The House on Mango Street (Masterplots II: Women’s Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Sandra Cisneros
- First Published: 1984
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: The mid-1960’s
- Setting: A Latino neighborhood in Chicago
- Principal Characters: Esperanza Cordero, Sally, Alicia, Elenita, Guadalupe, Minerva, Lucy, Rachel, Magdalena (Nenny)
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Social realism, Bildungsroman
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, 1960’s, Self-discovery, Class conflict, Racism, Sexism, Adolescence, Abused persons, Yards or backyards, Class consciousness, Writing, Chicago, Ethnic groups, Violence, Women’s issues, Multiculturalism, Mexican Americans, Mexico or Mexicans, Bilingualism, Latinos
- Locales: Chicago, IL
Form and Content
Based on Sandra Cisneros’ experiences growing up in a Latino neighborhood of Chicago, The House on Mango Street is the story of a girl’s search for identity as she comes of age. The narrative covers one crucial year in her life. Esperanza Cordero, a young Chicana, draws her identity from her parents’ Mexican heritage and from the culture of the Mexican American community in which she grows up. She narrates the stories, describing herself, her neighbors, their dreams, and the world of Mango Street. In the process, she gains an understanding of...
[The entire page is 2029 words long]
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