Lituature Analysis #5 " The House On Mango Street"

1. The novel The House on Mango Street is told in the first person point of view by Esperanza Cordero, a young Mexican American young girl. She starts narrating her story at the age of 12 years old. She talks about how they lived in others places before actually living in a house, her family actually owns this house which is amazing due to the fact that never before they had own a house. But, not everything was perfect, they did live in a house, but the house was located in one of the poorest neighborhood in Chicago. As time passes Esperanza matures and she finds a way to escape her problems by expressing her thoughts in ink. Esperanza befriends two Chicana girls, Lucy and Rachel and along with Esperanza's sisters live unforgettable adventures in the neighborhood. Esperanza feels miserable and ashamed of her families poverty and lets out her emotions in poems whom see only shares with older women she trusts. The deaths of her grandfather and aunt open Esperanza's eyes more toward the adult life and their problems. Esperanza lives a traumatic life experience because of Sally, who is abused by her father. Esperanza realizes that she can't leave behind Mango Street, this neighborhood has become part of her. She stays there to help other women and her only way out now is through writing.
2. The theme that outstanding to me was women self reliance. Esperanza was a strong determined character that was motivated and eager to do many things on her own. She wanted to have a better lifestyle and she knew that the only possibility she had to have so, was for her to work hard. She wanted to make her own decisions and grow, she had always wanted to live Mango Street behind but that neighborhood became a part of her, she had women that need her and Esperanza wanted to be there for them.
3. The House on Mango Street is composed of many ideas and social activities that it made it hard to decide on one tone. Sexually assault was a big issue in this novel and the fact that fathers beat their own daughters. I can honestly say that this is a part of the Mexican culture, we have many other ideas that we don't stop to look at our family and to actually take care of them. In this novel I can say that Sandra Cisneros portrays that part of Mexican heritage, the brutally and sad life experiences of many young teens.
4. The author makes use of Diction, is plain English language that is easy to understand and does not confused the reader. The tone used is depressing due to the fact that we see women depression on such status. They lack moral character and need the society to take care of them and give them help to overcome this harsh experiences. The setting used by the author is a poor urban area in Chicago. The novel is narrated in the first person point of view. The author is telling us her story. Another technique is symbolism. Throughout the novel we are given symbols that illustrate the novel to the extend. Symbols are developed by the author to help us readers picture the whole frame of the novel.

Characterization:

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
In this novel, a character's location says a lot. For example, Aunt Lupe is holed up in a dark, stuffy, yellowing apartment. Her surroundings don't give us the impression that she's brimming with health. The Earl of Tennessee lives in a moldy basement. We get the feeling that he's kind of a cretin. And then there are the Vargas kids, their games of chicken on Mr. Benny's roof indicate to us that they're reckless.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, is an excellent example of how a society has the ability to directly impact young lives, in turn creating necessary "rites of passage." Through her environment, Esperanza, one of the many girls living on Mango Street, learns how to survive in a world full the unknown. Some may believe that the setting for this novel has no bearing on young Esperanza, however, Esperanza's Character and transition into adulthood are dramatically defined by her own surroundings and neighborhood.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
Well I would say the protagonist is the narrator (Esperanza). The antagonist could be society in general. She lives in a tough neighborhood. It could also be more abstract like her ancestral or fate. There are many antagonists in the individual vignettes so it depends on how broad you are going. I would have to say that Esperanza is a round character because she changes throughout the story.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

After reading this text I felt like I came to know Esperanza because the reader gets to exoerience the change of her throughout the story.