A Critical review of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Keywords:
Hispanic, Chicana, Patriarchy, Self-exploration, Bilingualism, Marginalized, VignettesAbstract
Aim: In a coming-of-age Hispanic narrative 'The House on Mango Street' Sandra Cisneros portraits a young girl of twelve ‘Esperanza Cordero’, grappling with issues like universal theme of self-exploration and the search for empowerment. Her awakening to realities of the women folk around affirms her conviction to be free from patriarchy and to establish a place full of hope against adversity.
Methodology and Approaches: Sandra Cisneros's “The House on Mango Street” can be analysed from various thematic perspective. Discovery for self, Gender roles, cultural and ethnic identity shape the characters. Recurring symbols and images such as houses, names, colours, shoes and trees convey themes related to identity, dreams, and the search for home.
Outcomes: Bilingualism and the use of Spanish explore how language contributes to the cultural authenticity in narrative and influences the characters' communication. In the beginning protagonist, Esperanza dislikes her house on Mango Street but at the end she recognizes her roots and heritage. Thus, personal growth, self-realization and resolution for community are the outcomes.
Conclusion: Triumph of female characters by taking liberty with the help of some agencies for self-expression against all oddities in a Hispanic patriarchal society makes the novel appealing. Complexities of assimilation, impact of social expectations on individuals within a specific cultural context, socioeconomic analysis, and fragmented episodes depict Esperanza’s evolution for self. Thus, structure and form contribute in conveying overall meaning of the novel.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2023 Kaushal Sharma
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.