Transcript Document

• 1.Summary
• 4.Theme Study
• 2.Character
Descriptions
• 5.Student Vignette
• 3.Figurative Language
• 6.Back Page
Summary
•
This amazing book tells a story of a girl with determination and a dream. In the first vignette, The House on Mango
Street, you see that Esperanza use to live in a less than mediocre house with broken pipes and a infuriating landlord.
All Esperanza wants is house to call home, but when her family moves into the House on Mango Street, she is
displeased because it is not what she had in mind. Esperanza introduces her family like in Hairs. She describes her
self as the one who makes mistakes, the one whose problems never turn out the way she planned. Her mother is
described as safe, pure, wholesome, and comforting. Esper anza also encounters inequalities, loneliness, and racism.
The boys of the family only talk to her and her sister at home and not in public in the vignette, Boys and Girls.
Esperanza feels a little lonely but finds endurance when she recalls why she was named Esperanza. She hates her
name and wishes it was anything but that. She was named after her great grandmother who lived a sad and controlled
life. Esperanza hopes to not have that life in My Name, but she too feels lonely. Cathy Queen of Cats agrees to be her
friend but only until she moves because she cannot live in a neighbor that is getting run by a certain race.
Character Descriptions: Esperanza
•
Esperanza is a pretty Latino young girl
with “Lazy hair that never obeys,”
(Cisneros 6). She has legs. “ Skinny and
spotted with satin scars where scabs
were picked, good to look at and long,”
(Cisneros 40). She has a very low self
esteem like when she said, “ most likely
I will go to hell, and most likely I
deserve to be there,” (Cisneros 58). She
can be very lonely sometimes and
makes friends by paying money. Deep
down she is an outstanding writer who
thrives to become more than a mediocre
writer. She has dreams and
determination. She may sometimes be a
little selfish like when she said, “ is that
it? A home in the heart?” (Cisneros 64).
She wants to feel loved and wants a
house to call home.
•
Mama
• Mama is a very smart loving
woman who is a great mother
figure for Esperanza. Esperanza
finds her comforting, “sweet to
put your nose into when she is
holding you, holding you and
you feel safe,” (Cisneros 6).
Her hair “is the warm smell of
bread before you bake it,”
(Cisneros 7). She is latino and
is stuck in the less developed
life. She is a house mom and
loves her children very much, “
mama prays for me,” (Cisneros
58). She too seems to want
more than she has.
Nenny
• Nenny is Esperanza’s younger
sister. Her real name is
Magdalena and is a very
dreamy and immature girl.
Esperanza feels responsible for
her but feels Nenny is “ too
young to be my friend, you cant
pick your sisters, you get them,
(Cisneros 8). She has hair that
is “slippery, slides right out of
your hands,” (Cisneros 6).some
people walk over her because
she is easy to manipulate, “i,’ll
take two dollars from Nenny,
she wont care,”(Cisneros 15)
She is somewhat childish but
she does care for Esperanza.
•
Lucy and Rachel
• Lucy and Rachel are sisters and
Lucy is the older one. You can
tell they’re not very educated
when she says, “ her was born
here,” (Cisneros 15). “Lucy has
long legs,” (Cisneros 15).
Rachel seems to have the mouth
in the family and “ she is very
sassy,” (Cisneros 16). They can
be very rude sometimes and
they have “Fat Popsicle lips,”
(Cisneros 17). Although they
can be very mean at some
points. They are some of
Esperanza Best friends.
.
Figurative Language Log
• “Until then, I am a red balloon tied to an anchor,” ( Cisneros 9) This
is a metaphor and it tells the reader that Esperanza wants to be free but
she is tied down to her average life.
• “ Ah yes, a home in the heart,” (Cisneros 64). This is a metaphor and a
home in the heart is finding comfort, safety, and protection in your
heart or with your loved ones.
• “ Let one get his reason for being, they’d all droop like tulips in a
glass,” ( Cisneros 75). This is a simile and shows that if you forget the
reason why you are living you will fall into a state of depression or
soon end your life because you see no hope.
• “They grow up and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the
sky with violent teeth and never their anger,’’ (Cisneros 74). This
personification tells the reader that the trees never give up on living
and will fight until the end to succeed in growing big and strong..
• “ and the trees talking to themselves,” ( Cisneros 73). The
personification shows the scene is secretive and somewhat scary.
Figurative language Log
• “ I would have liked to have known her, a wild horse of a woman,”
(Cisneros 11). This metaphor shows that Esperanza’s great
grandmother did what she wanted and no one could ever tame her.
• “ Her house is like cat heaven,” ( Cisneros 13). The simile shows that
Cathy has everything a cat could ever want and that she truly is queen
of the cats.
• “ You are like the cream of wheat cereal and you’re the lumps,”
(Cisneros 37) this simile was used as an insult to say that the other
person I unwanted or gross.
• “the bones gone limp as worms,” (Cisneros 58). This simile shows that
aunt Lupe’s legs looked weak and disabled.
• “the moon is beautiful, like a balloon,” ( Cisneros 68). The simile
shows that the moon is free and is exactly what Esperanza wants to be,
free.
Theme Study
•
One of the many themes is the struggle for self definition. Esperanza seems to
have a low self esteem most of the time and she barely has any friends.
“someday I will have a friend all my own,” (Cisneros 9). This quote shows
that she is lonely yet she has determination. She is very wishful and believes
every thing will fall into place sometime. People try to take advantage of her
low self esteem by telling her, “ you’re a pretty girl.How about I give you a
dollar for a kiss?” (Cisneros 41). Men try to use her and sometimes it works.
Esperanza is very lost when it comes to finding out who she really is and what
is acceptable of her. “All I hear is clapping when the music stops. All night the
boy who is a man watches me dance. He watched me dance, “ (Cisneros 48).
After Espernza is done dancing at a party she feels accepted and very proud of
herself. She feels truly pretty too because of the boy who watched her. Once
again she begins to feel lonely and wants “a boy around my neck and the wind
under my skirt,” (Cisneros 73). She Begins to feel lonely in a unloved way and
not just friends or family. She wants to feel pretty and feel wanted by boys.
Here she begins to make wrong decisions with boys. “ When I am too sad and
too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many bricks,
then it is I look at the trees,” (Cisneros 75). This shows that Esperanza has
hope and inspiration. That is things turn for the worse she has the belief that
everything will be okay.
•
Student
Vignette:
My
Name
My name is spartan, yet unique. Jordyn is to keep calm, and be down
flowing ( infinitive phrase). It’s the river Jesus was baptized in. How my
name came to be was just a mistake, a misunderstanding. When I was born my
parents had Jordan written on the hospital document. After a couple of days
my mom thought of the “y” and asked to change it but it was too late. My
mom was a negotiator and a good one too. She was very persuasive and
always knew how to get her way. She had my name as Jordyn on all my school
records. She loved my name and how it was so simple yet so different. My
little sister’s name is even modeled after mine, Camryn. I like her name, I’ve
never seen it before and if she doesn’t like it she can always be Cammie.
However, my older sister’s name is just plain but beautiful. Morgan thought
about what it would be like to have her name as Morgyn, but she said she
couldn’t handle it, its too out there. At least her name is as anemic as our
brothers. Jacob and Josh have very simple and very common names. I like
them, but it would not be something I would have picked.My mother was a
tomboy when she was young. She hated her name because it was too girly. Her
name is Mary and she has come to accept it, but I can see she wishes her name
was something like Erin or Samantha. My mother didn’t want us to feel that
way so she made all of her daughter’s name’s boy/girl names.I changed my
name. My mother loved the “y” so I changed it from Jordan (prepositional
phrase) to Jordyn for her when she died. It makes me feel closer to her and
more accepted.My name is my name and whether I like it or not, I will
embrace it and make it my own.
• This book will completely change your
point of view of life. It will open your eyes
to bigger problems and let you see what lies
within people. This book showed me that if
I try hard enough and believe hard enough
that I will achieve my dreams. I give this
book 4.5 stars.