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Which one of the vignettes from pages 3 – 53 of The House on Mango Street made the strongest impression on you? In a post of at least 150 words, identify the vignette and discuss its theme or central idea, explaining why it resonated for you. Please do not discuss the same vignette someone else has discussed, if possible.
Also, address comments to others by name so we can all follow along.
65 thoughts on “Week 15 Discussion”
The Vignette that made the strongest impression on me was the vignette named “Hairs”. The vignette touched on the identity of each person based on their hair, each type of hair represents a different person with a different personality and traits. In the vignette the author talked about the mother’s hair and how it made you want to stick your nose in it and how it was curly and pretty like candy circles. It shows what type of person the mom is, she takes pride in her presentation, and she truly steps into that maternal role because she leaves space in the bed for the children when they want to sleep. I think that the theme represents the diversity of everyone’s hair in the family and this diversity also relates not just to their hair but who they are as people. That resonates closely with me because my family has a lot of diversity in terms of their hair and personality. For example, my baby sister has long, thick, soft hair and that reflects who she is because she is sweet and kind and at times expressive.
Good morning Giovanni, I absolutely agree with you. I feel that hair carries a lot of cultural and emotional value. Growing up black, I was always taught to love my hair for what it is regardless of what anyone had to say. Being able to express yourself through your hair is a wonderful feeling.
Hey Giovanni, I agree with you. Hair and personality vary from person to person, and they only represent the individual. In fact, hair is only external, but kindness comes from the inner of heart. This is a fact that can’t be concealed for a long time. Everyone should be proud of themselves.
Hello Giovanni, I want to just say that I completely agree with you and believe the hair does represent personality that every strand of hair represents a lot of cultures and traits. It represents so much individuality and says a lot about a character.it shows where you came from and what your mom is. It shows identity I completely agree.
Hey Giovanni , Like you, The Vignette hairs stood out to me aswell. It is amazing how you can explain about someone so much by just their hair. This Vignette not only showed the importance of our hair and how much it matter a a first impression. Really liked your writing. Best wishes
The vignette that stood out to me was “The Family of Little Feet”. This is a coming of age story that starts off with the speaker describing the family as very little people having little hands and feet. On my first reading, I was getting the feeling that I was reading a fairy tale, as discussed with my group, the people described sounded like they had dwarfism. Connecting this with last weeks story “Snow White”. The mother of this family brings home new pairs of high heeled shoes for her young daughters. Putting the new shoes, they fit perfectly on the girls, but the shoes change them. The girls soon notice that their legs are no longer legs of young girls, but legs of mature women. The girls quickly adapt to their new appearances and strut throughout the city looking for compliments. The girls succeed but not in the way they originally imagined, they get the attention they wanted but soon to overwhelm them. Warned by Mr. Benny that the shoes are dangerous, and they shouldn’t have them, catcalled by a boy, ignored by “fat girls”, and sexually solicited by a bum. I feel that this was the coming of age moment for the girls, they realize that this was what the real adult world was like, getting a taste of true womanhood and maturity. I feel that the heels are a symbol for maturity throughout this tale, giving up their childhood to experience the adult world. Finally giving up the heels, you can tell that the girls were uncomfortable and not ready for this new world.
Hello Mathew, I totally agree with you. As we discussed during class, this is a coming of age story. Although the girls ignored the warnings of a man, flattered by the attention they got from a guy, and even delighted by the jealous they got from mediocre girls, it soon comes to their realization that wearing high heels can bring danger to them. Instead of just having a warning by Mr. Benny, they actually experienced this when they encountered a drunk bum. I would say it is a good thing that they learnt that they are still too young to be acting as young women, and decided to remain kids, especially when the girls’ mother throw away the shoes.
Mathew, I like your comments about the beginning of the story sounding like a fairy tale, especially after the readings of last week. You express so well here what those high heel shoes mean not only to the girls but to the males they encounter as they strut around the street. They experience an exhilarating power, yet, as you write, they begin to realize the danger that comes with the power. They decide to return to childhood for a little while longer after they get a taste of what maturity and womanhood involve.
The vignette impressed me the most was “My Name”. When Esperanza made her name public, she explained that the name has several different meanings. It means hopeful and strong in English. However, it represents sadness and waiting in Spanish, and symbolizes her current state. She doesn’t want to be tied down like his great-grandmother, because her great-grandmother has spent her life looking out the window. Esperanza’s desire to change her name shows her understanding and desire for the power of language. This vignette resonated with me because I didn’t like my name when I was a kid. The meaning of my name is very meaningful, It means to become rich in this world. But the homophony in Taishanese means stupid, this made me dislike my name very much when I was young. However, when I grow up, these have become jokes of my name, and I don’t care anymore, because this is the name my family gave me, and there is no need to look at other people’s statements.
Hi Shihao Chen,
Thank you for the analysis. I also like this vignette very much because there is a compelling message on it. In this case, Esperanza had her name attributed to her expectations for the future, as you mentioned that the great-grandmother spent her life looking out the window. What makes you dislike your name, despite the very powerful meaning, is the way it sounded. My issue with my middle and last name is the lack of identity, belonging, and personal revolt it means to me.
ShiHao, thanks for the good comments. How interesting that your name has such a positive meaning suggesting great wordly success while sounding a bit like the word “stupid” in Taishanese. I’m glad that you have passed through the phases of not liking your name to realize that it comes from your family—and maybe it will help bring you to “become rich in this world!”
Hello Shihao, I want to say I love your interpretation it really explains it well. I like how you broke down the meaning of the name and how it represents the character’s current emotional state. How she feels those emotions coming from situations that she witnesses. I completely agree people used to make fun of my name but in fact my mom had a dream she had a daughter ( which was me) before she even gotten pregnant and Samijah was the name. So she said if she ever gotten pregnant that would have been my name. My name means that I am spiritually intense that I could sting or charm. My name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money.
Hello Shihao, you have an interesting post. I think at some point everyone experienced what you’ve described for us. In another words, probably most of us can write an vignette with the title “My Name. ” It’s interesting that the way we look at our names influence us. For instance, if your name has a deep and powerful meaning, I think you take a pride in it and try to prove society you’re worthy of that name.
Hi Shihao,
I, too, didn’t like my name growing up. It was difficult for most people to pronounce my name, Ilana, for a majority of my life. In adulthood, I am still hearing different variations of my name. I understand difficulty you may have with a lack of connection to your birth name. I’ve chosen to be more open-minded and define myself in other ways. Unique names have their advantages, like pursuing a more creative life and career.
The vignette that I can resonate most is “Laughter”. This vignette talks about the small unnoticeable similarities sisters can have, for example laughter. However, to me, I believe the narrator here is telling us about more than just the similarities between siblings. She is talking about a sisterly bond that she shares with her sister. Unlike Rachel and Lucy, Esperanza and her sister does not always resemble each other. However, they sometimes think alike, and can understand to each other’s point of views. In this vignette, the narrator uses the example of a house similar to the one that she saw in Mexico. The narrator herself could not tell why she thinks the house resembles the one she saw although they were quite distinguishable. Somehow she can feel the vibe of the house as “Mexican” and while the other two girls could not understand why she would say that, her sister came to her rescue. Her sister gets why the house looks like Mexico without the narrator having to explain herself. From this, we can also see that her sister got her back. Even if others think we’re being ridiculous, our family or siblings will be there for us. I can resonate to this vignette because I have a younger sister, and I think I feel the same way as the narrator. My sister and I don’t look alike at first glance, but there are similarities that would tell someone that we are sisters. Also, we share our inside jokes and thoughts, and when I think no one can understand what I feel, I know my sister got my back.
Thin, thanks for the lovely remarks about “Laughter.” I have two sisters too, and we share memories and certain sensibilities that you can’t really explain to others—not that we always agree on how a memory played out. There are some impressions or responses that are hard to put into words, and in this vignette we see that the girls don’t really even have to supply all the words in order to understand each other.
Hello Thin,
Thanks for sharing. I also resonate a lot with “laughter”. Even though me and my siblings are different in many ways, there are things that connect us. Often when spending so much time with someone, especially in adolescence, we start to morph together, using the same phrases, inside jokes, similar laughs or having the same reactions to something. It really goes to show how much your family gets you on another level. I feel like I can be myself without having to explain or change myself with my siblings.
Helllllo Thin:) I love your interpretation of the vignette “Laughter”. I think its so sweet that you and your sister have such a powerful bond and it actually reminds me of the bond I have with my younger sister. There is a huge age gap between us but at our core we share the same soul. I believe that my sister understands me, she laughs at my corny jokes, and she bothers me all the time but only because she secretly cannot survive with my never-ending presence. Your interpretation made me appreciate what I have with that munchkin.
My favorite vignette is “Marin” on page 30. I liked this thing yet because I am having a personal moment of introspection, which I relate to Marin. I have been thinking about the future and its certainties for being a woman since week 13, and the reading “Where are you going? Where have you been?”
I explored my answer about how women feel trapped to find a partner and occasionally are physically trapped by the same partner. And how this search gives them the false hope that their life will change for the better.
Marin Has a boyfriend who lives in another country, and she thinks that marrying him will be the solution to take her out of the poverty and dull life that she has. She is described as being too much trouble, apparently also being a bad influence on their kids since her skirts are shorter, she smokes cigarettes, and tells things that younger girls should not learn yet. When the narrator says that she’s older in many ways, it means that she is sexually mature; and that is seen negatively by society because we need to be well-behaved and feminine. Sometimes we are not allowed to have our own opinions.
Hi Deanne, I find the vignette “Marin” to be very impactful, as well. From the vignette, we read that Marin “is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life” (Cisneros 27). She puts her hope in other people to change her life, such as her boyfriend in Puerto Rico, or a random stranger on the street. But Marin helps teach Esperanza important lessons such as how to own her femininity. She does this by wearing “skirts [that] are shorter” (Cisneros 27), and when boys cat call her, Marin “is not afraid” (Cisneros 27). Esperanza picks up on these actions, and sees a woman who feels stuck and dependent upon a man, when in reality has the potential to be a strong, individual woman.
Deanne, yes, this is vignette that is a little haunting. It’s one of the “window” vignettes, as I call them. There are several vignettes in the book in which we see women sitting or waiting at a window, dreaming of possibility or regretting the loss of them. There is also the idea that someone will come along and “save” her, which is interesting on the heels of “Little Snow White” and “Where Are You Going?”
The vignette I chose is titled “My Name.” In this vignette, Esperanza talks about her grandmother and the role of a woman in society. Esperanza says that society “don’t like their women strong” (Cisneros 10), which frustrates her because she sees value in women that she feels is not recognized by society. Esperanza tells the story of her great grandmother, and how her great grandfather “threw a sack over [Esperanza’s great grandmother’s] head and carried her off. Just like that, as if she were a fancy chandelier” (Cisneros 11). This bothers Esperanza, as she feels that society tells her that women can and should be controlled. Throughout her life, Esperanza’s great grandmother “looked out the window… sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be” (Cisneros 11). Esperanza recognizes societal issues that bother her, such as women’s rights. Towards the end of the vignette, Esperanza concludes that although she “inherited [her great grandmother’s] name, [she doesn’t] want to inherit her place by the window” (Cisneros 11). This vignette is powerful to me because even at a young age, Esperanza knew that she wanted something different for her life, and wouldn’t settle for less.
Hello Anna,
I like the vignette you chose as it was my second favorite one that I read. This vignette shares a very important social problem which is that women being strong is somehow not liked in today’s society. Esperanza’s great grandmother talking about how society believes women can and should be controlled. She sometimes looks out the window, sorry because she couldn’t be what she wanted due to the societies gender roles.
Hello Anna,
You have mentioned really great points. I like the way you have buckled up every claim with relevant references from the text. I think the same of this vignette; I also believe that Esperanza thinks of bigger issues from the beginning. It shows her strength of character. I also think that author wants to make another very important point through this vignette. She compares the generations of immigrants and shows that the younger generations are undoubtedly stronger and even fiercer than their ancestors. I think it means that minority rights should be considered seriously, if we keep on trampling the rights of women, or any minor community, it can bring inevitable chaos in the society. The change in the thinking pattern of Esperanza and her grandmother shows that over time women are becoming more powerful as well as more annoyed. It is high time that we bring equality in society as a whole, all the social discrimination whether it is racial, ethnic, or gender-based should be diminished.
Hi, Anna. I agree with your comments. Esperanza’s great-grandmother is also name Esperanza. Her great- grandmother is strong woman, but after her marriage, she spent most of her time sitting by a window. Esperanza understands gender issues in her community. Power, confidence, and freedom symbolize the horse in the Chinese culture.
Hi, Anna. I really enjoyed reading your analysis of this vignette from the House on Mango Street. I agree with “My Name” being about the role of women in society and I think Esperanza frustration came across both great and relatable. Esperanza feels like she can’t be who she wants or do what she wants, like her life is being controlled by her society’s standards for women. I also found this vignette to be powerful especially when she said she didn’t “want to inherit her[great-grandmothers] place by the window”. I think this quote shows Esperanza’s determination and courage to fight for what’s right and for what she wants and deserves.
The Vignette that stood out to me was “Boys and Girls”. This touched upon how boys and girls do live in separate worlds and how they view life differently. Talking to a girl isn’t something that boys do on the outside, without it looking any other way. The narrator explains how she wants to be able to have a friend of her own, that she can be herself, not someone that she will feel like is a responsibility being next to her or under her. She wants to be able to talk to them and feel like they are all to herself no matter if they are inside alone or outside for the world to see. Since she doesn’t have a best friend and all she has is her siblings that only fully come together when they are alone in a house behind closed doors she sticks to herself and have her sister around her but to her it isn’t nearly as having a best friend. She has a “responsibility”. The theme that I think is being represented is people have different methods of reasoning and to justify the is when she starts off by saying boys and girls live in separate worlds. Sandra is indicating because we live in separate worlds our thought process and methods on thinking is automatically different, which in her case is true. This resonates with me because I am a middle child I have two brothers and two sisters so I get to see the thought process of all from small to big. I see how they respond to situations, which is different from a girls perspective and from the boys perspective. This also resonates with me because it was a point of time where I wanted a best friend that I could have all to myself not feeling like I have a responsibility on the side of me most of the time, but someone I could be myself to.
Samijah, yes, this vignette gives more insight into Esperanza (not Sandra). We can see that, while she loves her siblings and is often responsible for them, she really wants a friend outside the family—someone that she can have all to herself and who will consider her special too. Readers see the narrator wanting to grow up and develop in so many ways, including as a friend separate from her family.
Hello Samijah,
The vignette you chose to talk about is great and has a good meaning to it. Both genders do live in different worlds as Sandra has stated. The way a boy and girl respond to a situation could be very different. Since we have different reactions and perspectives on actions we basically do live in separate worlds.
Hey, Samijah, I wanted to add on to your thread as a found your analysis of the different worlds boys and girls inhabit on Mango Street to be fantastic.
Esperanza makes note of everyone who lives on Mango Street, but she’s especially interested in the women who live there. What she sees isn’t exactly heartening: women are second-class citizens on Mango Street. From childhood, they’re taught to aspire to marriage and motherhood which they consider their ticket to a better way of life. Esperanza doesn’t buy into the “fairy tale” of marriage on Mango Street because there is no evidence that it’s a good thing. Nearly all the married women she knows are desperately unhappy and abused. No matter their beauty or intelligence, women in Mango Street are always under the control of men, whether it be their husbands of fathers. What exactly is a home? Esperanza thinks home is a physical location, but it has to have a certain feeling of comfort peace and a little bit of luxury. Esperanza resents the House on Mango Street because it looks nothing like her dream house – though she knows it’s the best her family can do. Her dream house will always be that, a dream, but Esperanza eventually realizes that she’s confusing “house” and “home” – Mango Street is her home because it’s part of her.
(Minor Spoiler)
By the end of the novel, Esperanza hasn’t changed her ideas about having a house of her own, but she now understands her home will follow her wherever she goes.
Hello Samijahrodriguez
I completely agree when you said that this story touched upon hoe boys and girls do lives in separate worlds.But no matter they are boy or girl the big one always seems the little ones as their responsibility and yes you will need or want some friend or a social life where they are not include but as you see your siblings as your responsibility you will want to be by then all the time.
The vignette that stood out the most to me was “Darius and the Clouds”. This vignette explains the importance of the sky. Where Esperanza lives, there is not much nature and too much sadness. But the sky is the consistent beauty they hold on to, for Darius he sees and feels God in the sky. This resonates with me a lot because often in times of feeling overwhelmed by my life, the sky and nature has centered me. No matter how terrible a day is the world moves on to another day, a sunrise and sunset. It makes my problems not seem as big in the grand scheme of things. It also reminds me just how much there is beyond my bubble, which to me is a reassuring feeling that there is more beyond to explore. I don’t necessarily have a spiritual connection to the sky, but it I see it as something beautiful the whole world shares, which to me is special.
Hello Caroline,
I like that you mentioned the sky as a “consistent beauty”. Even though Esperanza’s life, like all of ours, can be smushed by different colors and shades, the morning sky remains a warming shade of blue. I feel overwhelmed many times too. Nature helps me calm down. The trees, flowers, birds, and that beautiful blue sky help my spirit relax. Truly, it really does a great job of helping me relax and destress.
The vignette that stands out to me is ” Those Who Don’t “. This vignette explores Esperanza’s perspective as a colored girl in America. Esperanza talks about the fear she senses in people who come around her neighborhood. They find her and her neighbors scary and dangerous. However, Esperanza dismisses them as silly and misplaced. One thing that stands out to me is that Esperanza mentions that people fear them because they “don’t know any better”. More so, she mentions that she feels safer when there is “all brown around”. But in a neighborhood of different colored people, she and her family quiver and take precautions.
I identify the main theme as “racial animosity”. From this short passage, I notice how people of the same race form territories around themselves. When anyone crosses another race’s territory, they have stepped on foreign soil and have potentially put their life at risk. I resonate with this because I also naturally flock towards people of the same skin color as me. They just feel more familiar. Although I enjoy meeting new people, it is undeniably a more nerve-racking and foreign experience for me. More so, we all tend to place different stereotypes and misconceptions on people of other races because we don’t know any better. I can imagine that those foreigners on Esperanza’s territory had heard many stories about Mexicans and other colored folks that made them scared. Even today, many Mexicans and African Americans are racially profiled and victimized by other people of a different race.
Hey Olere! Great analysis of “Those Who Don’t.” I definitely detect a strong sense of racial animosity there as well and is confirmed when Esperanza mentions how fearful her family is a neighborhood of different colored people. I can also relate to Esperanza’s point of view as growing up my family didn’t always live in the “friendliness” neighborhoods. My friends thought it was dangerous but for me it was the norm. You get so familiar with it that it becomes a given and it’s not until some time has passed that you can look back and really go “I can’t believe this was my normal.”
I found our reading of The House On Mango Street to be both very unique & relatable. One vignette that was particularly memorable to me was the one titled “Marin.” This vignette is about an older girl named Marin, Esperanza is quite fond of her as she believes Marin is quite knowledgeable. However Marin is also quite troubled and is about to be sent back to her mother. Marin is a relatable character as she reminds me of an older cousin I had named Luke. At the time I was very young and my family had just moved to the United States. Like Marin I thought Luke was very smart because he had the best taste in video games and movies. Unfortunately Luke was troubled himself and was later deported for trying to steal cars. Marin is relatable because when you’re young you don’t know much and kids who are older seem very wise, however it is not until you are grown and more educated that you can look back see that person for who they are. Esperanza’s relationship to Marin represents the ignorance of youth where you have more trust than fear and skepticism.
Out of all the vignettes that I have read the one that made the strongest impression on me is “Laughter”. I chose this vignette because I like the underlying message that the author is trying to send. I believe the theme of this vignette is whether having a poor or rich community or not dressing the same we are all the same on the inside. Nenny and her sister are twins but not based on physical looks but on the inside. For example” Me and Nenny do not look alike but we are alike to each other, example is our laugh”. They have a similar laugh and towards the end of the vignette they see a old house and both get the same idea that other girls there age did not get. I like the message that even twins are alike where it matters which is the inside instead of the outside.
“They will not know I have gone away to come back” She admits that she has learned a lot from her stay in Mango. Her friends told her everything that is true, which has later had an impact on her thoughts, self and she has learned a lot from the neighborhoods. This to her is the main reason why she writes about Mango Street where she discovered her true self in the mid of the insignificant place. The house on Mango Street brings out the theme of the fight for self definition. Where the main character fights for her self identity in a society where there is segregation between the poor and the rich. It outlines the problems that poor people face and the struggle they undergo as they try to obtain their self identity.
Hi Luis,
Good analysis of “They will not know I have gone away to come back.” It’s certainly true that where we live and grow up can have a large impact on us and contribute in shaping who we become. Self identity can be hard to find, especially in a place like Mango Street, and with the problems that poor people can face.
The vignette “Cathy Queen Of Cats” struck a chord with me. Sandra Cisneros’s style is very oral, but particularly in this one. The first person switches from our narrator Esperanza to Cathy without warning, with no quotes, as if the distinction between what people say and what Esperanza says wasn’t clear. It can be read symbolically, as Esperanza hasn’t developed critical thinking yet, and might tend to repeat ideas overheard from authority figures such as neighborhood adults. She is young and naive enough to take everything said to her at face value. As she says: “How do I know this is so? She told me so.” However, she notes “as if she just forgot I just moved in” when Cathy makes a remark about the “neighborhood […] getting bad.” She is able to recognize bigotry when it’s targeted at her directly. Still, she doesn’t extrapolate from this and Cathy’s house’s general state of disarray to realize that Cathy is a very bigoted and likely unreliable person. She is very self-aggrandizing, saying she is the “great great grand cousin of the queen of France.” Esperanza seems to mock her slightly by calling her “queen of cats.” Cathy is also very disparaging to everybody around her, implying that she is thinking highly of herself in comparison. The last paragraph begins with Cathy’s delusional story about inheriting a house from her very distant and probably fictional relatives in France. That castles-in-Spain story is contrasted with the reality, which is that Cathy will move “a little farther away every time people like us keep moving in,” a testament to her bigotry. The character of Alicia “used to like” Cathy but ignores her since she went to college, as she probably just grew up and realized how bigoted and delusional she was. I found this vignette to be a very vivid way of depicting this character of Cathy in all her flaws. I have met quite a few Cathies in my life, which is why this resonated so much with me.
The House on Mango Street left a great impression on me. Its little stories can be relatable for most of us. I can say that it’s one of the books that one reads in one breath. The most impressive vignette to me was “Our Good Day” and I cannot entirely explain why – it just felt nice to read. This vignette tells us a story how Esperanza becomes friends with Rachel and Lucy. These two girls goes to Esperanza and offers buying a bike together if she chips in 5 dollars. As Esperanza says, five dollar is a cheap price for two friends (I can admit, this part made me smile). It’s hard to say what she wants more, bike or two new friends, but we see how happy she is. Becoming friends with Lucy and Rachel upsets Cathy as she thinks that these girls “smell like a broom” but Esperanza likes them. Long story short, they buy a bike and ride it around the block as if there’s nothing that can make day any better. As mentioned above, it’s a little hard for me to explain why the story impressed me. Probably because it is so ordinary. It’s just a story about an ordinary girl becoming friends with other two girls and buying a bike together. However, it reminds me of every childhood memory that has the same story – me making new friends with or without any reason. I remember how I used to “unite” with other girls because we were sharing something (for example, sharing a ball to play basketball). I also remember how exciting it was to get a new bike and also how everyone else tried to have a ride. I didn’t want to give up on it because as Esperanza says, everyone “wants to ride it today.” In conclusion, the story tells us how Esperanza chose other two friends and a bike over Cathy who is going to be her friend until Tuesday. It seems fair to me. The story shows us one good memory that is filled with unexpected details and excitement. Vignette left an impression on me because even though there’s nothing special about it, it evokes many emotions related to my happy experiences. As I said above, reading it just felt nice.
Hi Mariam,
I loved that vignette too. There’s something so genuine about children’s friendships. They bounded over a common material interest. In the previous vignette, “Cathy Queen of Cats,” we get a first glimpse of Rachel and Lucy, “[t]wo girls raggedy as rats” as Cathy describes them. She also adds that “[y]ou don’t want to know them,” her being the bigoted character she is. In this vignette, Esperanza quotes more of Cathy’s remarks towards the girls, saying that they “smell like a broom,” which evokes the dirt in which the poor girls likely live. She once again orders: “Don’t talk to them.” Esperanza notices that “[t]heir clothes are crooked and old,” yet she doesn’t repel her. It shows that Esperanza isn’t corrupted by the bigotry her neighbor tried to impart on her. Instead, she sees the humanity of the girls. They become friends by pooling money to buy this bike together. Even though it is very inconvenient to ride it all together, they still do so as they have an innate sense of equality and justice.
I meant “yet it doesn’t repel her.”
The vignette that stuck out to me was “The Family of Little Feet.” When Lucy, Rachael, and Esperanza get three pairs of old high heels, the new shoes make the girls feel grown up and they begin attracting attention as they clack their way through the barrio. Esperanza and her friends feel attractive and desirable for the first time in their lives and the power is thrilling. The high heels represent their awakening as sexual beings and their transition from girlhood to womanhood. They vow never to wear any other type of shoe ever again, but their excitement wears off when they meet the bum in front of the neighborhood tavern who doesn’t just compliment them, he wanted them to kiss him. The heels suddenly don’t feel so great and the girls run home and hide them. The girls realize how dangerous their newfound sexuality can be and the act of hiding the shoes, which are soon thrown away, reflects their decision to remain children a little bit longer, as they aren’t ready to deal with the sexually charged dangers inherent to womanhood.
Sexual awaking is a key theme in Mango Street and Esperanza notices herself becoming more interested in boys her age and those who are a little older, imagining what it’s like to have one’s full romantic attention. Esperanza’s newfound interest in sex and boys is exciting but it’s also scary. She’s beginning to understand the dangers associated with female sexuality, particularly I how men view women on Mango Street. Beautiful women on Mango Street are simultaneously viewed as Madonna’s and whores, idolized for their appearance but feared for the damage they could do to a man’s reputation.
Professor, thank you for reading my discussion board post on “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
The Vignette that made the strongest impression to me is “ The Family of Little Feet”. This made the strongest impression to me because it was a coming of age story. Where the girls in the story realize that when they put on the high heels that their mom gave them they received so much attention from people that it was unbearable. With the new heels they look like mature woman instead of the girls everyone knew them to be. Mr. Benny try to warn the girls telling them that those heels are dangerous and powerful. They ignored his warning and found out the true danger of these heels. The attention they received was so much for them to handle. This is where they realize and came to a realization that they are not ready live the adult life. They would rather go back to how they were without the shoes rather than dealing with all the attention the shows bring to them.
I tracked down our perusing of The House On Mango Street to be both exceptionally extraordinary and interesting. One vignette that was especially vital to me was the one named “Marin.” This vignette is about a more established young lady named Marin, Esperanza is very attached to her as she accepts Marin is very proficient. Anyway Marin is additionally very pained and is going to be sent back to her mom. Marin is an engaging person as she helps me to remember a more seasoned cousin I had named Luke. At the time I was exceptionally youthful and my family had recently moved to the United States. Like Marin I thought Luke was extremely savvy since he had the best desire for computer games and motion pictures. Lamentably Luke was pained himself and was subsequently extradited for attempting to take vehicles. Marin is appealing in light of the fact that when you’re youthful you don’t know a lot and children who are more established appear to be exceptionally shrewd, but it isn’t until you are developed and more taught that you can think back recognize the truth about that individual. Esperanza’s relationship to Marin addresses the obliviousness of youth where you have more trust than dread and suspicion.
The vignette that left the strongest impression on me was “Cathy Queen of Cats.” The central idea of this vignette is that the neighborhood is “declining,” at least in Cathy’s opinion. This resonated with me because there is no real certainty that the change in the neighborhood is actually a decline, and it’s just Cathy’s opinion on the matter. This is a common experience with regards to change in anything, and can be seen anywhere people are given a platform to give an opinion. At first, reading this you assume the neighborhood is actually getting worse, but then you can reach a realization that it is just this phenomenon of complaining about change, and all change being bad. At first, though, I was drawn to this vignette because of all the cats.
My Name, page 10 was powerful.
Her name is Esperanza. In English, it means “hope”. In Spanish, “waiting”. A name stuck between two meanings. Two realities. Our name shapes who we are and how we identify ourselves. Esperanza believes her name has sexist connotations, as well as possibly cursed. She was named after her great-grandmother and hopes to not inherit the same fate as her elder, or “trapped woman”. Esperanza desires a fresh start that doesn’t remind her of the negative parts of her life. She does not want to be defined byt her feminine name or labeled “weak”. Changing her name may be the start to entirely new life that she seeks. In her power, she will make the decisions, not have them made for her by societies standards of women. Her namesake does not suit her and people around her have trouble pronouncing it. She can than embrace who she really is.
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street is a young adult coming of age narrative in which Esperanza’s progress as a character is influenced by her connections. The vignette in “The House on Mango Street” that stuck out to me the most was “Our Good Day”. Esperanza meets Lucy and Rachel, two young Texas girls who have recently relocated to Mango Street. In exchange for a lifetime of friendship, they ask for five dollars. Esperanza dashes home to get the cash. She has three dollars, so she grabs two of Nenny’s and immediately hands the money over to her new friends. Cathy, who is leaving, ignores the girls and walks down the street to her house. The girls spend the rest of the day playing, sharing, and riding the bike around the neighborhood after purchasing a bicycle with their five dollars. Esperanza longs for the friendship that Lucy and Rachel symbolize in her new home. While she believes Nenny can’t be her true friend, she meets another group of sisters who are close in age and have a similar age gap.
The Vignette that made the strongest impression on me was the vignette named ” Those Who Don’t”. This Vignette. touched on the aspect of some people knowledge on life such as the thoughts or behavior changed when entering somewhere a person isn’t familiar within feeling uncomfortable only because of the things they do not know about that environment. In the Vignette the author talks about how people will go into the narrators neighborhood and expect the worst such as thinking ” we will attack them with shiny knives” but not knowing everyone around the neighborhood doest mean any harm. The narrator goes into details about people that’s in the neighborhood and it is reveal that they are innocent but just because the type of people they look like and the time zone they was in made them assume the worst of people. I think the theme of this vignette is to never assume the worst of people especially when you don’t know the background on things. This vignette speaks to me because of the neighborhood I live in people judges my neighborhood so badly based off what they see but they don’t really know us as people.
Hello Giovanna, I completely agree with your theme and think that it can also apply to the real world. Many times people often judge a person base on their clothes or looks and think that they might not be educated, hard working, or dangerous. Once they to know them they will realize that everything they thought before was completely wrong. The characters in the story experienced the same thing.
All the Vignette’s in The house on Mango street was amazingly fun to read . If I had to choose one that caught my attention particularly would be ‘Hairs’. Hairs was an extraordinary way to explain everyone’s attributes and their identity. If we actually think about it our hair does actually talk a lot about us , our day or how we feel. For example, Esperanza talks about her mother’s hair being curly and beautiful and smells fresh like warm bread which shows her mother was someone who like to stay neat , tidy and wants to look presentable always. And then she talks about her hair and how its lazy and always rough which is usually a teenagers hair who really doesn’t care that much about stay on top of herself. The way the Vignette was written and how just by talking about everyone’s hair she gave so much idea to us about them stood out to me.
One of the vignettes from House on Mango Street made the strongest impression on me is “Meme Ortiz.” It is about Meme, whose real name is Juan, and his dog move into Cathy’s house. The house is wooden and the backyard is huge. At the end, when kids have First Annual Tarzen Jumping Contest, he won and broken his arms. In this vignettes, Meme’s dog has two name that imply two cultures, American and Latin American, and two languages, English and Spanish. Also, two languages reveal the cultural makeup of Mango street. In this short novel, it mentioned a lot of names. This vignette resonated for me because when I was little, I love climbing tree with my friends. Sadly, I remember one of my friends fell and broken his left arm when I was 10. After that, we don’t climb tree anymore.
The vignette that I found the most interesting was “laughter” There were two sisters who do not look alike physically but in their way of thinking, and how they laugh. This story seemed very interesting to me since it is closely related to my life. I have a sister who is totally different from me physically but we think, we speak, and we act in the same way, for those who do not know us it is very difficult to say that we are sisters. But I think that the brothers do not necessarily have to resemble each other physically, it is better when they resemble each other inside in their thoughts, since this way the connection, harmony and understanding of each other will be much better. The brothers are there to support each other But how do you support someone you can’t understand? They are brothers, family and no matter how they will always love each other but they will not always understand each other and many times the only thing one wants and needs is understanding. You share many more things when the resemblance is in the soul and not in the skin.
Hello Lvanna Martinez, Yes I also like this vignette “laughter” too because this was interesting like I also can relate with you because have two younger sisters and they also do the same and laugh at me much time and I just make them that feel good and just laugh with them even though they are making fun of me I understand them from the inside and I don’t need any suggestion from other I always try to make easier for them and make them comfortable. I like your point you had a good sense of humor keep it up no matter family loves each other.
Hello Ivanna, Laughter also resonated with me because I have a younger sibling that’s completely different physically. There may be differences with one another but those moments where you’re able to laugh with them and resonate with one another are precious. And even if you’re different physically, you’re able to cover each other short comings with said differences.
The vintage that made me impressed was ” A Rice Sandwich.” This was my best vintage because in this vintage, the Author discusses that when she was in school, there was a rule that if the house of any student is near, they have to go home while break and take their lunch. But the author was interested in eating in the canteen to have fun with her friends and other girls. So she requests her mother to write a letter to her school. Finally, her mother wrote the letter to her superior, but she rejects her to eat in the canteen because the house of the author was near to the school and at last she was let into the canteen to eat for only one day and she ate her cold Rice and sandwich which her sad face. This shows that the author likes to have fun with her friends. This vantage reminds me of my childhood because while I was a child, the same thing happened to me. MY school was close to my house, and I was not allowed to eat in the canteen that’s why I had to go to my house which I feel like it was torcher to me like this situation was happening in the scene of to author “The House on Mango Street ” which attract me more than other vintage.
The vignette that made me impressed was ” A Rice Sandwich.” This was my best vignette because, in this vignette, the Author discusses that when she was in school, there was a rule that if the house of any student is near, they have to go home while break and take their lunch. But the author was interested in eating in the canteen to have fun with her friends and other girls. So she requests her mother to write a letter to her school. Finally, her mother wrote the letter to her superior, but she rejects her to eat in the canteen because the house of the author was near to the school and at last she was let into the canteen to eat for only one day and she ate her cold Rice and sandwich which her sad face. This shows that the author likes to have fun with her friends. This vignette reminds me of my childhood because while I was a child, the same thing happened to me. MY school was close to my house, and I was not allowed to eat in the canteen that’s why I had to go to my house which I feel like it was torcher to me like this situation was happening in the scene of to author “The House on Mango Street ” which attract me more than another vignette.
In this story vignette that stood out to me while reading this was “ The family Little feet” .This is a coming-of-age story that begins with a speaker who describes the family as very small people with small limbs. When I first read it, I felt like I was reading a fairy tale, and when I talked with the group, it sounded like dwarfism. In a way similar to Snow White The mother of this family takes home a new pair of high-heeled shoes for her young daughter. When you put on new shoes, they fit the girl perfectly, but shoes change them. Girls quickly realize that their feet are no longer the feet of young girls, but the feet of mature women. The girls quickly get used to their new look and roam the streets in search of compliments. Girls get it done, but not the way they first imagined, they get the attention they want, but they quickly overwhelmed them. Benny warned that shoes are dangerous and should not be verbally abused by boys, ignored by “fat girls”, or sexually accused of ass. I think this was a moment when the girl grew up. They find that this was a true adult world to experience true femininity and maturity. I feel that the paragraphs in this story are a symbol of giving up maturity and childhood to experience the adult world. Finally giving up on the heels, you can say that the girl was uncomfortable and wasn’t ready for this new world.
The vignette, which made the strongest impression on me, is the first vignette of the book. I think this vignette gives a strong hint for what the entire book is going to be about. The narrator Esperanza whose name has not been mentioned in this vignette introduces her family. She tells the reader that the family has moved into Mango Street. They own a small and quite shabby house on this street that is the total opposite of their dream house. The introduction reveals that the family is an ethnic minority; they are immigrants who have to face social discrimination. She compares the shabby house on Mango Street with the ones they had been living in which shows that they have been living even in worse places than this one. She recalls the condition of the last flat where, ‘The water pipes broke and the landlord wouldn’t fix them because the house was too old. We had to leave fast. We were using the washroom next door and carrying water over in empty milk gallons.’ (Cisneros, 04). However, even the better option they have opted for has, ‘windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath. Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get it.’ (Cisneros, 04). It is thus, ‘not the house we’d thought we’d get.’ (Cisneros, 03).
The vignette presents the theme of dream vs. reality along with the theme of social discrimination. The family dreams of getting a house with, ‘running water and pipes that worked.’ (Cisneros, 04). This house would have real stairs, trees all around, and a big yard. The parents of the narrator share this dream; they in fact inject this dream into the minds of children. They tell them that even this house on Mango Street is temporary, but the narrator says, ‘I know how those things go.’ (Cisneros, 05). The house on Mango Street is so shabby and tattered that she feels ashamed to tell others that she lives there. She realizes that it is still not a real house and that she has to get one. The house of their dream is different from the houses they have actually been living in because they are minorities and they will always be the victim of social discrimination which does not allow them to have their dreams come true. However, the end of the vignette is quite hopeful where the narrator emphasizes that she has to get a real house for herself. I like that the author has managed to incorporate so many themes in a single vignette. The prominent theme however is the theme of dream vs. reality. The narrator keeps on comparing the house on Mango Street with the house of her dreams. It is actually this theme that sheds light on social discrimination and also reveals the courage of the narrator who wants to achieve her dreams.
The Vignette that caught my eye the most was “Hairs”. The Hairs in this story are representing somebody and their personality. For example, Esperanza talks about how her mother’s hair is “sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you, holding you and you feel safe.” her mother’s hair is likely symbolizing comfort. Esperanza’s hair as she says is “lazy” and doesn’t act how she wants to, she also describes the youngest, Kiki’s hair. She says she has “hair like fur.” being that kiki is the youngest this likely is symbolizing a puppy or something showing innocence and playfulness. Thinking about it, hair can tell you a lot about a person, not their full story or personality but by looking at someone’s here you can have an idea of what the person is like.
HI, Clothel
I like how you described the hair of a different character and symbolized what type of personality they had based on the texture of their hair. I can kind of relate to this because when I was younger I would play with peoples hair and based on how it felt I was able to know if they were lazy or really clean.
The Vignette that made the strongest impression was the vignette “Mango says goodbye sometimes”. I love how Esperanza is able to reassure the readers of any uncertainty that was said at the beginning of the story. We are able to realize that Esperanza is wanting to follow previous people who have left showing that she is indeed a strong person for being able to leave mango street and become her own person. “They will not know that I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot get out”. This shows the type of person she is because she is able to leave everything behind in order to be a better person but still remembers about helping other people. She kind of reminded me that when I leave my mom’s house to become something of myself that It is important to remember who was there for you and help them out if they ever need it.
The Vignette that made the strongest impression on me was called “Those who Don’t”. It’s about the initial reaction towards the neighborhood they live in. While their appearances may seem aggressive or dangerous, such as the person with the crooked eye or the “fat boy”, when they’re really harmless. But she also admits that they do the exact same thing when they’re in an area with different color tone then theirs. Their knees “buckling” and windows “rolled up tight”. The reason this resonated with me so much was because it relates to the idea of discomfort in an environment that’s alien to you. And the idea that you may also appear strange and enigmatic to strangers as well. Taking the time to communicate and to learn and meet new people eases those fears and anxieties, something that’s feels lost in today’s times.
The one vignette from the House on Mango Street that made the strongest impression on me was “My Name”. When Esperanza begins speaking about her name she compares it to “the number nine” and “a muddy color”. The kids at her school laughing at her name has made her feel embarrassed by her own name which left her wishing she could “baptize [herself] under a new name”. She believes she could change her name to something “more like the real me, the one nobody sees” The vignette shows the frustration she feels for being different and/or feeling like she can’t do or be what she really wants to be, similar to how her great-grandmother was unable to be who she truly was. Regarding how her great-grandmother felt after being forced to marry her great-grandfather “…she never forgave him. She looked out the window her whole life, the way many women sit their sadness on an elbow.” Esperanza says something powerful that really left an impression on me and that was that even though she shares a name with her great-grandmother she didn’t “…want to inherit her place by the window”