Shaping Self-identity through Interaction with Others:
An analysis of Esperanza’s identity development in The House on Mango Street
Who am I? Who am I going to be? You must wonder about these questions sometimes, just like Esperanza does when she moves to Mango Street with her family in Cisneros Sandro’s book, “The House on Mango Street”. In the book, she gradually realizes the limitations of the neighborhood, develops her own identity and finally escapes Mango Street. Scholars such as Eysteroy (1996) and Crawford-Garrett (2005) have debated how she develops her independent identity despite the cultural limitations around her, but their arguments largely focused on inner processes. Looking closer at the text, Esperanza does not process individually, …show more content…
When she leaves, she says: “I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out” (134). From this point on her identity is not restricted to the girl Esperanza anymore, but rather represents an awakening and hope of women on Mango Street. Her takeaways from her interactions with these women merged into her identity, and this identity enables the collective “Esperanza” (dream) of women in the neighborhood to emerge. Maria Karafilis commented on Esperanza’s escape: “When Esperanza leaves to inhabit the space of her own writing, she returns by producing the house on Mango Street, in the form of The House on Mango Street” (10). The book is her reflection of the barrio from a woman’s perspective and a call for gender equality and freedom that women deserve. In this way, Esperanza becomes a pioneer of women in the neighborhood, taking on the expectations of those she left behind and moving forward.
Esperanza not only matures through inner development, but is also propelled to explore her identity through conversations with women around the neighborhood. Her story reminds us that identity-shaping is not just an isolated self-building process but also includes dynamic exchanges with the people and the environment. Thus, Esperanza’s escape not only marks a personal success but also reveals an awakening of women in the barrio. She aggregates their experiences, takes on their dreams, and leaves the Mango Street to bring back freedom and
An analysis of Esperanza’s identity development in The House on Mango Street
Who am I? Who am I going to be? You must wonder about these questions sometimes, just like Esperanza does when she moves to Mango Street with her family in Cisneros Sandro’s book, “The House on Mango Street”. In the book, she gradually realizes the limitations of the neighborhood, develops her own identity and finally escapes Mango Street. Scholars such as Eysteroy (1996) and Crawford-Garrett (2005) have debated how she develops her independent identity despite the cultural limitations around her, but their arguments largely focused on inner processes. Looking closer at the text, Esperanza does not process individually, …show more content…
When she leaves, she says: “I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out” (134). From this point on her identity is not restricted to the girl Esperanza anymore, but rather represents an awakening and hope of women on Mango Street. Her takeaways from her interactions with these women merged into her identity, and this identity enables the collective “Esperanza” (dream) of women in the neighborhood to emerge. Maria Karafilis commented on Esperanza’s escape: “When Esperanza leaves to inhabit the space of her own writing, she returns by producing the house on Mango Street, in the form of The House on Mango Street” (10). The book is her reflection of the barrio from a woman’s perspective and a call for gender equality and freedom that women deserve. In this way, Esperanza becomes a pioneer of women in the neighborhood, taking on the expectations of those she left behind and moving forward.
Esperanza not only matures through inner development, but is also propelled to explore her identity through conversations with women around the neighborhood. Her story reminds us that identity-shaping is not just an isolated self-building process but also includes dynamic exchanges with the people and the environment. Thus, Esperanza’s escape not only marks a personal success but also reveals an awakening of women in the barrio. She aggregates their experiences, takes on their dreams, and leaves the Mango Street to bring back freedom and