Taylor Pedro DestacamentoHumanities-¾23 Oct. 2013

Esperanza’s Journey

General George Patton once said, “Accept the challenges so that you may feel the

exhilaration of victory”. When General George Patton said this he was implying that when

people are victorious their victory is even better if they have faced many challenges. Just like

how Esperanza, the main character in the novella, The House On Mango Street, goes through

many challenges, but she knows she has reached victory through her writing. The House On

Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, is a novella about a young hispanic girl named, Esperanza.

Throughout this book many young women help influence Esperanza like Alicia, Marin and

Sally.

Alicia influences Esperanza. For example, Cisneros describes Alicia as, “Alicia, who

inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart and studies for the first time

at the university” (Cisneros 32). Alicia, in this vignette, is using school as a way to escape

Mango Street. Esperanza learns from Alicia that doing well in school can lead her to a place

beyond her living situation. However there are other examples of Alicia’s influence on

Esperanza. For instance, “Two trains and a bus, because she doesn’t want to spend her whole life

in a factory or behind a rolling pin” (Cisneros 32). Alicia shows Esperanza that following her

dreams are important because it gives her hope to be anything Esperanza wants to be. Esperanza

gains an understanding that Alicia will work hard to escape Mango Street and that Esperanza

should do the same. Esperanza is influenced by Alicia.

Marin affects Esperanza. Incidentally, Cisneros describes Marin’s influence as, “What

matters, Marin says, is for the boys to see us and since Marin is already older than us in many

ways, the boys who do pass by say stupid things like I am in love with those two green apples

you call eyes, give them to me why don’t you” (Cisneros 27). Through this vignette, Marin

teaches Esperanza that a way to escape Mango Street is through a man. Secondly, she teaches

Esperanza that the only way to get a man who will rescue her from a life on Mango Street, is to

be pretty. Because of Marin’s influence Esperanza learns that she has to wear provocative

clothing and have pretty eyes to even gain the attention of a man. In addition, there are other

ways Marin affects Esperanza. For example, “Marin under the streetlight, dancing by herself, is

singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to

change her life” (Cisneros 27). Through this quote, Marin shows Esperanza that escaping Mango

Street through a man can fail in many ways. Specifically, Esperanza sees how Marin waits for

someone to change her life, rather than taking action to change it herself. Through Marin’s

actions, Esperanza realizes that she should not rely on a man to change her life because if she

does she may be waiting a long time just like Marin. Esperanza is affected by the actions of

Marin.

Sally has a big impact on Esperanza throughout this novella. For example, Sandra

Cisneros describes Sally as, “Those boys that look at you because you’re pretty. I like to be with

you, Sally. You’re my friend. But that big boy, where did he take you? I waited such a long time.

I waited by the red clowns, just like you said, but you never came, you never came for me”

(Cisneros 99-100). In this vignette, Sally has left Esperanza all alone to be with a boy. This

specifically shows Esperanza that Sally is not a loyal friend. As a result of Sally abandoning

Esperanza, the boys that Sally leave with, take advantage of Esperanza sexually. Therefore,

Esperanza feels like Sally has let her down because the result of Sally’s negligence will affect

her for the rest of her life. On the other hand, there are other ways Sally has disappointed

Esperanza. For instance, “She has her husband and her house now, her pillowcases and her

plates. She says she is in love, but I think she did it to escape” (Cisneros 101). In this quote,

Sally’s choice to get married makes Esperanza realize that marrying young does not solve all of

her problems. After seeing what Sally goes through, Esperanza decides she does not want to be

married because she does not want to take on the stereotypical role of a submissive wife being

with an abusive husband. Esperanza knows that Sally is not truly in love, but only married her

much older husband to be just to escape Mango Street. Through Sally’s failed actions of

marrying a man, Esperanza learns to not make the same mistake as Sally.

Esperanza has faced many challenges, but through witnessing the results of her friends’

decisions in the novella, she has learned to make the right decision for herself. Alicia, Marin, and

Sally show Esperanza that she must depend on herself to make her life better. Marin and Sally

has fail to successfully escape Mango Street through a man, but Alicia shows Esperanza that she

can leave so by depending on herself. All young women could benefit from reading about

Esperanza’s choices. Most young women need to realize that they do not have to get married to

escape unfortunate events, but most importantly they need to realize they must find their own to

achieve happiness.