Question

How does Esperanza's narrative voice relate to her story's content and her experiences during the year in which the novella is set?

Answer 1

Answer:

Precise, witty, musical, and unclouded even in its tragic moments, Esperanza’s voice captures the mood of her surroundings and brightens the dreariest of situations with the mind’s eye and a pen. This strong, albeit young, voice unifies the extraordinarily wide range of themes and images portrayed in The House on Mango Street. Just as Esperanza amazes with her ability to maintain her optimism and focus on the future, so, too, does The House on Mango Street amaze with its ability to express wisdom in brevity and pride under oppression.

Explanation:

Growing up in the Latino section of Chicago, Esperanza is ashamed of the rickety house on Mango Street where her family lives, she is ashamed of her name (it is too Mexican), and she is ashamed of her poverty. As Esperanza grows from a girl into a young woman over the course of the forty-three short stories that comprise the collection, she gradually formulates her dream of one day owning a home that is physically and emotionally all her own. Brilliantly and adroitly, Cisneros, through Esperanza’s eyes, paints the good and the ugly—but always colorful—characters that inhabit Mango Street and teach the young Esperanza more than a young girl could ever need or want to know about life. Esperanza poignantly relates her own experiences and the adventures and tragedies of her neighbors and friends. Ultimately, as Esperanza sheds her innocence over the course of the novel, what started out as just a dream of owning a house of her own becomes a real possibility for her future.