Identity The individual characteristics
by which a thing or person is
recognized or known
Think about (and
maybe write about in your
M&Ms later):
1. How is identity in
general formed?
2. How is YOUR
identity formed?
Sandra
Cisneros
Her books include a chapbook of poetry, Bad Boys; two full-length
poetry books, My Wicked, Wicked Ways and Loose Woman; a collection of
stories, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories; a children’s book,
Hairs/Pelitos; a novella, The House on Mango Street; and two novels,
Caramelo and Have You Seen Marie?, a fable for grown-ups, which was
just published this month (October 2012).
The House on Mango Street
The House on Mango Street, first
published in 1984, won the Before
Columbus Foundation’s American
Book Award in 1985
It is a reflection of a female
Mexican-American’s experience in
the 1960s.
Human Rights
Rights to which people are
entitled simply because
they are human beings,
regardless of their
nationality, race, ethnicity,
gender, or religion.
Agreed standards that
recognize and protect the
dignity and integrity of
every individual without
any distinction
Human Rights and Culture: answer in your
M&Ms at some point during this rotation
Do you think human rights are
respected in the U.S.? In
Colorado? In Broomfield? At
Legacy? Explain.
Culture: attitudes and
behaviors that are
characteristic of a particular
social group or organization
Do you think culture affects
how people are treated?
Explain.
Themes
Theme: an overall message or idea expressed in a literary work
While reading, take note of circumstances and issues that
make human rights a thematic focus in The House on Mango
Street.
Also, take note of the narrator’s culture. How does it affect
her lifestyle? Is it a thematic focus in the novel as well?
Literary Devices
specific aspects of literature that we can recognize, identify,
interpret and/or analyze (the means by which authors
create meaning through language)
Includes BOTH literary elements and
literary techniques
Literary Techniques
refer to specific constructions
and choice of language Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Alliteration
Hyperbole
Idiom
Vignettes
The House on Mango Street
is a series of 44 vignettes,
which are brief literary
descriptions.
One chapter does not
relate to the next, but
each is its own short
story within itself.
The vignettes still relate
to one another because
of Cisneros’s style (her
use of literary devices).
Overview: For the next several weeks, we will be reading,
studying, and analyzing The House on Mango Street.
Esperanza, a young Mexican-American girl who just
moved with her family to Mango Street, narrates them.
Since the stories don’t really follow each other
chronologically, we are going to read the novel in
thematic sections. We will be addressing different
subjects and literary devices for each set of stories. Before
we discuss each section, you will do a pre-reading
assignment. Your writings for each of these pre-reading
assignments should be about 1 page and completed in your
M&Ms notebook (or an M&M-sized piece of paper).
Section One:
Self Definition and Identity
Pre-reading question: What is the personal significance of your given name (first, middle, and last)? Does your name mean different things to you, your family, and your friends? What are your nicknames? What do your nicknames mean to you and those who call you those names?
Read pp. 3-11: “The House on Mango Street”; “Hairs”; “Boys and Girls”; “My Name”