Black, white, and orange illustration of Esperanza standing in front of a building or structure

The House on Mango Street

by Sandra Cisneros

Start Free Trial

Student Question

Does the vignette "Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin," in The House on Mango Street have deeper meanings?

Quick answer:

The vignette "Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin" explores deeper themes of immigrant life and the struggles faced by Latino immigrants. It highlights the limited opportunities for women, as seen in Louie's girl cousin who is trapped in domestic duties. Additionally, it depicts how some immigrants resort to crime for survival, illustrated by Louie's other cousin's stolen car incident. Through the innocent perspective of the young narrator, these harsh realities are exposed more impactfully.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Remember that this incredible series of vignettes explores life in a barrio from the perspective of a young girl growing up as an immigrant among immigrants in a different country. The challenges that these immigrants face are very similar in terms of the difficulties they have to overcome in order to survive in this world of theirs. Firstly, Louie's "girl cousin" has to cope with living without her own family, who are in Puerto Rico. Whilst selling Avon products gives her free make up, she still remains horrendously trapped by having to baby sit Louie's sisters:

She can't come out--gotta baby sit Louie's sisters--but she stands in the doorway a lot, all the time singing, clicking her fingers, the same song...

This points towards a larger theme in the novel which is the position of women in this kind of world and the opportunities or lack of opportunities that they have.

Secondly, Louie's other cousin shows how many immigrants turn to crime in order to try and get ahead in this bewildering new world. We have an excellent example of how the rather naive narrator is not aware that this "great big yellow Cadillac" is not stolen, and how she and others have a ride in it and play with the electric windows until they hear sirens. This child-like innocence is maintained as the narrator and her friends wave at Louie's cousin as the police take him away.

Therefore, this vignette, like the entire novel, expose the harsh realities of life of Latino immigrants in the States through the eyes of a youthful and naive narrator, whose acceptance of these "realities" make them all the more shocking.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial