The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a coming of age story that dwells on the many exploits she faces through life. In fact one could say it’s still relatable in this day and age. If we look at page 56 “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired In the Dark” she begins her vignette about her father who recently just lost his father. Who ultimately in her eyes, is a superhero. Someone who wakes up everyday without fail to go to work to put on their plate. Her father, now fragile and vulnerable, doesn’t know what to do with himself. She realizes this, and that even then, she’ll soon be in the same position. This vignette spoke to me, and I hate to be the one to use anecdotal experiences however, I too have been in a similar situation. It takes losing one dear to you, to understand the concept between life and death. Too many times have I taken for granted those near me and not understood that life is a short but bittersweet moment.
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One thought on “Joshua Osadebe 5”
Hi Joshua! I also feel that “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” is a very relatable vignette. Esperanza observes her father being emotional, which is something she is not used to seeing. Many children are not accustomed to seeing their parents upset, and the gravity of her father’s emotions really woke Esperanza up to the idea that you mention at the end of your post: that we often take people we love for granted and life is short and bittersweet. The audience can feel Esperanza coming to this realization when she says “and I think if my own Papa died what I would do. I hold my Papa in my arms. I hold and hold him” (Cisneros, 57).
Works Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Vintage Books, a Division of Random House Inc., 1991.