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

Editor's Choice

In "Beautiful and Cruel" from The House on Mango Street, what does Esperanza's "quiet war" mean?

Quick answer:

Esperanza's "quiet war" symbolizes her subtle rebellion against societal expectations for women. She resists traditional roles by performing minor acts of disobedience, like not clearing dishes, to assert her independence. This "war" is personal and ongoing, inspired by powerful women she admires, yet distinct in its quiet approach. Esperanza's actions reflect her desire to escape the patriarchal constraints she equates with marriage, representing a lifelong struggle for autonomy and identity.

Expert Answers

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

Esperanza's war is her fight against the social expectations that are placed upon her as a young woman.

Let's look at the words that Esperanza uses in this sentence. The first thing that stands out to the reader is that she has told us that this is a "quiet" war. Esperanza is railing against the social expectations people have of her―that she will "grow up tame"―but she is doing it with small acts of disobedience. She is not taking huge, offensive, or "loud" actions in this war: she is disobeying by her omissions. Instead of doing the things it is implied that women should do―putting back the chair and picking up the plate―she is simply not doing them.

These facts are also highlighted by her saying that the quiet war is her "own". This is not a big movement that Esperanza has joined. Yes, there is a larger movement that...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

she is inspired byーthe women in the movies, whose power is "her own"ーbut Esperanza is not waging this war like those women. In the movies, the women are beautiful and cruel and "laugh the men away." Esperanza has already told us that she is the "one nobody comes for", so she cannot wage her war by laughing men away. Her disobedience and her rejection of the responsibilities and assumptions will be carried out in her own unique way.

Esperanza also uses the word "begun"; this is only the start of her fight against these inevitabilities. So we can see that her actions at the dinner table are only the commencement of the war; presumably, her disobedience will escalate as in an actual war.

Finally, the word "war" implies a long campaign of many battles. Esperanza is not looking to win a small fight or to avoid one expectation; she is beginning a concerted effort to completely reject all of the expectations placed upon her.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Esperanza says she is the ugly girl in the family, so no husband will come for her. She wants to be powerful like the beautiful women in the movies, so she decides to get her power from a different source: she begins to behave like a man.

Esperanza decides to rebel against the patriarchal society that expects her to suppress her individuality and “grow up tame.” She decides she won’t be “like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain.” This is a powerful
image—waiting for marriage is like waiting for the guillotine, and marriage is a form of slavery. Given the marriages Esperanza sees around her, however, it should not be a surprise that this is how she views marriage.

To fight against the powerful force of machismo, Esperanza decides to wage a “quiet war.” She will not fill the traditional female role. Instead, she will behave like a man, leaving her dishes at the table instead of clearing them away. She is beginning to act like her independent, wild great-grandmother, and that should give us hope. Esperanza lives in a different world where a woman cannot simply be thrown over the shoulder like a sack and forced to marry. She is much more likely to win her war.

Approved by eNotes Editorial