The House on Mango Street Vignette Analysis

Jude Amer ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (Draft) The House on Mango Street Vignette Analysis Block A Title In the vignette “My Name” from The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros shows how Esperanza feels about her name and what it means to her. The story lets us see that Esperanza’s name is part of who she is, but it also makes her feel trapped. This vignette fits into the bigger story of how Esperanza grows up, learns about herself, and tries to find her own place in the world. Esperanza explains that her name means “hope” in English but feels sad and heavy in Spanish. She says, “It means sadness, it means waiting” (10). Her name reminds her of her great-grandmother, who had the same name. Her great-grandmother was forced to marry someone she didn’t want to marry, and “looked out the window her whole life” (11). This makes Esperanza feel like her name is tied to her great-grandmother’s unhappy and unlucky life. She doesn’t want that same future as her. She says, “I don’t want to inherit her place by the window” (11). This shows she wants to be free and live her life how she chooses, and her name makes her feel trapped. Some literary choices Cisneros makes are, using simple words and informal writing techniques to imitate how a child would talk. This helps readers really feel Esperanza’s emotions and the way she talks about her name shows she feels both proud and unhappy. She likes that her name is part of her family, but she doesn’t like that it makes her feel stuck. When Esperanza says she wants to rename herself “something like Zeze the X,” it shows that she wants a name that fits her better. She wants a new start and to have a name that doesn’t have a fortunate meaning behind it. The story teaches that names are important because they can shape how people see themselves and how they identify. Esperanza learns that she can give her name her own meaning. She might not be able to change her real name, but she can change what it means to her. She realizes that just because her grandmother shared a name with her and she had a bad future, doesn't mean Esperanza is stuck with that same destiny. She wants to feel free and someday leave Mango Street and live somewhere nicer, but for now she stays and makes do with what she has. In the end, “My Name” is about more than just what Esperanza is called. It’s about her learning who she is and who she wants to be. Her name may mean sadness now, but as she grows, it also means hope. The vignette shows the beginning of her journey to become strong and independent, and to create her own story.