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Jasmine Draper

Mr. Bigelow

English 10

13 November 2016

Misperceptions and Realizations

Everyone experiences obstacles and tough times throughout their life. It doesn’t matter

where you’re from, how you were raised, or how much money you have. These experiences tend

lead to maturity. They seem to tear people down and make people want to give up at first, but

those who are wise and strong tend to use it to their own advantage. The character “Esperanza”

In ​The House on Mango Street ​written by​ ​Sandra Cisneros is a prime example of this. The

obstacles Esperanza undergoes allow her to realize the injustice in how she is treated, which

forces her to mature. These realizations show the readers in order to mature and achieve your

dreams, one must overcome obstacles and negative experiences.

Esperanza’s experiences force her to mature and realize the injustice in how she was

treated. Esperanza soon realizes growing up is not what she thought it would be when she is

treated as a young women for the first time: “We are tired of being beautiful”(42). By Esperanza

saying this, it shows that she doesn’t like being treated the way young women were normally

treated in society and that time. By being considered “beautiful” or “appealing” to men, means

she will be treated like an object rather than a person. This also makes Esperanza realize she

does not enjoy the attention she thought she would by using her appearance to make her feel

good about herself. This is significant because this is when Esperanza realizes she wanted to be
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known not for her looks, but what she is capable of as a person. Esperanza slowly became more

mature throughout the book, but there was one factor that contributed the most: ”Sally, you lied.

It wasn’t what you said at all. What he did. Where he touched me. I didn’t want it, Sally. The

way they said it, the way it’s supposed to be, all the storybooks and movies, why did you lie to

me”(99). This is significant because Esperanza’s innocence got stripped away from her when

she was raped. This shows she was not ready for sexual interactions because she had a false idea

of what it was like. Esperanza once again realizes that she was wronged because of her gender

and appearance. Although she did realize she was wronged, she put the blame on Sally rather

than her rapist.

Esperanza’s realizations show the readers that it takes unfair and negative experiences in

order to mature and achieve one’s dreams. After all of Esperanza’s poor experiences, she

realized they are a part of her and who she is today: “Before Keeler it was Paulina, but what I

remember the most is Mango Street, sad red house, the house I belong but do not belong to. I

put… She does not hold me with both arms. She sets me free”(109,110) Esperanza now knows

that Mango Street is always going to be a part of her. By saying, “I belong but do not belong to”

she is realizing she can leave Mango Street and achieve her dreams, but she cannot erase her

past. When Cisneros writes, “She does not hold me with both arms” this also suggests Mango

Street will always be a part of Esperanza. Esperanza realized she benefited from Mango Street

when she says, “They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind.

For the ones who cannot out”(110). Esperanza is now mature enough to understand what she

wants. Not only will Mango Street always be a part of her, but it has helped her become who she

is today. Her goal is no longer to escape Mango Street, but to achieve her dreams and come back
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to what will always be her home. She wants to come back to the ones she left behind to help

them achieve their dreams and help them use Mango Street to their advantage rather than letting

it hold them back.

Esperanza’s experiences changed who she was as a person by forcing her to mature and

realize how she should be treated. Her realizations were significant because it showed the

readers that obstacles and negative situations is what helps one grow and achieves one’s dreams.

Esperanza learned how Latino women were treated in society and decided that is not what she

wanted for herself. She also used her experiences on Mango Street to her benefit and to help

others realize what she did.