Theme of Identity in The House on Mango Street (Literature Essay Example)

Being able to find our identity takes independence and being able to know where we come from. Sandra Cisneros wrote a novella called The House on Mango Street.  The protagonist Esperanza is a girl that struggles to accept who she is because of where she lives. She has a hard time being free because she feels trapped and seeing other girls being in a harder situation felt as if it was impossible for her to find her true self. Living in a poor home made her feel ashamed of herself.  Going through these trials made her become a stronger person and found her identity, independence, and her home.  There are many themes in The House on Mango Street that Esperanza learns from. 

Esperanza rejects where she lives, but soon she will gain a better understanding and will be grateful that she had the opportunity to be where she was. A nun from her school was questioning her house and the way she asked made Esperanza feel self-conscious. The nun says,“ You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing” (Cisneros, 5). In the beginning, Esperanza was describing how her house wasn’t the dream house that her family wanted.  The nun didn’t help the situation at all and it made it worse. Alicia, who is Esperanaza’s role model, listened to Esperanza’s sorrows and tried to help Esperanza find herself. Alicia states, “ Like it or not you are Mango Street, and one day you’ll come back too” (Cisneros, 107).  Esperanza is ashamed of where she lives and doesn't think she belongs.  Alicia is empathetic towards Esperanza because she was in a strenuous situation and it was hard for her to overcome it, and having Esperanza hearing from Alicia how to overcome it helped her get a different perspective. Another example is, Esperanza realizes that she doesn’t want to live in a house that is on the hill. Esperanza says,  “One day I’ll own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from” (Cisneros, 87).  Esperanza used to go look at the houses on the hill and envied them because they were her dream homes.  She then comes to appreciate that she isn’t one of those people who live on the hills because they forget about themselves and others, and Esperanza won’t forget who she is.  As a result, the different experiences that Esperanza went through have helped her appreciate where she lived. 

 Esperanza is coming to find out that the only way to be happy or have freedom is to be independent. Esperanza admires Marin because she seems more grown-up and looks like a woman, but Marin doesn’t control her own life; she waits until something changes. For example,  “ Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life” (Cisneros, 27). Marin isn’t really thinking about how to fix her life; she is waiting for something to come or someone.  She wants somebody else to do it for her instead of taking charge. Many people have the mindset that they can’t do anything on their own, but it’s mainly it’s yourself that changes things and makes things happen. Esperanza looked up to Sally, but she was in a difficult position with her dad and decided to get married to get away from it. In the text, it says “ She said that she is in love, but I think she did it to escape” (Cisneros, 101).  Sally’s dad was really abusive because he was religious and didn’t want her to end up like his sister, and thought she would shame his family again. Sally thought that getting married would help her get away from her complications and would let her be free, but only made it worse and it made it more difficult.  Another instance is when Alicia's mom died and her father put the household chores responsibilities on her. She decided that she didn’t want to be behind a rolling pin the rest of her life and depend on another person to provide for her.  Esperanza says,  “ Is a good girl, my friend, studies all night and sees mice, the ones her father says don't exist” (Cisneros, 32). Alicia and Esperanza are in the same instance where it is hard to get independence, but she took control and tried to improve her condition. Alicia saw that she could do more and took action to pursue her dreams. Overall, seeing, and fathoming her friends' experiences has helped her be aware of her individual self. 

 Esperanza goes through different phases to find her true identity. At first, Esperanza didn’t like the way she was, so she decided to be like the other girls, and try to be popular, by following their actions. Esperanza says, “ I am one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate” (Cisneros, 89). She is trying to find a solution in finding herself and by trying to become an irresponsible person and thinking that it will fix everything.  Being cruel, she thinks that she can gain attention and be more beautiful. Then, Esperanza is ashamed that she is living in a place that isn’t her dream home. Esperanza begins by saying, “ I don’t belong. I don’t ever want to come from here” (Cisneros, 106). It’s hard to find yourself, but Esperanza’s mindset is in the future because she hangs out with older women, and wants to be like them, which makes it harder for her to accept who she is, being at a young age.  Esperanza mainly focuses on where she lives, but where she lives does not define who she was or the person that she became. Lastly, Esperanza never really liked her name because it was different and not original, and living on Mango Street made her feel embarrassed. She gained a better insight when she wished to leave Mango Street. For example, “ You’ll always be Esperanza. You’ll always be Mango Street” (Cisneros, 105).  Even though it was hard accepting who she was, going through those difficult times, helped her gain confidence in herself. Esperanza never liked living on Mango Street, but the people helped her find herself, and she became a part of Mango Street. Therefore, finding her true identity helped her accept her self-image. 

In closing, The House on Mango Street reveals different themes. The different examples that help make up the themes have helped Esperanza get through her challenges. Esperanza gained an appreciation of where she lived because of the experience that she went through, and understanding her friends' experiences has helped her find her independence. Even though finding herself was the hardest part it gave her confidence to accept who she is. These themes that Esperanza develops helped her shape who she is.