to a successful life outside of Mango Street. They also taught her that she does not need a man to be happy. She has to use her success to leave Mango Street on her own. Esperanza’s story teaches young women that they do not need to marry a man to live a satisfying life and that they must be successful and independent to achieve their goals.