Determining who you are, by accepting were you come from
Esperanza’s point of view of herself in the beginning is negative, but however it slowly beings to change and she starts to focus on her place with her community, and her community itself. For example when she first describes her house on Mango Street, it isn’t in a positive manner for Esperanza the house on Mango Street isn’t the one she had dreamt up for her family. But eventually she learns that it is an important part of life accepting where you come, because it helps determine who you are, and what you can rise from.
In the beginning of The House on Mango Street Esperanza and her family move from one terrible home to other in Esperanza’s point of view. “I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t it. The house on Mango Street isn’t it” (Cisneros p. 5). For Esperanza a home is much more than just a place it is somewhere where you can be proud of it shows were you come from. Esperanza’s feelings towards the place she is at in her life, starts off very negative for example “The special kids, the ones who wear keys around their necks, get to eat in the canteen. The canteen! Even the name sound important. And these kids at lunch time go there because their mothers aren’t home or home is too far away get to” (Cisneros p. 43). Esperanza tends to compare herself to others in negative way she sees things they get to do and only wish she had the same privileges as them also. Esperanza and Ana from Real Women have Curves both share the same perspective they both don’t see themselves as ever amounting to much at first. Ana doesn’t see herself as anything she is constantly begin downgraded about her weight by her mom and she doesn’t think she will even be able to make it to college (Cardoso, 2002).
As Esperanza spend more time within her community she begins to get more comfortable she starts to discover new found information about the people in her life at this time. She also begins to find more about herself, what she could possible strive for in her future. For example we see in the book Esperanza getting into poetry at first she was just reading it to her aunt but then she began to write her own poetry and shared them “she listened to every book, every poem I read her. One day I read her one of my own.” (Cisneros p. 60). Esperanza is just like Ana n she wants to be something she just doesn’t know how it get that far. In the movie Real Women Have Curves Ana knows she is smart enough to make something for herself but can’t with her family always making decision for her. In the film Ana teacher comes in with wonderful news, Ana has just be excepted into a great college but her family speaks for her and tells him she is not going to go to college at this time she need to help her family ( Cardoso, 2002). Esperanza is kind of in the same situation her family has certain expectation for her too, and to her she want to follow her own path in life.
Toward the end of the book The House on Mango Street Esperanza does learn that accepting were you come from is important but she still is a little stubborn when she was asked where she live, for example “No, this isn’t my house I say and shake my head as if shaking could undo the year I’ve lived her” (Cisneros p. 106) but Esperanza doesn’t think she will every want to come back to Mango street but when Alicia tells her yes you will come back because you can leave behind the terrible memories but you can’t forget to good one. Esperanza realizes she will come back for the ones she left behind her friend her family everyone she cares about because even though she dislike her house on Mango Street it is still a place to call home.
Esperanza slowly evolves from being very negative and closed minded about things that are most important, to a wonderful young women she learns from her mistakes. Esperanza learns who she want to be and what it’s really going to take for her to get to that point. She realizes her place in the community was important. Because even though you may grow up in a tough situation it doesn’t determine who you are. Esperanza also learns that it is important not to forget to ones you leave behind.