"The House on Mango Street" and Women

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros, written from a feminist view, provides insight into the lives of strong female characters through a series of forty-four poetic vignettes. The author points out that these stories introduce the reader to the plight of Latina women and the situations they face: poverty, loveless marriages, abandonment, domestic abuse, and confinement. The paper relates that the novel creates characters who were denied physical freedom, sexual equality, educational equality, and opportunities to determine identity and place.

From the Paper:

"Esperanza is treated like a sexual object several times in the novel. One instance, a man took advantage of Esperanza at work. He asked for a kiss because it was his birthday. Esperanza tells the reader, "I was about to put my lips on his cheek, he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard on the mouth and doesn't let go" (Cisneros 55). Cisneros uses Esperanza experiences to show the reader the unequal value that women have in our society."

More papers on "The House on Mango Street" and Women:

• Comparison Essay # 132009 : "The House on Mango Street" and "A Raisin in the Sun"
• Book Review # 145145 : "Symbolism in "The House on Mango Street"
• Essay # 137660 : "Critical Perspectives: Arguing for the Hispanic Feminist Identity in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros"

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