Modern Novel

Sandra Cisneros

(1958- )

Sandra Cisneros American novelist, short-story writer, essayist and poet

born on December 20, 1958 in Chicago

Cisneros is the third among seven children and is the only girl among six boys.

Her Mexican father, Mexican American mother, and six brothers have served as models for characters in her fiction.

In 1976, Cisneros received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Loyola University of Chicago.

Writing style Her writing is influenced by many aspects of her life, including her childhood, her family, and her Mexican-American heritage.

Her works help to bring the perspective of (Mexican American) women into the literary mainstream. She is one

of the first Hispanic American writers to achieve widespread commercial

success.

Major Character (P.3~69)

Esperanza 

 The novel’s narrator, a twelve-year-old Mexican-American girl. Esperanza is a budding writer who wishes for a home of her own. The House on Mango Street chronicles a year in her life as she matures emotionally and sexually. The name Esperanza means “hope” in Spanish.

Esperanza’s family

Papa Mama

Nenny

little sister  

Carlos Kiki    younger brothers

Esperanza the eldest

Esperanza’s friends Rachel and Lucy (P.14) Esperanza’s best friends. Lucy (the older sister) and Rachel

(the younger) are Mexican-American sisters.

Marin (P.26) A young woman. She teaches Esperanza and her friends

about the world of boys.

Alicia (P.31)  Esperanza’s friend who attends a local university. Since

Alicia’s mother died, her father forces her to take over the family’s domestic chores.

Cathy (P.12) Esperanza’s first friend in the neighborhood. Cathy’s family

moves out the week after Esperanza’s family moves in. She is one of the few characters who is not from Mexico or Latin America.

Minor Characters Meme Ortiz (P.21)  The new resident of Cathy’s house and has a dog

with two names. Louie (P.23)  lives in the basement of the Ortiz house. Louie is

friends with Esperanza’s brothers. Uncle Nacho (P.46) Esperanza’s friendly uncle, who gets her to

dance at her cousin’s baptism in “Chanclas.” Aunt Lupe (P.58)   In her youth, was a beautiful swimmer, but now

she is old, blind, and bed-ridden.

Elenita (P.62)  A witch woman Esperanza visits to have her

fortune told.

Ruthie (P.67)  A childish grown-up neighbor who enjoys playing

with Esperanza and her friends. Ruthie’s mother, Edna, is a landlady for the large building next door and ignores Ruthie.

Geraldo (P.65)  A Mexican man Marin meets at a dance.

Tito (P.14) A neighborhood boy who relates to girls in violent

and sexual ways.

Summary Ch1~Ch26Chapter 1 - The House on Mango Street (P.3) Esperanza –narrator (Mama, Papa, Carlos, Kiki, sister Nenny) Family's constant movement - Paulina Keeler Loomis Mango

Street The dream house - with running water, three washrooms, stairs, a

basement, white with trees around and a great lawn, their own.

Chapter 2 - Hairs (P.6) Papa's hair - like a broom Carlos's hair - thick and straight Nenny's hair – slippery Kiki's hair - like fur Esperanza – lazy. It never obeys barrettes or bands. Mama's hair - like candy circles and smells like fresh bread.

Chapter 3 - Boys and Girls (P.8) The boys and girls live in separate worlds. Boys - Carlos and Kiki are brothers and each other's best friend Girls - Esperanza and Nenny are sisters. Nenny is too young to be her

friend, and becomes her responsibility. Esperanza wishes for a best girl friend of her own, to whom she can tell all the secrets in the world. Until that time, she feels like a red balloon tied to its anchor below.

Chapter 4 - My Name (P.10) Esperanza - means "hope" in its English ; in Spanish it means

sadness, waiting… She is named after her great-grandmother, who was also born

during the Chinese Year of the Horse. A wild woman who never wanted to marry or be tamed, until her grandfather carried her off as his object.

Chapter 5 - Cathy Queen of Cats (P.12) Cathy - a friend till next Tuesday. A girl who believes she is the

great great grand cousin of the queen of France. She owns a lot of cats and informs Esperanza about all the people of the neighborhood before she moves away.

Chapter 6 - Our Good Day (P.14) Rachel and Lucy – Give me five dollars I will be your friend. a bike - They ride their new bike up and down Mango Street making

comments at the local storeowners, feeling like sassy, outgoing, strong girls.

Chapter 7 - Laughter (P.17) Sisters - Esperanza and Nenny (laughter) Lucy and Rachel (fat popsicle lips) A house that looks like Mexico

Chapter 8 - Gil's Furniture Bought & Sold (P.19) A junk store - broken-down appliances and dim lights. The owner - a black man who doesn't speak much, unless a customer

wants to buy something.

Chapter 9 - Meme Ortiz (P.21) Meme Ortiz - moves into Cathy's old house and his actual name is

Juan. Sheepdog - with one name in English and one in Spanish The dog is large, clumsy and imitable of its owner. The house – built by Cathy's father. It has slanted stairs, floors, and

rooms. There are no closets and the front stairs are crooked. The backyard - a large tree, which Juan breaks both his arms jumping

out of the tree and winning their First Annual Tarzan Jumping Contest.

Chapter 10 - Louie, His Cousin, & His Other Cousin (P.23) Meme’s basement - rent out to Louie's family Louie’s family - a broken family from Puerto Rico. Louie -the oldest of all girls, Esperanza's brother's friend. Marin - one cousin who sells make-up from Avon. His other cousin – he has stolen a yellow Cadillac. The police chase

the car when Esperanza and the rest of the children go for a ride in it. The car bumps into the wall and he is arrested.

Chapter 11 - Marin (P.26) Marin - teaches Esperanza all about boys, working and the world Boyfriend - waiting to marry her in Puerto Rico Work – selling Avon and taking care of her cousins Back to P.R. - she is too much trouble. Dream – to get a real job and meet a wealthy man Chapter 12 - Those Who Don't (P.28) Our neighborhood – dangerous Stupid people – lost and got here by mistake Color - All brown all around, we are safe. Chapter 13 - There Was an Old Woman She Had So Many (P.29) Rosa Vargas –She was left with her children by her no-good husband

without any money. She can’t control her large litter of children alone. One of them even jumped off a high roof of a house to his death. She gave up trying to be a parent and control them long ago.

Chapter 14 - Alicia Who Sees Mice (P.31) Alicia - a friend of Esperanza's who is trying to better her life by attending

the university. Her mother passed away so she is the woman of the house. She sees mice but her father tells her that they don't exist or that they'll just go away; however, she is afraid of the mice and fathers.

Chapter 15 - Darius & The Clouds (P.33)• Darius – doesn’t like school, he is sometimes stupid and mostly a fool• The clouds - He believes that beautiful things would never be enough, like

flowers, butterflies, and sky. But the world was full of clouds, and he believes that God exists in one of the bounteous white puffs in the sky above.

Chapter 16 - And Some More (P.35) Different names – snow, people, and clouds Argument – Rachel, Lucy, Esperanza, and Nenny Chapter 17 - The Family of Little Feet (P.39) A family in Esperanza's neighborhood is known for its tiny feet. The mother gives Rachel and Esperanza some high-heeled pumps - lemon

and pale blue They love the shoes - real long women's legs Dangerous shoes – a bum man asked Rachel a dollar for a kiss Lucy hides them in her room until their mother throws them away. Chapter 18 - A Rice Sandwich (P.43) The special kids – wear keys around their necks and eat in the canteen Mother’s letter – Esperanza wants to eat in the lunchroom at school. She

begs her mama for three days to make her a bag lunch and give her a note to give the nuns that allows her to eat with the others.

One day experience – Esperanza lives close enough to go home for lunch. She begins to cry and is allowed to eat in the canteen just this one day. There was nothing special and her sandwich were cold and greasy.

Chapter 19 - Chanclas (P.46) The baptism party - dressing up and dancing Mama - forgets Esperanza's new shoes and later falls ill for eating too

many tamales. Uncle Nacho - pulls Esperanza to the dance floor. The two dance and

create quite a show for the rest of the guests.

Chapter 20 - Hips (P.49) Hips – holding a baby, dancing, symbol of a woman Discuss the impending development of hips – Esperanza’s body. Nenny is the only one who doesn't seem to understand the whole thing. Chapter 21 - The First Job (P.53) Earn money - Esperanza needs money to continue her study in the Catholic school,

for her papa said nobody attends public school unless you wanted to turn out bad. An easy job – her aunt Lala found a job at Pan Photo Finishers and pretend to be one

year older than her true age. To match negatives with the prints. Lunchtime – she felt alone and secluded and waits in the coatroom. An oriental

man enters and tells her that she is pretty and that he simply wants a birthday kiss. Nervously, Esperanza sees no harm, so she leans in to peck his cheek and he grabs her face and kisses her mouth without letting go.

Chapter 22 - Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark (P.56) The death of Esperanza's grandfather – Papa cries and she don’t know what to do The oldest child - it is her responsibility to tell the other children of the tragedy and

of the proper mourning behavior. Esperanza sees her father sitting in the dark on her bed and holds him, terrified of knowing the feeling of losing him.

Chapter 23 - Born Bad (P.58) Prays - My mother says I was born on an evil day and prays for me. Lucy and Rachel

pray too. For ourselves and for each other...because of what we did to Aunt Lupe. Aunt Guadalupe - a beautiful woman who loved to swim. In a tragic accident, she

broke her spine and developed a hideous disease, became blind and useless. Aunt Lupe had always listened to Esperanza's poetry and encouraged her to continue writing. Esperanza realizes that disease pick just anyone, regardless of worship and race and honesty.

A game - Esperanza and friends imitated various famous people. They randomly select her Aunt Lupe and make fun of her. Her aunt overhears everything and feels miserable, soon afterwards she passes away.

Chapter 24 - Elenita, Card, Palm, Water (P.62) Elenita – a witch woman and she works in the kitchen Esperanza’s future – the card means sorrow, jealousy, and also much luxury.

She will attend a wedding soon. A house – what Esperanza came for. Elenita sees a home in the heart. When

Esperanza prepares to leave, Elenita claims that her house is full of heart and that she will light at candle for her. She gave Elenita five dollars and left.

Chapter 25 - Geraldo No Last Name (P.65) Geraldo - Marin met and danced with him one night. An accident -The man was killed by the accident that night. Marin told the

police everything she knew but unfortunately could give them no information. He was nothing to her except a boy she just met. However, he was something

to other people. A boy from Mexico who spoke no English.

Chapter 26 - Edna's Ruthie (P.67) Edna – Ruthie’s mother, the lady owns the building on Mango street next to the

Cordero's home. She constantly throws out her tenants. However, when Ruthie arrives, she is suddenly taken aback, for she cannot throw out her own daughter.

Ruthie – tall skinny lady with red lipstick, the only grown-up who likes to play. She takes her dog Bobo for a walk and laughs all by herself.

There were many things Ruthie could have been if she wanted to. She claims to have a house and husband of her own, could have been a song-and-dance girl, and loves to play with Esperanza and her friends. She loves listening to Esperanza’s read, but claims that she is always too tired to read herself, and comments that she thinks Esperanza has the most beautiful teeth ever created.

Genre Coming-of-age story Bildungsroman

Covers teenage issues

Focuses on the crisis of adolescence, the intense period between childhood and adulthood

Common themes : family relationships, teen rebellion, peer pressure, friendship, sexuality, identity, individuality, alienation, challenges of the adult world, responsibility and independence.

Theme The power of language

-- Mother’s letter to the nuns at Esperanza’s school. (P.45)-- Esperanza’s aunt tells her to keep writing. (P.61)

The struggle for self-definition

-- Esperanza wants to change her name. (P.11)

Women’s responsibilities -- “The boys and the girls live in separate worlds.” (P.8) -- Esperanza’s responsibilities to her younger sister (P.50) -- The women on Mango street

MotifsNames

-- the mix of cultures and languages

-- most characters have two names

“Real names and nicknames, English names and Spanish names”

-- Esperanza’s explanation of names

“The more names a person has, the more important he or she is.”

Symbols Shoes

-- evoke images of sex and adult femininity-- the conflict between her emerging sexual attractiveness and desire for independence-- makes the connection between shoes and sex (Pp.40-42)

Trees

-- Esperanza expresses respect and admiration for trees.-- The tree in Meme Ortiz’s backyard“But what you remember most is this tree…” (P.22)