This is different from many of the female characters within the book, such as Marin and Sally. Esperanza wants to explore her femininity, but does not want or need male attention. Esperanza is eager to try things like new clothes and make-up, but these efforts are often met with the risk of sexual assault. Esperanza flocks to older girls to gather information about being a woman. While we don’t get an exact timeline of events or duration, we witness the character deal with her developing identity and sexuality. It is not so much femininity, but a woman’s agency that causes a backlash within the community.Ĭoming of Age: The character’s protagonist is a 12 year old girl enter puberty. Other characters, like Marin, have internalized their community’s gender norms, waiting for a man to take her far away. We see this with characters like Sally, who’s repressive father beats hers for living her life. In some cases, women are even violently punished for not adhering to their gender norms. The protagonist points out that the women on the street where expected to be docile. The protagonist describes her mother as intelligent and wise, but the expectations of her gender stunted her growth.

The adult women in the book are shown to be unhappy due to unfulfilled dreams and ambitions. Gender Norms: The book highlights several ways women are limited by the gender norms of their communities. The story ends with Esperanza coming to terms with her upbringing, resolving to still leave Mango Street, but to eventually return to help her community.

Esperanza comments on her struggles with growing up, observing unhappy women living with oppressive men, and her own experiences with femininity and sexual assault. Growing up, Esperanza is witness to various characters, particularly women, experience various hardships on Mango Street. Embarrassed by her new home, Esperanza yearns to escape Mango Street and her Chicano neighborhood and culture. Esperanza’s family are of Mexican descent, and move into run-down building in Chicago’s Mango Street. Background Knowledge: I read this while giving out the SAT.īook Report Summary: The book is a semi-autobiographical retelling of the author’s life, under the guise of the protagonist “Esperanza Cordero.” The book is told in a series of loosely connected vignettes detailing Esperanza’s coming of age.

The house on mango street full book