The House on Mango Street - Characterization Essay

Esperanza: the Person Behind the Print In The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, a little girl from a Latino heritage is given birth to. Not literally, but in the sense of characterization. Esperanza is a fictional character made up by Cisneros to bring about sensitive, alert, and rich literature. She is the protagonist in the novel and is used to depict a female’s life growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Cisneros creates the illusion that Esperanza is a real human being to communicate the struggles of growing up as a Latina immigrant in a modern world, by giving her a name, elaborating her thoughts and feelings, and illustrating her growth as a person through major events. To give a character life they first have to†¦show more content†¦It means sadness, it means waiting† (10). Not only is Esperanza’s name a way to trace her origin but it is also symbolic to the book as a whole. Her name illustrates how the Spanish inside her is sad and it is putting her in a position that is weighing her down and keeping her from becoming someone. The English counterpart is what is keeping her going and motivated to find a way to escape Mango Street and all it encompasses. Just like a genuine immigrants dream when they come to America, Esperanza’s name means â€Å"hope† and she uses this hope for a better life to â€Å"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† (110). Cisneros uses the name of her character to give her a place in a Latino setting and start expounding on her thoughts and feelings that come with that life. Thoughts and feelings are human characteristics which distinct us from one another and cannot be duplicated or falsified. Cisneros bestows the feature of an internal view on Esperanza by having her speak of her thoughts and feelings in first person narrative throughout the novel. Cisneros starts acquainting this feature early in the story for such topics as laughter: â€Å"Nenny and I don’t look like sisters†¦not right away. Not the way you can tell with Rachel and Lucy who have the same fat popsicle lips like everybody else in their family. But me and Nenny, we are more alike than you wouldShow MoreRelatedThe House On Mango Street Analysis1020 Words   |  5 PagesIn Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, Cisneros uses her Hispanic heritage to characterize the protagonist, Esperanza. In the novella, the obstacles caused by Esperanza’s background, such as racism and cultural standards set towards women, causes some self-doubt as she struggles to discover who she is and who she has the potential to become. Esperanza struggles with discovering how her Mexican culture impacts how she and others will view herself as an individual and how her culture impacts theRead MoreAnalysis Of CisnerosThe House On Mango Street742 Words   |  3 P agesfirst know your own.† (Laurrel K. Hamilton) Throughout the many vignettes, indirect characterization, vivid imagery and eloquent metaphors are utilized in many ways to create a connection between the characters and the reader. These characters explore sexuality, gender, culture, ethnicity and many more crucial things that are all a part of growing up and figuring out who you are. In Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street the identity of a character is made up of the environment they are a part of. 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