Introduction
The poignant vignettes in Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street provide a vivid portrait of a young Latina girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in a poor Chicago neighborhood. Through Esperanza's eyes, Cisneros illuminates the struggles, hopes, and gradual maturation of a child into an adult. An astute exploration of the coming of age process, Cisneros' acclaimed work reveals how Esperanza gains self-awareness and forms her identity. This essay will analyze the central theme of coming of age in The House on Mango Street and how Esperanza's awakening shapes her future.
Background Information
Published in 1984, The House on Mango Street highlights the challenges faced by Esperanza, a 12-year-old Chicana girl. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Latino communities in U.S. cities endured racism, poverty, and lack of opportunity. Cisneros draws from her own upbringing in the Latinx neighborhoods of Chicago to realistically portray Esperanza's struggles with gender roles, sexuality, and the limitations society imposes on her as a young minority woman. The novella traces Esperanza's path to claiming her independence and pursuing her dream of leaving Mango Street.
Grappling with Gender Roles
One of the defining aspects of Esperanza's coming of age is her grappling with traditional gender roles. Cisneros depicts the confinement and danger the neighborhood girls face once they reach adolescence. For example, Esperanza's friend Sally gets married young to escape her father's abuse, only to become trapped in a relationship where her husband beats her. Esperanza vows she will not repeat Sally's fate: "I have begun my own quiet war...I am one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate" (Cisneros, 89). As Literary scholar Felicia J. Cruz notes, Esperanza resists the "patriarchal Chicano culture" and societal expectations for women through her determination to remain independent (Cruz, 38). By portraying the limited options for Latinx girls in her community, Cisneros underscores Esperanza's growing feminism and bold rejection of gender conventions.
Navigating Sexual Awareness
In tandem with awakening to restrictive cultural gender roles, Esperanza experiences a burgeoning sexual awareness over the course of the novella. Cisneros realistically depicts Esperanza's confusion over her developing sexuality through vignettes about her encounters with boys. After her kiss with Tito and the assault by a group of boys at the carnival, Esperanza feels ashamed and conflicted about her sexuality. As critic Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs asserts, Esperanza’s sexual passages display her “evolution from childhood to adolescence” as she begins to recognize herself as a sexual being (Gutiérrez y Muhs, 58). However, as Esperanza matures, she decides she will not be defined or controlled by her sexuality, declaring “I am my own woman now” (Cisneros 105). Esperanza’s nascent feminism and self-possession emerge from her jarring confrontations with adolescent desire and violation.
Counterargument
While some may argue The House on Mango Street primarily focuses on poverty in Latino communities, the novella can be viewed through many lenses. The text's episodic structure covers a diverse range of themes from gender discrimination to education to kinship. However, Esperanza's coming of age remains the overarching element connecting these eclectic vignettes into a cohesive narrative. As noted by scholar Matthew C. Simpson, Esperanza “forms a distinctive account of her coming to consciousness as a Chicana” through her observations and experiences in her neighborhood (Simpson, 48). Therefore, analyzing the novella through the lens of Esperanza’s maturation provides important insights into her awakening as a young Latina.
Conclusion
The House on Mango Street poignantly captures a marginalized girl’s transition from childhood to womanhood. Through sharp vignettes, Cisneros crafts an affecting portrayal of Esperanza awakening to life’s harsh realities and her own power. The dual themes of resisting gender expectations and discovering sexuality represent crucial milestones in Esperanza’s coming of age. Her struggles and eventual self-possession inspire readers while shedding light on the challenges facing Latinx communities. As Esperanza herself observes, she inherits the poverty and disenfranchisement afflicting Mango Street, but by claiming her independence and identity, she can choose her own future and path. Cisneros' lyrical novella remains an evocative depiction of one girl’s flowering amidst adversity.
