Surprise: One of the sketches in The Shack on Mango Street that surprised me was “The First Job”. In this sketch, Esperanza accepts a job as a nanny for a wealthy family. She soon realizes that the job isn’t what she thought it would be because she has to clean the whole house, in addition to watching the kids. This surprised me because it highlights the exploitation and injustice that many low-income workers face, and it was unexpected to explore this issue in a book aimed at a younger audience.
Confused: The vignette that confused me was “The Hips”. In this vignette, Esperanza reflects on the ways in which women are objectified and sexualized in society. While I appreciated the message of the sketch, I was confused by Esperanza’s seeming implication that all women with curvy hips are somehow connected to their own objectification. This seems to reinforce harmful stereotypes and could be interpreted as victim-blaming.
2 thoughts on “Jiaying Chen Discussion 16”
Hey Jiaying,
Your analysis of “The Shack on Mango Street” has given me a lot to consider. I enjoyed this week’s class very much since the professor let us go into whatever story we chose to explore. Various points of view were able to emerge thanks to the abundance of stories. I really enjoyed the stories you picked to share.Your analysis of both stories has definitely encouraged me to re-examine them with a more critical eye.
Jiaying, what intrigued you?