House On Mango Street Theme

Everyone Has Their Own Story

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a story of many individuals that Esperanza has met throughout her time on Mango Street, but there is one overarching theme that is carried through the book. The theme of The House on Mango Street is that every individual has his/her own story. The theme is shown through the stories of characters like Marin, Ruthie, and Esperanza.
The first example of this is shown in the vignette about Marin on page 27. Marin aspires to “go back to P.R.” and marry her boyfriend or “get a real job downtown” so she can find someone in the “subway who might marry [her]” (Cisneros 27). Esperanza reveals the aspirations of Marin, a girl she “never sees until her aunt comes home from

In the vignette, “The Rice Sandwich,” we see that Esperanza wasn’t as strong as she wanted to be. After Sister Superior had yelled at her Esperanza said, “I cried and ate my sandwich, the bread greasy and the rice cold” (45). These vulnerabilities allow the reader to grasp her tone and understand who she really is. She wants to be strong and mighty, but there are instances in which she breaks down. This deepens the reader's connection with Esperanza as a character because it shows that while she does not like being torn down, she is quick to get back up. In the vignette of the four skinny trees, she reaffirms her characteristic of her inner strength. Cisneros writes, “Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be” (75). While she is talking about the trees, the reader can symbolically read between the lines. Esperanza wants to be strong no matter what circumstances fly her way. She wants to reach her goals and never forget to keep reaching. She wants to have purpose in her life and live outside of her comfort zone. This way of thinking is Esperanza’s story. Her story of how she fought the battles of life and how she kept trying despite the rough situations. This example continues to emphasize how everyone has his/her own story, including Esperanza. This theme is so pertinent because each of these characters is