Fairy Tale Imagery in The House On Mango Street (Book Analysis)

“Joy, sorrows, and hope”: these are the different feelings and symbols that the characters in the movie Into the Woods have in common with other fairy tale images. This brings the different fairy tale characters such as Snow White, Rapunzel, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Merida from the movie Brave. Sandra Cisneros incorporates in her novel The House on Mango Street uses a variety of direct and indirect fairy tale imagery to describe the feeling of women in the novel.  In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros consolidates the fairy tale allusions of the monkey garden, the Cinderella/shoe imagery, and the Rapunzel entrapment motif, to portray the isolation of Esperanza, Sally, and her friends. 

Cisneros includes fairy tale allusions to the character of Alice in wonderland to portray the magical feeling of the monkey garden. In the vignette “Monkey Garden”, Cisneros implies imagery from Alice in Wonderland by using very detailed text such as, “Sweet sweet peach trees. Thorn roses and thistle pears. Weeds like so many squinty-eyed stars and brush that made your ankles itch and itch until you washed with soap and water.” Cisneros (95) This quote is describing the monkey garden with great detail. The garden is a wonderland filled with joy and bright colors. This brings thought back to Alice in wonderland, the place is bright with mysterious things filling it. Esperanza also tells us that the Garden was owned by a terrifying monkey. Similar to the scary cat that would disappear and reappear out of nowhere in Alice in Wonderland. The cat and monkey both being equally terrifying, the way the garden was described, and how it is known as a magical place both had connections to this fairy tale motif. This next quote talks about Esperanza feeling sad about the monkey garden and not knowing her place. Esperanza explains, “This is where I wanted to die and where I tried one day but not even the monkey garden would have me. It was the last day I would go there. There were big green apples hard as knees. And everywhere the sleepy smell of rotting wood, damp earth and dusty hollyhocks thick and perfumy like the blue-blond hair of the dead.” Cisneros (96) Esperanza just wants a place to feel safe like how the garden once made her feel. Esperanza and Ariel have the same concept of both trying to find their place in the world. Using self-discovery to become the person they want to be. These two quotes have the same use of the fairy tale motif with the monkey garden. Esperanza has described this place as a magical garden, but then talks about how she feels as if that is where she wanted to die. 

Cisneros is using the fairy tale allusions of Merida and Cinderella to show the motif entrapment by society. This quote is how the vignette “Marin” is connected to the fairy tale character Cinderella. Cisneros expresses, “We never see Marin until her aunt comes home from work, and even then she can only stay out front.” Cisneros (27) This brings a connection to Marin and Cinderella. They both are being used by their guardians. Cinderella is loved by her mother, just like Marin’s aunt loving her but saying she caused too much trouble and acting like she is not accepted into the family brings a connection. This next example is Alicia wants to study and go to school, while her dad makes her take the duties of a mother of the household. This brings a connection to the character Merida. They are both trapped due to the way society is. This is shown by the quote, “Two trains and a bus, because she doesn’t want to spend her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin.”  Cisneros (31-32) Merida and Alicia both want to do their own thing. They want to create their own story and do what makes them happy. Due to the way society is, Alicia is being forced to take the duties a mother would have in a household. Merida also is expected to become next to the throne, but she wants to be herself and create a legacy on her own. This creates a connection to Merida, with both of them wanting to take their own path. These two quotes are using the fairy tale motif and the entrapment caused by the society or traditions held upon them.

Finally, Cisneros uses the Rapunzel entrapment motif and expresses the characters by the way their feet are. Showing the connections of the way people are described differently. This quote is how the vignette “family of little feet” is connected to the story of the 7 dwarfs. Esperanza illustrates, “There was a family. All were little. Their arms were little, and their hands were little, and their height was not tall, and their feet very small.” Cisneros (39) This connects to the fairy tale motif of Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. Snow White has these friends that all look similar and are small but all have different aspects to the personalities that they endure. This connection is made by the way the dwarfs and the family of little feet was described. This last quote is from the vignette “Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays”. Cisneros implies the entrapment motif and imagery from Rapunzel using descriptive words such as, “Rafaela leans out the window and leans on her elbow and dreams her hair is like Rapunzels.” Cisneros (79) The isolation of Rafaela is connected to the fairy tale image of Rapunzel. Rafaela’s husband locks her indoors because of her beauty. She is waiting for when she can see the world the same way others can see it outside of an enclosed area. Similar to mother gothic locking Rapunzel in the tower because of the precious beauty of her hair. These last two quotes are both expressed by the same meaning. Being portrayed by either looks, personally, and sometimes feet. The family of little feet is connected to the 7 dwarfs by the way they are described by how they look. Just like Rafeala, she is kept locked up because of her beauty. 

In conclusion, Sandra Cisneros uses the fairy tale reference of the monkey garden, Cinderella/ shoe imagery, and the Rapunzel entrapment motif to show the isolation of the characters from House on Mango Street. First paragraph was how Alice in wonderland was connected to the monkey garden with them both having very detailed imagery. Second, Merida and Cinderella were there to portray the entrapment of society to Marin and Alicia. Lastly the Rapunzal entrapment and the way the characters were described in different ways, how their feet look and the beauty of their face. Overall these topics all talk about the fairy tale motifs and the entrapment these characters feel.