Depression In The House On Mango Street

The House on Mango Street, authored by Sandra Cisneros, created a feeling of depression throughout most of the book, however in the end left the reader with a feeling that hope is possible. In the book, the houses represent how the characters’ feel or describe the family’s situation. For instance, Esperanza’s house on Mango Street represents her shame, the family’s poverty, and Esperanza’s sadness. Believing that living in a bigger and prettier home, she would achieve her fantasy of wealth and happiness. When Esperanza considered the homes on Mango Street, they represented the feeling of a prison that traps the family, but especially the women, and leaves them with little hope. Esperanza dreamt of an extravagant home all to herself and this meant freedom, independence; she felt it was her destiny for her writing.

Unfortunately, the home on Mango Street symbolized to Esperanza poverty and shame which overtime became embarrassment. Ashamed of her home, she wishes not to even mention where she lives even telling people she lived somewhere else. Somehow by denying where she lives, Esperanza feels she erases that she lived there. Like Esperanza, even her friends admittedly are embarrassed of where they live at times. An example of this is when Cathy, a

Each vignette in the novel shows how Esperanza craves to leave the shame, embarrassment, and poverty of her youth. Cisneros’ nod to recognizing that her past will always be a part of who she is becomes apparent in Esperanza’s desires to escape her childhood, she promises that when she owns her dream home, she will allow the bums to sleep in the attic. By having a house of her own, Esperanza feels she can be free, independent, and be herself; this dream of Esperanza’s house fills her with hope for her