House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions

Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions EN301: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

PREMISE: The House on Mango Street is a coming-of-age novella (short novel) by Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisneros. Published in 1984, it deals with a young Latina girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago with Chicanos and Puerto Ricans. Esperanza is determined to "say goodbye" to her impoverished Latino neighborhood. The novella is autobiographical in nature: Cisneros' early life is on display in The House on Mango Street for she was the only daughter in a series of six kids. The story also is about the subject of migration and about the struggles of her life during it, which included poverty, objectification, as well as misogyny.

FORMAT/STYLE: The House on Mango Street is made up of vignettes that are not quite poems and not quite full stories. Esperanza narrates these vignettes in first-person present tense, focusing on her day-to-day activities but sometimes narrating sections that are just a series of observations. Each vignette can stand as an independent story. The vignettes don't follow a complete or chronological narrative, although they often mention characters introduced in earlier sections. The conflicts and problems in these short stories are never fully resolved, just as the futures of people in the neighborhood are often uncertain. The overall tone is earnest and intimate, with very little distance between the reader and the narrator. The tone varies from pessimistic to hopeful, as Esperanza herself sometimes expresses her jaded views on life.

SYNOPSIS: The set of vignettes charts her life as Esperanza Cordero grows during the year, both physically and emotionally. Though Esperanza's age is never revealed to the reader, it is implied that she is about thirteen. She begins to write as a way of expressing herself and as a way to escape the suffocating effect of the neighborhood. The novella also includes the stories of many of Esperanza’s neighbors, giving a full picture of the neighborhood and showing the many influences surrounding her. Esperanza quickly befriends Lucy and Rachel Guerrero, two Texan girls who live across the street. Lucy, Rachel, Esperanza, and Esperanza’s little sister, Nenny, have many adventures in the small space of their neighborhood. Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions Esperanza later slips into puberty and begins to like it when boys watch her dance. Esperanza's newfound views lead her to become friends with Sally, a girl her age who wears clothes like black nylon stockings, makeup, high heels, and short skirts, and uses boys as an escape from her abusive father. Esperanza is not completely comfortable with Sally’s sexuality. Their friendship is compromised when Sally ditches Esperanza for a boy at a carnival. As a result Esperanza is sexually assaulted by a group of men at the carnival. Earlier at her first job, an elderly man tricked her into kissing him on the lips. Esperanza’s traumatic experiences and observations of the women in her neighborhood cement her desire to escape Mango Street. She later realizes that she will never fully be able to leave Mango Street behind. She vows that after she leaves she will return to help the people she has left behind.

ESSENTIAL THEMES: Esperanza regards the house on Mango Street as simply a house she lives in with her family. When she was younger and constantly on the move from apartment to apartment her parents promised her a real home with a green yard, real stairs, and running water with pipes that worked. She dislikes the house on Mango Street because its sad appearance and cramped quarters are completely contrary to the idealistic home she always wanted.

While she may not recognize it, Esperanza is one of the freest female characters in the novel. Most of the other female characters spend their lives in isolation, trapped. Rosa Vargas can't do anything for herself because she has too many children and no one to help her raise the children. Alicia has found herself trapped in the kitchen, as she picks up where her deceased mother left off, cooking and cleaning for her younger siblings, although she would like nothing more than to attend the university. Minerva has an abusive husband who she is constantly fighting with and she finally kicks out but then lets him back in to her life. Rafaela is stuck inside her house because her husband believes that she is too beautiful to go out. Sally is abused by her father, and she dreams of getting married. She eventually marries an older man who does not allow her to leave the house without him, and she is not allowed to have guests over.

Comprehension Questions: Respond to the following questions with sufficient detail and ample analysis. Your responses will serve as your notes on the reading!

ASSIGNMENT 1

“The House on Mango Street” p. 3-5 Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions 1. What is special about the Mango Street house? ______2. How does the Mango Street house compare to Esperanza’s ideal house? ______

“Hairs” p.6-7 3. How does hair type seem to relate to personality? ______4. What can you infer about each family member based on their hair? ______

“Boys and Girls” p. 8-9 5. Explain the “separate worlds” in which boys and girls live. ______6. Analyze the following quote: “Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor.” ______

“My Name” p. 10-11 7. How does Esperanza feel about her name? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions 8. Explain what the narrator means when she speaks of her grandmother: “I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window.” ______

“Cathy Queen of Cats” p. 12-13 9. Describe the people of Mango Street. ______10. Why is Cathy’s family moving North of Mango Street? ______

ASSIGNMENT 2

“Our Good Day” p. 14-16 11. What does $5 afford Esperanza? Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______12. Why does Esperanza particularly like Lucy and Rachel? ______

“Laughter” p. 17-18 13. How are Esperanza and her sister Nenny alike? (Name both instances) ______

“Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold” p. 19-20 14. What about the store fascinates Nenny? ______15. How does Esperanza feel about the find? ______

“Meme Ortiz” p. 21-22 16. Describe Meme Ortiz. ______

17. What is so special about the tree in Meme’s backyard? ______

“Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin” p. 23-25 Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions 18. What kind of person is Louie’s other cousin? ______

ASSIGNMENT 3

“Marin” p. 26-27 19. Who is Marin and why does Esperanza admire her? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______20. Why is Marin not allowed outside her house? ______

“Those Who Don’t” p. 28 21. Summarize the mind-set of “outsiders” that come into the neighborhood. ______

“There was an Old Woman…” p. 29-30 22. Why does Rose Vargas cry everyday? ______23. How do her children behave and why do they behave this way? ______

“Alicia Who Sees Mice” p. 31-32 24. What is Alicia’s life like? ______

25. How does Alicia’s father treat her efforts to get an education? ______

“Darius & the Clouds” p. 33-34 26. How does Esperanza feel about the natural world around her? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______27. What wise/profound thing did Darius say? ______

ASSIGNMENT 4

“And Some More” p. 35-38 28. What happens as the girls are looking up at the clouds? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______

“The Family of Little Feet” p. 39-42 29. Where do the girls get their shoes and what do they do with them? ______30. Why, ultimately, are the girls not upset when Lucy’s mom throws the shoes away? ______

“A Rice Sandwich” p. 43-45 31. Why does Esperanza want to eat in the canteen? ______32. Does her mother’s note, given “Sister Superior,” get her what she wants? ______

ASSIGNMENT 5

“Chanclas” p. 46-48 33. Where are Esperanza and her family going? ______34. When Esperanza dances with her Uncle Nacho, how does this raise her self-esteem? Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______

“Hips” p. 49-53 35. According the girls, what are hips good for? ______

“The First Job” p. 53-55 36. Describe Esperanza’s first job. (Why did she want it? Where does she work? How does she get hired?) ______37. Recap Esperanza’s first day at her job. ______

“Papa Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” p. 56-57 38. Who has passed away and how does Esperanza’s father react to this? ______

39. How does Esperanza feel about her father? ______

ASSIGNMENT 6

“Born Bad” p. 58-61 40. Explain Aunt Lupe’s current status. What does Esperanza do to help soothe her aunt? ______41. What happens to Aunt Lupe? Why does Esperanza feel guilty/responsible for Lupe’s demise? Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______

“Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water” p. 62-64 42. Why has Esperanza come to Elenita? ______43. Describe Esperanza’s reaction to Elenita’s vision. ______

“Geraldo No Last Name” p. 65-66 44. Who is Geraldo and why does he not have a last name? ______45. How does Cisneros describe his death? ______

“Edna’s Ruthie” p. 67-69 46. What type of person is Ruthie? ______47. How does Esperanza feel about Ruthie? ______

“The Earl of Tennessee” p. 70-71

48. What kind of man is Earl? ______

49. About what do all children of the neighborhood disagree? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______

ASSIGNMENT 7

“Sire” p. 72-73 50. Who is Sire? ______51. What is Sire and Lois’ relationship like? Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______

“Four Skinny Trees” p. 74-75 52. Why are the trees out of place? ______53. How does Esperanza feel about these trees? ______

“No Speak English” p. 76-78 54. Is Mamacita happy to be on Mango Street? Cite examples to support your answer. ______55. What breaks Mamacita’s heart forever? ______

“Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice” p. 79-80

56. What is making Rafaela grow old? ______

57. What is Rafaela’s dream? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions “Sally” p. 81-83

58. Describe the relationship between Sally and her father. ______

59. What does Esperanza wonder about Sally? ______

Comprehension Questions: Respond to the following questions with sufficient detail and ample analysis. Your responses will serve as your notes on the reading! ASSIGNMENT 8

“Minerva Writes Poems” p. 84-85

59. Describe Minerva’s life. ______

60. Why does Minerva write poems? Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions ______

“Bums in the Attic” p. 86-87

61. Why does Esperanza stop joining her family on Sunday outings? ______

62. What does Esperanza dream of doing when she gets older? ______

“Beautiful & Cruel” p. 88-89

63. Analyze what Esperanza means when she says, “I have begun my own quiet war.” ______

“A Smart Cookie” p. 90-91 64. Is Esperanza’s mother regretful of her past? Why or why not? ______

65. How does Esperanza’s mother feel about school? ______

“What Sally Said” p. 92-93

66. How is Sally’s home life? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions

ASSIGNMENT 9

“The Monkey Garden” p. 94-98 67. What seems to draw Esperanza to the “monkey garden?” ______68. Why do you suppose the garden no longer feels like hers anymore? ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions

“Red Clowns” p. 99-100 69. About what did Sally lie? ______70. What happened to Esperanza at the carnival? ______

“Linoleum Roses” p. 101-102 71. Why does Esperanza think Sally got married? ______72. What kind of man is Sally’s husband and what does this demonstrate about their relationship? ______

“The Three Sisters” p. 103-105 73. Describe the three sisters. ______74. How do the three sisters treat Esperanza? ______

“Alicia & I” p. 106-107

75. Why does Esperanza envy Alicia? ______

76. Explain the metaphor Alicia creates for Esperanza: “…you are Mango Street…” ______Name ______date______period ______House on Mango Street: Comprehension Questions

“A House of My Own” p. 108

77. How does Esperanza describe her dream house? ______

“Mango Street Says Goodbye Sometimes” p. 109-110

78. What does Esperanza reveal about herself in the last vignette? ______

79. How does this ending complete the circular structure of the novel? ______