Hispanic Family in ‘The House on Mango Street’

Sandra Cisneros is the author of the house on Mango Street. She wrote the book in 1984 which was awarded many prestigious awards to include the Columbus foundation’s American book award. She comes from a large Hispanic family where she was one of seven children and the only girl. She’s a very educated person who got her English degree from the University of Iowa. She wrote many books for example women hollering creek and other stories which was awarded many prestigious awards as well.

In the book the house on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros was about a Hispanic girl who lived in a little House on Mango Street. Her name was Esperanza in the story starts when she is just a little girl trying to come to grips with the trials and tribulations of her life. She starts the story off talking about how they moves d a lot as little children but moved to a little house on Mango Street when she was six years old. She talks about her family who are very traditional Hispanics. She describes her family as her father her mother her brother Carlos her sisters Kiki and Neni. She describes your house is a little red house with no yard but just steps out front and a garage in the back with no vehicle inside. She describes Mango Street as a low income neighborhood where there are people which they know not to hang around. She talks about one of her neighbors who is Puerto Rican and it was fascinating to see how mild-mannered Mexicans are and when she describes Puerto Ricans that they’re kind of loud and like to sing. The writer talks about a story where her friend Meme had a cousin who drove up to where they were playing. She describes the car has a big yellow Cadillac and how it was a very beautiful car. She describes how when they were in the vehicle the seats were like couches and they had electric windows something that they were not very familiar with due to the cars she was used to riding. She describes driving up and down the alley in this vehicle and how they heard sirens in the background. She describes how the driver stops the vehicle and tells them all to get out immediately.

At this point Meme’s cousin drives off very fast with the police in pursuit.She describes how he lost control and crashed the vehicle it was arrested. I believe it was signifying the criminal element which occurs in low income neighborhoods. In the book she describes tourists which enter their neighborhood and seemed very timid believing that the people that live there are criminals. Esperanza went to a Catholic school where her father worked very hard to make sure they had the money for her and her siblings to attend. One of the traditional mindsets that’s described in this book talks about the women who are known to wake up early and make Tortillas. One of the stories which Esperanza describes is a baptismal party which in the Catholic religion is a very special day. She describes this beautiful dress that her mother bought her but due to time restraints her mother could not get her the beautiful shoes that she wanted. She describes the shoes she wore as big brown clunky shoes which she wore every day to school. She describes how at the party she was asked to dance but due to her shoes she was too embarrassed to say yes. Until the moment her uncle told her to dance with him. She describes how everybody watch them and praised how well they dance together. Towards the end of the book she talks about her friend Sally who had been raped. The writer describes in great detail the vicious act which came up on her. Sally ended up getting married even before eighth grade. The writer describes the marriage as one full of abuse. They describe the husband is very controlling not allowing her to talk to anyone have anyone visit and controls or finances. I feel that this describes Hispanic cultures greatly due to Women from Mexico being married off at a very young age. And how they are taught to be very timid and submissive.

In this book I feel the Spanish culture was described very accurately. The stories the writer portrayed I feel was correct. Which she describes her parents with the father has a very hard worker and her mother who strives to provide for their children. When she spoke about the traditions like when her grandfather died and her father had to go to Mexico. She spoke about her aunt Lupe who died of cancer and how her and her sisters played a very mean game imitating her which she was very remorseful.

The character that stood out in the book was Esperanza who is the narrator of all the stories. She spoke in great detail all the traditions and cultures which she grew up in. She spoke about her family which we’re very close to her. When she spoke about her father sitting on her bed telling her grandfather died and how he broke down for the first time in her life was very moving.

While doing research on Sandra Cisneros is the house on Mango Street I found a very interesting article which was described as breaking the rules. The writer Hayee Riveraspoke about the definition of classification which Cisneros describes it her book. The writer also states the book is written as if it was a history or a poem. The writer describes the book as expressing herself as looking into a window of her own life. Parts of the article I do agree with but I feel it was very well written. The insight to the world which Esperanza lived in was very descriptive.

In conclusion I feel the writer accomplished describing it has been a family in the 80s. Describing the traditions and cultures which are greatly valued in the Hispanic culture. I also would highly recommend this book to middle school and high school students. I feel it would shed a different light on the Hispanic culture moving it from the darkness of criminal activity to the beautiful traditions which our culture has to offer.

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