The House On Mango Street
Essay prompt: In a multi-paragraph essay that includes quotes to support your opinion, describe how the life experiences of three different women influence Esperanza to only depend on herself in order to escape Mango Street.
At first I received a 72/100 on the essay , mostly grammatical errors. Once i corrected everything as needed my grade went up to a 90/100. While writing this essay I learned to only include the most important parts of the story with the most evidence instead of MY favorite part. I think i also need to work on my vocabulary and expanding it because i tend to use a lot of the same words over and over again.
At first I received a 72/100 on the essay , mostly grammatical errors. Once i corrected everything as needed my grade went up to a 90/100. While writing this essay I learned to only include the most important parts of the story with the most evidence instead of MY favorite part. I think i also need to work on my vocabulary and expanding it because i tend to use a lot of the same words over and over again.
My Essay
Influences On The Youth
Mahatma Ghandi once said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” In the book The House On Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, a girl named Esperanza is born into a community where she is ashamed of her house. She feels that her home represents her race, gender inequalities and poverty level. Because Esperanza grows up around women like Marin, Sally and Alicia who have always been oppressed by men, she realizes that she must only depend on herself to escape Mango Street and achieve her dreams.
Sally is one of the girls who influences Esperanza in a negative way through her bad decisions. “Sally got married like we knew she would, young and not ready but married just the same. She met a marshmallow salesman at a school bazaar, and she married him in another state where its legal to get married before eighth grade. She has her husband and her house now, her pillowcases and her plates. She says she is in love but I think she did it to escape”(Cisneros 101). Esperanza understands why Sally decides to get married; to escape her abusive father. However, Esperanza has learned to depend on herself to escape, rather than relying on a man who may not improve her situation. Just as Esperanza fears, Sally did not escape her situation. She only leaves her father to marry someone else just like him.We can clearly see Sally’s influence on Esperanza when she states, “- Sometimes her husband gets angry and once he broke the door where his foot went through, though most days he is okay”(Cisneros 101). Even though Sally escapes Mango Street, she is not a good influence on Esperanza because she goes from one abusive relationship into another. By watching Sally struggle, Esperanza knows she needs to only rely on herself and not a man.
Marin is another character who influences Esperanza. An example of this is when Esperanza says, “When the light in her aunt’s room goes out, Marin lights a cigarette and it doesn’t matter if it’s cold out or if the radio doesn’t work or if we’ve got nothing to say to each other. What matters, Marin says, is for the boys to see us and for us to see them” (Cisneros 27). Marin wants someone to come rescue her and take her away from Mango Street because she is not strong enough to escape on her own. Marin shows Esperanza that it is almost impossible for women on Mango Street to escape poverty by their own means and to use her beauty to attract a man. Additionally Marin’s influence on Esperanza also shows when she states, “Marin’s boyfriend is in Puerto Rico. She shows us his letters and makes us promise not to tell anybody they’re getting married when she goes back to P.R” (Cisneros 26). It is again clear that Marin is trying to escape her current life. Esperanza sees how it is so hard to escape when depending on a man to be her savior. Marin, who wants to escape with a man; is still waiting when the novel concludes. This pushes Esperanza to escape Mango Street by being dedicated to her own education and writing. Marin is only showing Esperanza that the women of Mango Street are not powerful enough to escape without a man, but Esperanza is determined to leave on her own.
Alicia is a character who has a positive influence on Esperanza.For example, “Alicia who inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart and studies for the first time at the university” (Cisneros 31). Even though Alicia lives a life of abuse with her father, she goes to school to be able to one day live indepently and happily. Alicia is using her education as an escape from her difficult life rather than waiting on a man to “rescue her” away from him. Alicia is showing Esperanza that it is possible to escape Mango Street, but she must do it by relying on herself. However this is not the only time Alicia positively influences Esperanza. Another example is when she states, “Is a good girl, my friend, studies all night and sees mice, the ones her father says do not exist. Is afraid of nothing except four-legged fur. And fathers” (Cisneros 32). Here it is evident that Alicia’s father is abusing her. However, she clearly studies very hard so that she can be something and get away from her father and Mango Street. Alicia is strong and provides a good example for Esperanza to follow by showing her that there are other ways to escape her life on Mango Street.
Sally, Marin and Alicia all influence Esperanza in both negative and positive ways. If Esperanza had never met these three women, she would not have learned how important it is to rely on herself, rather than on a man, to help her escape Mango Street. These women teach Esperanza to become an independent young women in a world where women depend on men if they wish to achieve their goals. The story of Esperanza is a good influence for any young women who read this book. In society today, there are still women who believe they can only escape a bad lifestyle with the help of a man. However, Esperanza shows that even in tough times, hard work and dedication can lead a woman to a happier life.
Work Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.