The House On Mango Street Analysis

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1. Before moving to the house on Mango street, Esperanza and her family had only lived in rental houses and apartments. Esperanza was embarrassed by her previous places of residence and did not feel a sense of “belonging” there. While living in the Mango Street house Esperanza can feel a greater sense of ownership and stability. She no longer has to share her building with other families or worry about disturbing her neighbors if she yells. The house on Mango street has a front lawn, and with it, a sense of permanence and place in a community whereas Esperanza's other houses had seemed temporary, insubstantial and easily forgotten. 2. Esperanza’s ideal “dream house” is clean, well maintained and spacious. She dreams of the type of house…show more content…
In “Our Good Day” Cathy looks down on Lucy and Rachel because of their poor, unkempt appearance and because they are of Mexican-American heritage. She views them as part of the reason the neighborhood is “getting bad” and tries to dissuade Esperanza from talking to them by explaining they “smell like a broom”. Despite Cathy’s remarks Esperanza feels a connection to Lucy and Rachel explaining “I like them. Their clothes are crooked and old”. Esperanza relates to Lucy and Rachel because, like her, they are poor, as demonstrated by their “old” clothes, and new to town-- the two profess to have “come from Texas”. While Cathy looks down on Latino families like Esperanza’s, Lucy’s and Rachel’s. Lucy and Rachel understand Esperanza’s culture and don’t find her heritage strange. They demonstrate this after asking Esperanza her name. Although Esperanza worries they will find her name foreign and tells the reader, “I wish my name was… anything but Esperanza”. She later explains that, “When I tell them my name they don’t laugh”. Lucy and Rachel don’t see anything unusual about Esperanza’s name, or treat her differently because of it. While Cathy looks down on people like Lucy and Rachel for their heritage and income, Esperanza relates to them because of
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