Cisneros Ceberus: "Earl of Tennessee" by Vinh Tran

Created By: The Green Machines

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-08 21:44:04 UTC

Vinh Tran, Kaleb Timmen, Samantha Turner

Topics

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-09 21:07:19 UTC

In "Earl of Tennessee", Cisneros uses the topics:

Selective pg. 70

Routine pg. 71

Repetitiveness pg. 71

Mysterious pg. 71

Relationship pg. 71

Loneliness pg. 70-71

Innocence pg. 71

Tentative Thesis Statement

samantha_turner2734 — 2015-10-09 21:11:30 UTC

Cisneros utilizes similes, personification, and imagery in “Earl of Tennessee” within The House On Mango Street in order to illuminate her perspective regarding seclusion from society.

Stylistic Devices

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-09 21:12:14 UTC

“The little wooden door that has wedged shut the dark for so long opens with a sigh and lets out a breath of mold and dampens, like books that have been left out in the rain,” (Cisneros 70) Th simile and personification of books and doors describes the apartment of Earl, and represents a dark, mysterious, and unknown place that is sealed from society.

Juxtoposition #1

kaleb_timmen1608 — 2015-10-09 21:12:19 UTC

“Earl works nights. His blinds are always closed during the day. Sometimes he comes out and tells us to keep quiet. The little wooden door that has wedged shut the dark for so long opens with a sigh and lets out a breathe of mold and dampness, like books that have been left out in the rain. This is the only time we see Earl expect for when he comes and goes to work” (Cisneros 70-71)

This is an example of juxtaposition because Cisneros purposefully puts many very different ideas and actions next to each other.

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-09 21:13:51 UTC

“First the click and whine of the car door opening, then the scrape of the concrete, followed by the heavy jingling of keys, and finally the moan of the wooden door as it opens and lets loose it's sigh of dampness,”(Cisneros 71) This uses personification and imagery to show that the history of Earl is a mystery, and only the repetitiveness and actions of Earl are known.

Social Commentary

samantha_turner2734 — 2015-10-09 21:14:24 UTC

Cisneros is saying how if you cut yourself off from the world and society, then you are causing yourself to have secrets, loneliness, and mystery. Because Earl took home another woman other than his wife, he is causing himself to have secrets. These secrets are caused because he was lonely.

Our topics that we found emitted the same feeling of dullness. The topics all seem to describe the life and aspect of Earl in this vignette.

Juxtaposition #2

kaleb_timmen1608 — 2015-10-09 21:14:55 UTC

“When she arrives, he holds her tight by the crook or the arm. They walk fast, into the apartment, lock the door behind them and never stay long.”(Cisneros 71)

This is another example of juxtaposition because it is two actions side by side purposefully by Cisneros.

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-09 21:15:26 UTC

"Edna says she saw her once when Earl brought her to the apartment. Mama says she is a skinny thing, round and pale like salamanders that have never seen the sun,"(Cisneros 71) This uses similes describing the mysterious "wife", which confuses Esperanza about why there are multiple descriptions of Earls wife. This shows the innocence of Esperanza because she doesn't know that Earl is possibly cheating on his wife.

Theme

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-09 21:17:51 UTC

Closing yourself off from the world causes you to have loneliness, secrets, and mystery.

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-09 21:32:17 UTC

vinh_tran9714 — 2015-10-09 21:43:17 UTC