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The House on Mango The House on Mango Street Street Sandra Cisneros Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango The House on Mango StreetStreet
Sandra CisnerosSandra Cisneros
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
The name you’ve been given The name you’ve been given determines what type of person you determines what type of person you will become.will become.
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
Young girls should be able to wear Young girls should be able to wear whatever they like, even it their whatever they like, even it their clothes make them look much older clothes make them look much older than they are.than they are.
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
Getting to know your neighbors is a Getting to know your neighbors is a great way to feel comfortable in a great way to feel comfortable in a new home.new home.
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
People who are born smart will have People who are born smart will have an easy time being successful.an easy time being successful.
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
Beautiful people use their looks as Beautiful people use their looks as power to control others.power to control others.
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
Where you live now has nothing to do Where you live now has nothing to do with your lives in the future.with your lives in the future.
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
Dreams are as important to human Dreams are as important to human survival as education, love, and survival as education, love, and health.health.
Agree or Disagree?Agree or Disagree?
When trying to succeed in life, people When trying to succeed in life, people need role models more than they need role models more than they need motivation.need motivation.
Sandra CisnerosSandra Cisneros
She was born in 1954 in Chicago to a She was born in 1954 in Chicago to a Spanish-speaking Mexican father and Spanish-speaking Mexican father and an English-speaking mother of an English-speaking mother of Mexican descent.Mexican descent.
She was the third child and only She was the third child and only daughter in a family of seven daughter in a family of seven children. children.
While she spent While she spent most of her most of her childhood in one of childhood in one of Chicago's Puerto Chicago's Puerto Rican Rican neighborhoods, she neighborhoods, she also traveled back also traveled back and forth to Mexico and forth to Mexico with her family.with her family.
VignettesVignettesThe House on Mango Street consists The House on Mango Street consists
of what Cisneros calls “lazy poems,” of what Cisneros calls “lazy poems,” vignettes that are not quite poems vignettes that are not quite poems and not quite full stories. and not quite full stories.
The vignettes are sometimes only two The vignettes are sometimes only two or three paragraphs long, and they or three paragraphs long, and they often contain internal rhymes, as a often contain internal rhymes, as a poem might. poem might.
VignettesVignettes This form also reflects a young girl's short This form also reflects a young girl's short
attention span, flitting from one topic to attention span, flitting from one topic to another, never placing too much another, never placing too much importance on any one event.importance on any one event.
CharactersCharacters
Cisneros introduces dozens of Cisneros introduces dozens of characters, some only once or twice, characters, some only once or twice, and in this way, the structure of the and in this way, the structure of the novel imitates the geography of the novel imitates the geography of the barrio. (neighborhood) barrio. (neighborhood)
No one person has very much space, No one person has very much space, either in the barrio or on the page, either in the barrio or on the page, and the neighborhood is small and the neighborhood is small enough that even a young girl can enough that even a young girl can know everyone in it by name. know everyone in it by name.
ConflictsConflicts
The conflicts and problems in these The conflicts and problems in these little stories are never fully resolved, little stories are never fully resolved, just as the fates of men, women, and just as the fates of men, women, and children in the barrio are often children in the barrio are often uncertain. uncertain.
PlotPlot
The House on Mango Street covers a The House on Mango Street covers a year in the life of Esperanza, a year in the life of Esperanza, a Chicana (Mexican-American girl), Chicana (Mexican-American girl), who is about twelve years old when who is about twelve years old when the novel begins. the novel begins.
During the year, During the year, she moves with she moves with her family into a her family into a house on Mango house on Mango Street. The house Street. The house is a huge is a huge improvement from improvement from the family's the family's previous previous apartment, and it apartment, and it is the first home is the first home her parents her parents actually own. actually own. However, the However, the house is not what house is not what Esperanza has Esperanza has dreamed of, dreamed of, because it is run-because it is run-down and small. down and small.
Esperanza matures Esperanza matures significantly during the significantly during the year, both sexually and year, both sexually and emotionally. The novel emotionally. The novel charts her life as she charts her life as she makes friends, grows makes friends, grows hips, develops her first hips, develops her first crush, endures sexual crush, endures sexual assault, and begins to assault, and begins to write as a way of write as a way of expressing herself and expressing herself and as a way to escape the as a way to escape the neighborhood.neighborhood.
The novel also includes the stories of The novel also includes the stories of many of Esperanza's neighbors, giving a many of Esperanza's neighbors, giving a full picture of the neighborhood and full picture of the neighborhood and showing the many possible paths showing the many possible paths Esperanza may follow in the future.Esperanza may follow in the future.
Quick QuizQuick Quiz
What is the title of the book?What is the title of the book?The House on Mango StreetThe House on Mango Street
Who is the author?Who is the author?Sandra CisnerosSandra Cisneros
What country is she from?What country is she from?MexicoMexico
What is a Vignette?What is a Vignette?““lazy poem” not quite a poem, not quite lazy poem” not quite a poem, not quite
a full story.a full story.
More QuizMore Quiz
What is the girl’s name?What is the girl’s name?EsperanzaEsperanza
What city do they live in?What city do they live in?ChicagoChicago
What is a “barrio?” What is a “barrio?” neighborhoodneighborhood
How old is Esperanza?How old is Esperanza?She is about 12 years old.She is about 12 years old.
Even More QuizEven More Quiz
How many brothers and sisters does How many brothers and sisters does the author have?the author have?6 brothers and no sisters6 brothers and no sisters
How much times passes in the story?How much times passes in the story?About one yearAbout one year
Does the character change? Does the character change? YesYes
How?How?
THE ENDTHE END
