Esperanza undergoes a number of awakenings throughout the year that comprises The House on Mango Street as she develops, the most significant of which is a sexual awakening. Esperanza is not yet prepared to leave the asexuality of childhood at the start of the book. She claims that males and girls live in very separate worlds and is utterly uninformed about sex. She is so immature that she is unable to communicate with her brothers outside of the house. She starts experimenting with her power as a young woman over males as she reaches adolescence. Although Marin gives her basic knowledge about boys, Esperanza's awareness of her sexuality begins when she and her friends investigate

It is believed that Esperanza's mother, who is a conventionally feminine and maternal figure, maintains her beauty by putting her hair into curls. Mama is among the numerous ladies who feel stuck in their situation on Mango Street. She is incredibly intelligent and gifted in many ways: "She speaks two languages." She is able to sing opera. She is capable of repairing a television. However, Mama never completed her education, despite having a lot of talent as a young woman. She left school because she felt self-conscious about her appearance and her lack of riches compared to her peers. Because she believes her life could have been more, Mama is still upset and regrets this choice.

Since he is implied to be working long hours, Papa, the family's provider, makes few appearances throughout the narrative: "My papa, his thick hands and thick shoes, who wakes up tired in the dark, who combs his hair with water, who drinks his coffee, and is gone before we wake." In The House on Mango Street, he has a critical scene where he sobs in front of Esperanza after his own father, who is still in Mexico, passes away. Her father, whom she calls her "brave Papa," is crying for the first time. She consoles him since she understands his suffering and wonders what she would do if she lost him.

After that, Papa had trouble communicating for a while.

• "The House on Mango Street"

summary: The young narrator, Esperanza, who first makes no introduction, describes how her family traveled around a lot before settling on Mango Street. Esperanza, her mother and father, her younger sister Nenny, and her younger brothers Carlos and Kiki make up the family of six. The pipes in their previous flat broke, and the landlord refused to fix them, so they had to relocate.

analysis: In this first portion, Cisneros presents her storytelling approach, which consists of little chapters that serve as standalone vignettes or prose poems. Since she is still coming up with a name and identity for herself, Esperanza does not yet introduce herself; instead, her account focuses more on her recollections and observations.

quote: "The house on Mango street is ours, and we don't have to pay rent, to anybody, or share the yard with people downstairs, or be careful to make too much noise, and there isn't a landlord banging on the ceiling with a broom. But even so, it's not the house we'd thought we'd get."

Entry #2: 

• "Hairs"

  summary: Esperanza explains each member of her family's hair kind. She has "lazy" hair that doesn't behave the way she wants it to. Her mother's hair smells like warm bread and is lovely and wavy. Esperanza enjoys sleeping close to her mom so she can smell her hair.

  analysis: This demonstrates how the chapters flow: they are brief and occasionally just tangentially related, as a little girl's attention may wander and cause her to associate things. Although she won't be returning for some time, Esperanza's mother makes an appearance here as a reassuring feminine presence. Esperanza's distaste for and incapacity to control her own hair in this passage further illustrates how uncomfortable she is with herself at this point in her life.

  quote: "Everyone in our family has different hair."

• "Boys & Girls"

  summary: According to Esperanza, the girls and guys in her area "live in separate worlds." For instance, because Esperanza is a girl, her brothers Carlos and Kiki avoid talking to her outside the house. Esperanza's sister Nenny, who needs constant care and is too young to be a true friend, is the only person she can interact with. One day, Esperanza hopes to have her own closest buddy. She is like a crimson balloon "tied to an anchor" without such a companion.

  analysis: Although it is still innocent and limited to her brothers, Esperanza already comprehends some of the gender inequality in her society. An early manifestation of her yearning for autonomy is her wish to have a best buddy "of her own." Later on, there will be more pictures of flying as a representation of escaping Mango Street physically or through beauty.

  quote: "The boys and girls live in separate worlds. The boys in their universe and we in ours."

• "My Name"

  summary: For the first time, the narrator Esperanza discloses her name. According to her, it implies "hope" in English but "sadness" and "waiting" in Spanish. Both of them were born in the Chinese year of the horse, and her great-grandmother gave her the name. Given that the horse is a powerful animal and that the Chinese, like the Mexicans, prefer weak women, Esperanza finds it hard to accept the notion that this is a harbinger of bad luck for women.

  analysis: Here, Esperanza begins to understand the power of words through names. Both her present mood and the book itself are reflected in her name: she is depressed and yearns to get away, yet she is also resilient and hopeful. Although Esperanza's observation regarding weak women is undoubtedly a reiteration of someone else's, it demonstrates her acute awareness of gender inequalities in her neighborhood.

  quote: "It was my grandmother's name and now it is mine. She was a horse woman too, born like me in the Chinese year of the horse- which is sopposed to be bad if your a woman."

   Entry #3: 

  • "Cathy Queen of Cats"

    summary: One of Esperanza's neighbors, Cathy, claims to be related to the queen of France and has a large cat collection. She abuses nearly every neighbor on Mango Street in her conversation with Esperanza. Esperanza's family is going away on Tuesday, so Cathy offers to stay friends with her until then. According to Cathy, the neighborhood is deteriorating. Esperanza finds this offensive because families similar to hers have recently begun to move in.

    analysis: Cathy demonstrates the discriminatory attitudes of Anglo-American culture about the arrival of Latinos on Mango Street, which maintain that the neighborhood is degrading just as a result of their presence. Since Cathy's family is no better than Esperanza's, she must likewise imagine that she is linked to royalty in order to live a better life.

    quote: "Then as she forgot i just moved in, she says the neighborhood is getting bad"

  • "Our Good Day"

    summary: One day, Esperanza is offered a bike for five dollars, and two impoverished neighborhood kids called Lucy and Rachel—who are sisters—promise to be her friends. Esperanza is attracted to Lucy and Rachel and voluntarily sacrifices her friendship with Cathy for them, despite Cathy's request that she stay away from them since they "smell like a broom." Esperanza takes two dollars from Nenny and delivers them to Lucy and Rachel using the three dollars she has saved.

    analysis: In chapter 3, "Boys & Girls," Esperanza feels as though she has found the friends she has been longing for. Cathy despises Rachel and Lucy, just as she does with the other Latinos moving in (apart from Esperanza, apparently), but Esperanza may be attracted to them because they are also "outsiders," much like her. These are folks who don't despise her because of her ethnicity and who have the potential to be true friends.

    quote: "If you give me five dollars I will be your friend forever."

  • "Laughter"

    summary: Esperanza says that even though she and Nenny don’t look very much alike (like Rachel and Lucy do), they still have a lot in common as sisters. They both laugh suddenly and loudly like “dishes breaking.” One day Esperanza sees a house that reminds her of Mexico, though she can’t explain why. Rachel and Lucy laugh at her, but Nenny immediately understands what Esperanza means.

    analysis: This chapter after the last one demonstrates that even though Esperanza has made friends (like she had hoped), Nenny still has the greatest understanding of her in many aspects. Esperanza must still forge her own identity and spend the most of her childhood alone herself because she is unable to share everything with Rachel and Lucy.

    quote: "Look at that house, I said, it looks like Mexico. Rachel and Lucy look at me like i'm crazy, but before they can let out a laugh, Nenny says: Yes, that's Mexico alright."

  • "Gil's Furniture Bought & Sold"

    summary: There is a furniture store with lots of things, the lights are off because the owner never turns them on unless you have money to pay for something, Esperanza says it is easy to get lost in there. Nenny asks the old man lots and lots of questions but Esperanza stays quiet, Nennys asks about a music box and her sister thinks it's going to be a beautiful box with painted flowers but it is just a brown box with a brass record, Nenny reaches for the quarters in her pocket but the owner says the music box is not for sale.

    analysis: Now that Esperanza is beginning to explore her world, the plot expands to include more of the supporting cast of Mango Street. Since the store owner is the sole Black character in the book, Esperanza feels alienated from him and is hesitant to approach him, which helps her understand her own "otherness."

    quote: "Nenny who thinks she is smart and talks to any old man, asks alot of questions. Me, I never said nothing to him except once when I bought the statue of liberty for a dime."

Nenny is frequently Esperanza's burden because she is the younger sister, and while Esperanza finds her innocence to be a huge source of frustration, it also signifies Nenny's independence. Nenny is a bit of a bothersome little sister. Nenny needs to be introduced to her new friends by Esperanza, who also needs to protect her from negative influences like the Vargas children. Esperanza also adores Nenny's two names ("Nenny" is short for "Magdalena"), attractive eyes, and straight, lustrous hair. Nenny frequently shows her independence, even though she can be a bother and a tag-along and her behaviors frequently make Esperanza feel embarrassed and irritated. When Rachel, Lucy, and Esperanza invent hip-related chants, Nenny utter well-known chants. In a similar vein, when Rachel and Lucy use imaginative

• "Meme Ortiz"

  summary: Meme who's name isn't really meme but Juan lives in Cathy's old house after she moved, he has a dog with grey eyes that has two names one in english and one in Spanish.

  analysis: Meme (Juan) as well as his dog emphases the cultural diversity because they both have one name in english and one in Spanish.

  quote: "His name isn't really Meme. His name is Juan. But we asked him what his name was he said Meme, and that's what everybody calls him except his mother. Meme has a dog with grey eyes, a sheepdog with two names, one in English and one in Spanish."

• "Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin"

  summary: A Puerto Rican family rents the basement from Meme Ortiz's family as an apartment.The eldest son of the Puerto Rican household, Louie, befriends one of Esperanza's brothers. In the basement with them is Louie's cousin Marin. Wearing dark nylons and a lot of cosmetics that she obtains for free by selling Avon makeup, she is older than Esperanza.

  analysis: The topic of sexuality is initially introduced by the character of Marin. She is older and more experienced, and Esperanza admires the sexual maturity that her attire and look convey. In addition to being Chicano (Mexican-American), the neighborhood is also Latino (all Central and South American).

  quote: "Louie's girl cousin is older than us. She lives with Louie's family because her own family is in Puerto Rico. Her name is Marin or Maris or something like that, and she wears dark nylons all the time and lots of makeup she gets free from selling Avon. She can't come out- gotta baby-sit Louie's sisters- but she stands in the doorway a lot, all the time singing, clicking her fingers, the same song."

• "Marin"

  summary: Louie's cousin, Marin, has a boyfriend in Puerto Rico that she secretly hopes to wed upon her return. However, Marin also wants to remain in Chicago, find a "real job," and meet a wealthy man on the metro who will take her to a large home. But because Louie's parents claim she is too much trouble, Esperanza is certain that she will be taken back to Puerto Rico.

  analysis: Marin's fantasy of a wealthy Chicago man is an attempt to escape and find romance. Esperanza is attempting to "fly away" in this manner, much like the majority of people on Mango Street, but she is already aware that she will fail and be returned to Puerto Rico.

  quote: "Marin says that if she stays here next year, she's going to get a job downtown because that's where the best jobs are, since you always get to look beautiful and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you and take you to live in a big house far away."

• "Those Who Don't"

  summary: Esperanza talks about the terrified people who visit her area. They will stab them with knives because they believe that everyone there is dangerous. Because they know the people who appear so threatening to strangers, such as Davey's brother with the slanted eyes, the tall man wearing a hat, and Eddie V, who has a mental disability, Esperanza and the other kids on Mango Street are not afraid. Esperanza does acknowledge, though, that she experiences anxiety when she visits a community "of another color."

  analysis: Esperanza describes the racial discrimination she encounters on a daily basis in this way, which is the most straightforward. She does admit, though, that she would feel scared in a community that is different from her own. In this passage, she suggests that this kind of dread stems from a lack of understanding of the neighborhood and its inhabitants, who are probably not as dangerous as strangers may think.

  quote: " All brown around we are safe. But watch us drive into a neighborhood of another color and our knees go shakity-shake and our car windows get rolled up tight and our eyes look straight."

  Entry #5

• "There Was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn't Know What to Do"

  summary: Esperanza discusses the Vargas family, which consists of a mad and disorderly mother (Rosa) and her many children. For the father of the children, who departed without providing an explanation, Rosa still weeps every day. The children don't care about value, other people, or themselves. People initially attempt to atone for their misconduct, but soon, like Rosa Vargas, everyone gives up and the kids carry on doing whatever they want. One day, Angel Vargas "learned to fly," fell from a great height "like a falling star," and died, and no one even looked up.

  analysis: Another captive woman, Rosa is powerless to stop her husband (or boyfriend) from going missing and her numerous rebellious kids. Another instance of Mango Street residents attempting to "fly" and failing is Angel Vargas. Since Angel Vargas would reappear in a later story, still alive, it becomes evident that these vignettes are not necessarily in chronological order but are instead linked by Esperanza's free-association and innocent reasoning.

  quote: "Rosa Vargas' kids are too many and too much. It's not her fault you know, except she is their mother and only one against so many."

• "Alicia Who Sees Mice"

  summary: Alicia is a little girl whose mother passed away, so she must take care of her father and younger siblings. Despite the lengthy train and bus ride to college, she chooses to go since she does not want to spend her entire life in a factory or kitchen. During her late-night study sessions, she witnesses the mice emerging. Alicia's father claims that since it is a woman's responsibility to get up early and prepare tortillas, Alicia should be sleeping nonetheless and that the mice are nonexistent.

  analysis: This portion makes it very evident how male-dominated Mango Street is and how challenging it will be for Esperanza to break free and become independent. Esperanza and Alicia appear to be very similar in that they both want to better their lives via education, but patriarchal customs force her to take on her deceased mother's responsibilities and behave and work in the manner that their culture expects girls to.

  quote: "A woman's place is sleeping so she can wake up early with the tortilla star, the one that appears early just in time to rise and catch the hind legs behind the sink, beneath the four-clawed tub, under the swollen floorboards nobody fixes, in the corner of your eyes."

• "Darius & the Clouds"

  summary: Esperanza talks about how she adores the sky and how there isn't enough of it or other lovely things like flowers and butterflies in her area. One day at school, a student named Darius—whom Esperanza dislikes because he acts strong and harasses girls—says something that strikes Esperanza as extremely clever. He claims that the fluffy cloud he is pointing up at is God.

  analysis: Esperanza remarks bluntly on how she is able to escape Mango Street thanks to lovely things, like clouds, which appear frequently. Cisneros suggests that Darius may be forced to "act tough" by the barrio society, but in reality, he shares Esperanza's artistic sensibility.

  quote: "You can never have too much sky. You can fall asleep and wake up drunk on the sky, and sky can keep you safe when you are sad."

• "And Some More"

  summary: One day, Esperanza, Nenny, Rachel, and Lucy are idly conversing while gazing at clouds. The girls begin discussing names for people and clouds after Esperanza explains that Eskimos have thirty distinct names for snow. While Nenny begins to list banal names (such as Nancy, Mildred, and Joey), Esperanza labels the cumulus and nimbus clouds in the sky. Nenny's long list of names is interwoven throughout the remainder of the chapter. One of Rachel and Lucy remarks that Esperanza has a large, unsightly face, and the other compares the clouds to hair. The girls then engage in a lighthearted insult-fight.

  analysis: Here, the focus on language and poetry (and names) is maintained, as is the cloud from the previous chapter. Although all of the girls are capable of making unexpected and beautiful parallels, Esperanza's interest in the scientific names of clouds shows that she is already more "scholarly" than the others. Here, we first witness Esperanza's "speaking voice" and an illustration of how the girls interact on a regular basis.

  quote: "There ain't thirty different kinds of snow, Lucy says. There are two kinds. The clean kind and the dirty kind, clean and dirty. Only two."

An elderly Puerto Rican girl who resides on Mango Street with her cousins. Because she spends most of her days babysitting and selling Avon makeup, Marin is unable to leave the house. She hopes to marry her boyfriend in Puerto Rico and fall in love with a wealthy man in Chicago.

• "The Family of Little Feet"

  summary: The fact that "the special kids" are able to have lunch in "the canteen" at school rather than having to go home makes Esperanza envious. She requests that her mother write a note allowing her to bring a lunch and eat at the canteen one day. Esperanza persuades her mother that she is the only one who wants to stay at school and that her absence will increase her appreciation for her. At first, her mother is hesitant because she believes that all of her children will want bag lunches at that time.

  analysis: The fact that "the special kids" are able to have lunch in "the canteen" at school rather than having to go home makes Esperanza envious. She requests that her mother write a note allowing her to bring a lunch and eat at the canteen one day. Esperanza persuades her mother that she is the only one who wants to stay at school and that her absence will increase her appreciation for her. At first, her mother is hesitant because she believes that all of her children will want bag lunches at that time.

  quote: "Them are dangerous, he says. You girls too young to be wearing shoes like that. Take them shoes off before I call the cops, but we just run."

• "A Rice Sandwich"

  summary: Esperanza envies the special kids' lunch privileges at school and requests permission to stay. She convinces her mother to write a note, believing her absence will increase her appreciation. Initially, her mother hesitates, believing all children will prefer bag lunches.

  analysis: Esperanza, jealous of the special kids' lunch privileges, asks her mother to leave, but initially hesitates, believing all children prefer bag lunches.

  quote: "Oh no, she says pointing the butter knife at me as if I'm starting trouble, no sir. Next thing you know everybody will be wanting a bagged lunch- I'll be up all night cutting bread into little triangles."

• "Chanclas"

  summary: Esperanza's mother buys daughter new clothing on the occasion of her cousin's baptism, but she neglects to acquire Esperanza new shoes to go with them. After the baptism, there is a celebration, and her mother joyfully dances and drinks. Esperanza feels embarrassed by her ancient brown saddle shoes, but everyone else has a nice time. She refuses to dance when a boy invites her to. Esperanza is finally persuaded to dance by her Uncle Nacho, and they do a stunning dance as everyone looks on. Esperanza first thinks her feet are large and unsightly, but by the end, she has forgotten about them. The youngster watches Esperanza dance for the remainder of the evening while everyone applauds.

  analysis: Esperanza's embarrassment at her juvenile shoes is the result of the lunch recollection. Since Esperanza is in a transitional condition and first perceives her developing sexuality as a desire to be wanted by the male at the dance, shoes serve as a symbol of sexuality once more. Unfortunately, she is paralyzed by her own self-imposed embarrassment, just as she was when the nun made fun of her residence. This demonstrates Esperanza's continued sensitivity and the fact that her own guilt will impede her growth.

  quote: "Then uncle Nacho is pulling and pulling my arm and it doesn't matter how the new dress mama bought because my feet are ugly."

• "Hips"

  summary: One day, Esperanza, Nenny, Rachel, and Lucy are discussing hips as they are jumping rope. Lucy claims that hips are necessary for dancing, whereas Rachel claims that hips are useful for supporting infants. According to Nenny, you could turn into a man if you don't receive them. After defending Nenny's viewpoint due to the fact that she is her sister, Esperanza repeats what she learned from Alicia and provides a scientific explanation of hips. Esperanza begins to invent items, stating that you must learn to walk with them in a particular manner. Esperanza first finds Nenny's claim that hips are musical foolish, but she eventually comes around.
  analysis: Here, Esperanza's developing sexuality is further developed as the ladies talk about their developing hips. Similar to the clouds, Esperanza's nebulous, lyrical writing voice contrasts with her seeming interest in "scientific explanations" while interacting with her pals. Despite Esperanza's criticism, Nenny demonstrates her intelligence and observation in a manner comparable to that of her sister.

  quote: "One day you wake up and they are there. Ready and waiting like a new Buick with the keys in the ignition."

• Entry #7:

  • "The First Job"

    summary: Due to the high cost of her education and their need for money, Esperanza's family and she both urge her to find employment. After allowing a kid called Tito to shove her into the water of an open fire hydrant, Esperanza returns home one day. In the kitchen, her aunt Lala announces that she has secured Esperanza a position at a picture development shop. Esperanza only needs to pretend to be older than she is in order to acquire the job.

    analysis: Esperanza confesses to flirting for the first time in real life. Although connection will be broken before the conclusion of the chapter, it looks to be a good development for Esperanza and fits with the earlier portions when her sexuality started to emerge. It also coincides with her first employment.

    quote: " An Oriental man said hello and we talked for a while about just starting, and he said we could be friends and next time to go in the lunchroom and sit with him, and I felt better."

  • "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark"

    summary: Esperanza is shocked when her father breaks down in tears when he informs her one morning that her grandfather, or abuelito, has passed away. Esperanza will have to break the news to her younger siblings and explain that they must be quiet and refrain from playing today since her father needs travel to Mexico for the burial. Esperanza imagines what life would be like if her father passed away, and she tells how he would get up every morning in the dark and go to work. He is in Esperanza's arms.

    analysis: For the first time, Esperanza actively attempts to see the world from another person's perspective in this part, demonstrating her rising creative skill and maturity as she empathizes with her father. Because she needs to keep her younger siblings quiet while her father is away, Esperanza must also behave like a parent. Chicago and Mexico, the two locations of the family's identity, are both highlighted here.

    quote: "And then if he just heard the news himself, crumples like a coat and cries, my brave papa cries."

  • "Born Bad"

    summary: Esperanza, Rachel, and Lucy all pray for themselves because they believe that because they ridiculed Esperanza's Aunt Lupe, they will go to hell. In her younger years, Aunt Lupe was attractive and a skilled swimmer, but she has been an invalid for Esperanza's whole life. Esperanza questions when Aunt Lupe was cursed with her illness. Although she has heard that Lupe once fell from a high perch or plunged into the water incorrectly, Esperanza believes that illness chooses its victims at random.

    analysis: Because she ended up on Mango Street, where she doesn't want to belong, Esperanza doubts the harsh unpredictability of fate. Although she is one of the few women who is not in some manner trapped by a male, Aunt Lupe is also trapped. Because Lupe is blind and prophetic yet is ridiculed by others—qualities and popular perceptions of seers in Greek myth—she in some ways resembles a legendary seer.

    quote: "Most likely I will go to hell and most likely I deserve to be there. My mother says I was born on an evil day and prays for me."

  • "Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water"

    summary: Elenita the "witch woman" reads Esperanza's fortune. The TV is on, the furniture is covered in plastic, and Elenita works in her own kitchen at home with her two kids. When she offers Esperanza a drink of water, she asks whether she can see any faces in it, but all she sees are bubbles. Esperanza is preoccupied with the Bugs Bunny cartoon playing in the background while Elenita begins cutting the Tarot cards.

    analysis: Time will eventually prove that Lupe's "fortune" is real, but for the time being, Esperanza looks for a simpler fix. Esperanza's optimism is undermined by the description of the environment and Elenita's techniques, and despite her desire, she is unable to believe in the "magic."

    quote: "We stay in the kitchen because this is where she works."

• "Geraldo No Last Name"

  summary: Marin responds to police inquiries about a young man, Geraldo, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Despite his English language skills, Marin was unaware of Geraldo's last name and was unaware of his condition.

  analysis: This chapter critiques discrimination against Chicanos, portraying Geraldo as a "nobody" and emphasizing his lack of English, highlighting the futility of language deficiency.

  quote: "Only Marin can't explain why it mattered, the hours and hours, for somebody she didn't even know."

• "Edna's Ruthie"

  summary: Ruthie, who is the only grown person she knows who still enjoys playing like a kid, is owned by Edna, a cruel woman, and enjoys candies and seeing beautiful things.

  analysis: Ruthie's childishness keeps her trapped, while Esperanza and her friends enjoy beautiful things for escape and improvement. Angel Vargas' death date remains unclear.

  quote: "Ruthie sees lovely things everywhere. I might be telling her a joke and she'll stop and say: The moon is beautiful like a balloon."

• "The Earl of Tennessee"

  summary: Earl, a jukebox repairman, lives in Edna's basement and only appears to the kids during the day. He speaks Southern and has two energetic black canines. Neighbors claim to have seen Earl's wife enter his apartment swiftly and leave quickly.

  analysis: Earl, a sex slave, enjoys freedom from criticism, unlike Ruthie and other captive women. Esperanza, a lyrical character, believes diverse women entering his flat are his wives, while Esperanza focuses on finding beauty in the ugly or banal.

  quote: "The word is that Earl is married and has a wife somewhere. Enda says she saw her once when Earl brought her to the apartment."

• "Sire"

  summary: Esperanza falls in love with a lad from the neighborhood named Sire. She attempts to gaze straight ahead and pretend unfazed when she sees him staring at her as she passes. She is disturbed by her feelings one day after staring back at him for too long. According to Esperanza's parents, she should stay away from Sire since he is a "punk."

  analysis: As Esperanza develops sexually, the tension between her need to win men's affection and her aspiration to become self-sufficient and independent intensifies. For Esperanza, Sire stands for a potential route: sacrificing her independence for a childhood infatuation.

  quote:"I don't remember when I first noticed him looking at me-Sire. But I knew he was looking. Every time. All the time I walked past his house. Him and his friends sitting on their bikes in front of the house, pitching pennies. They didn't scare me. They did, but I wouldn't let them know."

  Entry #9:

  • "Four Skinny Trees"

    summary: Esperanza and the four slender trees outside her home share a hidden power and unwavering rage that gives them the will to persevere, finding solace in their upward rise despite the concrete.

    analysis: Esperanza's appreciation of the beauty around her fosters personal growth and inner power, allowing her to relate to unsightly trees and understand her strength.

    quote: "They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them."

  • "No Speak English"

    summary: Mamacita, a neighbor of Esperanza, is a large woman who refuses to learn English and never leaves her flat. Esperanza believes her fear of English is the reason she doesn't leave. Esperanza's father ate "hamandeggs" for three months, despite her initial belief she's overweight.

    analysis: Mamacita's fear of leaving her flat is more a result of language than her weight, highlighting the power of words and the helplessness of being wordless.

    quote: "And then to break her heart forever, the baby boy, who has begun to talk, starts to sing the Pepsi commercial he heard on T.V. No speak English, she says to the child who is singing in the language that sounds like tin."

  • "Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays"

    summary: Esperanza also has Rafaela as a neighbor. Rafaela's husband confines her in their apartment while he goes out to play poker on Tuesdays. She is so gorgeous that he fears she may get away. Rafaela listens to the music from the pub down the street while leaning out the window of the third-floor flat. While she is still young, she hopes to dance there. In order for Esperanza and the other kids to go purchase her a coconut or papaya juice, which they subsequently hang on a clothesline, she occasionally throws a dollar out the window. Esperanza observes that although there are ladies in the bar who are older than Rafaela who are permitted to dance, flirt, and enter and exit residences.

    analysis: Rafaela is another captive lady and another potential route Esperanza want to stay away from. Rafaela has obviously given in to her need to be attractive and given up her independence in the process. Esperanza suggests that Rafaela would just meet another controlling man in a bar even if she managed to get away from her husband. Here, Esperanza's writing voice becomes more powerful, and she gains a deeper understanding of the women's conditions on Mango Street as well as her own internal struggle between autonomy and sexuality.

    quote: "Rafaela leans out the window and leans on her elbow and dreams her hair is like Rapunzel's. On the corner there is music from the bar, and Rafaela wishes she could go there and dance before she gets old."

  • "Sally"

    summary: At Esperanza's school, Sally is a pretty girl who dresses in short skirts, nylons, and "Egyptian" cosmetics. Like Sally, Esperanza aspires to learn how to apply cosmetics and dress in black suede shoes. At school, Sally attempts to avoid the gossip the lads spread about her by leaning against the fence. Sally now leans against the fence by herself after a nasty altercation with her best friend, Cheryl. She wants to be Sally's new best friend, Esperanza says.

    analysis: Esperanza thinks Sally to be a significant figure because she embodies a sexual maturity that she finds fascinating. Esperanza wants to know Sally and learn her methods since she seems to have maintained her independence while still being attractive to males. Esperanza is envious of Sally's black suede shoes, which again symbolize sensuality.

    quote: "Sally is the girl with eyes like Egypt and nylons the color of smoke."

    Entry #10:

    • "Minerva Writes Poems"

      summary: Minerva, married with two kids, occasionally visits her husband, who has left her. Esperanza shares her poetry with her, but her husband is the main source of her sadness. Minerva visits with injuries and seeks Esperanza's counsel, but Esperanza is unable to help.

      analysis: Minerva, a lyrical woman with similar tendencies to Esperanza, is imprisoned by a man and his children. Her husband throws a rock through her window, symbolizing her inability to escape. Esperanza understands her situation and the need for effort.

      quote: "Every night and day. And prays. But when the kids are asleep after she's fed them their pancake dinner, she writes poems on little pieces of paper that she folds over and over and holds in her hand a long time, little pieces of paper that smell like a dime. She lets me read her poems."

    • "Bums in the Attic"

      summary: Esperanza dreams of a suburban home with a hillside garden, similar to her father's. She visits these houses on Sundays but feels embarrassed by their need. One day, she hopes to own a home but remembers her roots and welcomes homeless people in her attic.

      analysis: Esperanza dreams of a beautiful suburban home with a garden, but feels ashamed of her family's needs and the neglect of those less fortunate. She aspires to own a beautiful home but will never forget her origins.

      quote: " One day I'll own my own house, but I won't forget who I am or where I came from. Passing bums will ask, Can I come in? and I'll offer them the attic, ask them to stay, because I know how it is to be without a house."

    • "Beautiful & Cruel"

      summary: Esperanza feels stuck at home and dissatisfied with the way she looks. She doesn't want a child, but she thinks Nenny is more attractive than she is. Esperanza wishes to emulate the ruthless and attractive ladies in movies who never relinquish their control, even if her mother advises against it.

      analysis: Esperanza balances male desire and her own agency by playing the role of a femme fatale, so resolving her sexuality vs autonomy issue. In an attempt to be fair, she causes additional labor for her mother in her first sad deed.

      quote:" I have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain."

    • "A Smart Cookie"

      summary: Esperanza's mother regrets her life, despite her abilities in multiple languages, opera singing, and drawing. She advises her to stay in school and study hard to take care of herself without a man. Esperanza quit school due to shame and lack of clothes.

      analysis: Esperanza, despite her talents in multiple languages, opera singing, and drawing, quit school due to shame and lack of clothes, despite her mother's advice to stay in school.

      quote: "Mama explains why she quit school. But she also addressing Esperanza's sense of shame about the house on Mango Street and the family's relative poverty. She warns Esperanza not to let shame keep her down."

• "What Sally Said"

  summary: Sally admits her father hits her, but she claims it's never hard. Fearing she'll run away, she asks to stay with Esperanza and her family. Her father apologizes, but she's beaten severely by him, missing school for two days. Sally claims he forgot she was his daughter and switched from using his belt to his fists.

  analysis: Sally, a victim of oppressive fatherhood, seeks escape through sexual experimentation with boys. Esperanza, despite her protectiveness, doesn't connect her father's plight to Sally's need for escape. This protectiveness leads to her father's tragic beating.

  quote: "He never hits me hard. She said her mama rubs lard on all the places where it hurts. Then at school she'd say she fell. That's where all the blue places come from. That's why her skin is always scarred."

• "The Monkey Garden"

  summary: The abandoned monkey garden, once a magical space for Esperanza and her friends, becomes a dumping ground for old cars and trash, leading to a legend that the garden existed before everything else.

  analysis: The monkey garden symbolizes the Garden of Eden in the Bible, providing children with a form of escape through beauty and dreaming, aiming to improve their lives.

  quote:"I wanted to be dead, to turn into the rain, my eyes melt into the ground like two black snails. I wished and wished. I closed my eyes and willed it, but when I got up my dress was green and I had a headache."

• "Red Clowns"

  summary: This part is addressed to Sally by Esperanza. Esperanza's story is unclear and fragmented, and she just experienced sexual assault during a carnival. She like watching Sally giggle on the rides, so she went to the carnival with her. Esperanza waits for Sally by the red clowns after she vanishes with an older boy. Esperanza gets attacked by a bunch of boys as she is waiting. She doesn't go into detail about what occurs, but it's hinted that she was raped when one boy makes her kiss him and keeps saying, "I love you, Spanish girl." Helplessly, Esperanza reiterates that the incident is not at all like what Sally described sex being like or what occurs in literature or movies. She is resentful at Sally for leaving her alone, and angry at all the women in her life for not warning about things like this.

  analysis: Esperanza is upset with Sally and the other women in her life rather than blaming her assailants for the rape. Since she is not yet strong enough to take on the world of repressive males, she lashes out at what she knows. Esperanza seems particularly immature in this passage, and although if she is becoming more mature, it is obvious that the horrific event has really upset her. Now that she has left Esperanza for a boy's attentions once more, it is clear that Sally is not a good friend. The rage aimed at Sally and the other women suggests that when they fail to support one another, they are also involved in this kind of sexual abuse.

  quote: "The colors began to whirl. Sky tripped. Their high black gym shoes ran. Sally, you lied,you lied. He wouldn't let me go. He said I love you, I love you, Spanish girl."

• "Linoleum Roses"

  summary: Sally marries an older marshmallow salesman before eighth grade, claiming love. Esperanza thinks she just got married to escape. Sally is happy, but her husband is angry and doesn't allow her to go out

  analysis: Sally escapes her oppressive father but finds a husband who denies her freedom. She finds a window, a hope for trapped women, but her husband denies her freedom. Sally's house is like a cage, not a house of her own.

  quote:" She is happy, except sometimes her husband gets angry and once he broke the door where his foot went through, though most days he is okay."

Entry #12:

• "The Three Sisters"

  summary: Rachel and Lucy's baby sister dies from illness, and neighbors visit her. Three old aunts visit, and Esperanza finds the wake unnerving. The sisters give her a gum, claiming she is special and will go far. They ask her to make a wish, which they believe will come true.

  analysis: The sisters, representing the "Three Fates" in ancient mythology, seek to win Esperanza's trust and strength, contrasting with Elenita, who was once ashamed of her name.

  quote:"Then Jesus came and took the baby with him far away. That's what their mother said."

• "Alicia & I Talking on Edna's Steps"

  summary: Esperanza, unable to find a home, argues with Alicia about her dream house on Mango Street. Despite Alicia's encouragement, Esperanza refuses to return until someone improves the street. She suggests the mayor, but Esperanza finds it absurd.

  analysis: Esperanza is spending time with Alicia, studying and trying to leave Mango Street, instead of Sally. Alicia emphasizes Esperanza must remember herself, come to terms, and return for those in need.

  quote:"You have a home, Alicia, and one day you'll go there, to a town you remember, but me I never had a house, not even a photograph...only one I dream of."

• "A House of My Own"

  summary: Esperanza envisions a house in her dreams, a private space with flowers, a porch, books, and shoes, characterized by silence, safety, and cleanliness, as described in the poem.

  analysis: Esperanza combines her learnings and dreams, creating her own house with her autonomous sexuality, bed, and reading and writing materials. Her house, like a blank paper, will be her creation.

  quote:"Only a house quiet as snow, a space for myself to go, clean as paper before the poem."

• "Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes"

  summary: Esperanza enjoys telling stories to herself, particularly about walking in her sad brown shoes and a girl who didn't belong. She remembers the house on Mango Street the most, and writes about it to release her. She knows she will eventually leave Mango Street, but will return for those left behind.

  analysis: Esperanza's writing style shifts from childlike to more mature, reflecting her mature ideas. She finds writing liberating and identity-building, as predicted by Elenita. Esperanza resolves to leave Mango Street to become strong, helping those trapped and helping those who cannot improve their lives.

  quote:"One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away."