Prompt:
Prompt 2 is about how three women have influenced Esperanza. These three women are Alicia, Sally and Marin. These three women influence and inspire her to leave Mango Street independent and on her own. The reason why is because these three women all make huge mistakes in life that eventually add up to change Esperanzas mindset.In the end they all contributed to Esperanza's successful escape of Mango Street.
Essay:
The initial grade of my final essay was an 80 and i did not revise my essay. Skills that i feel like i really mastered is to avoid past tense in my writing, thanks to Jill. Skill's that i should still work on are keeping things on the same track and not going into other directions. Why is because when i go over past writings i notice that it's like a run off sentence. It doesn't really make sense and you can't understand the main point.
Johnson 1
Joseph Johnson
Humanities ½
21 Oct. 2014
The Life on Mango Street
Bob marley has once said these legendary words”Get up, Stand up, Get up, Stand up, Dont give up the fight”.Esperanza is the first woman to “get up” and fight for her right to get out of Mango Street. Esperanza is the main character, the protagonist in The House on Mango Street.Within the written passages of this novella, Esperanza the last light of hope, the unsung hero for the women living on mango street.Since she is thrived and motivated to not be another sad latina who has failed in life, Esperanza learns from the mistakes of others like Sally and Alicia. She uses this information to fuel her desperately burning fire of getting out of Mango Street.
Sally has a large positive influence on Esperanza with her negative and foolish choices.One great example is when Esperanza says, “But Sally doesn’t tell about that time he hit her with his hands just like a dog,she said,like if I was an animal.He thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed.Just because I’m a daughter,then she doesn’t say”(Cisneros 92).But, there are still more things to discuss. Sally’s actions have a big influence on Esperanza,because she has the ability to leave, but chooses to escape by getting married. Esperanza further more narrows down her options of escaping Mango Street. Because Sally get’s married to a older man, this proves she was just looking for another caretaker instead of a true love. Sally’s life is still in despair because her “escape” is really just another trap. Her new husband does the same thing her father did to her when Sally was still living on Mango Street, he puts her under total control and is very abusive. Indeed Sally is under oppression because her husband
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won’t let her use the phone, Sally’s friends aren't welcome and Sally isn’t even allowed to sit by the window.Further more, Sally’s choices have a imprint on Esperanza.
Alicia, whose actions have a big impact on Esperanza, is another woman who has helped to shape Esperanza’s personal escape plan with her mindset of escaping life on Mango Street. Alicia has a big influence on Esperanza. She is abused, oppressed, and even sexually assaulted by her own father, but still has the strength and spirit to escape by going to college every day.An example is when Esperanza says”Alicia, whose mama died, is sorry there is no one older to rise and make the lunchbox tortillas. Alicia, who inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart and studies for the first time at the university ”(Cisneros 31). Still Alicia spends all of her spare time studying to follow her dreams, just like how Esperanza writes in her spare time. Alicia was forced to take the role of the family caretaker at a young age. This thrives her even more to escape Mango Street. However, there are more ways that Alicia has influenced Esperanza. Esperanza find’s out Alicia's father is abusive in the qoute, “Is a good girl, my friend, studies all night and sees the mice, the ones her father says do not exist.Is afraid of nothing except four-legged fur. And fathers’(Cisneros 32). In this passage it is clear that her father and the ‘mice’ have something to do with hurting Alicia, thus pushing her to escape Mango Street. But there is still more sad and tortured women living on Mango Street.
Marin, is the third and final character in "The House on Mango Street" who affects Esperanza. Marin makes a big impression on Esperanza, she is under the illusion that a man will soon swoop down and rescue her. This is evident when Esperanza says "Marin says that if she
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stays here next year, she's going to get a real job downtown because that's where the best jobs are, since you always get to look beautiful and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you and take you to live in a big house far away" (Cisneros 26). It is evident in the text that Marin dresses in a very provocative way to attract men, in other words Marin has no self respect. Because of this and bad behavior Marin later would get sent back to her home in Puerto Rico. Because Marin has no self respect, Esperanza later learns that following her footsteps will get her to nowhere but a dead end. Marin leaves a mark on Esperanza, furthermore when Esperanza says "Marin, under the streetlight, dancing by herself, is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life"(Cisneros 27).The passage states that Marin is trying to be noticed, she is waiting for a car, anybody actually just so she can escape. Esperanza picks up a lot from this and develops into the independent person she is now.
Alicia, Sally and Marin play a big role in Esperanzas life with their actions. Sally and Marin are just what Esperanza does not want to be. They are both dependent on a man to get them out instead of being strong and doing it on their own.But Alicia, she is under oppression, abused and mistreated, and still has the courage and the strength to to got to school and follow her dreams so she can escape the lie on Mango Street. Sally influences Esperanza because of how weak she was. Sally used to be a role model for Esperanza, until she lied to her and got married to a much older man. Marin really affects Esperanza. Marin is woman who dresses very provocative, she doesn’t have self respect and expects a man to do everything for her.
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Work Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1981.
Johnson 1
Joseph Johnson
Humanities ½
21 Oct. 2014
The Life on Mango Street
Bob marley has once said these legendary words”Get up, Stand up, Get up, Stand up, Dont give up the fight”.Esperanza is the first woman to “get up” and fight for her right to get out of Mango Street. Esperanza is the main character, the protagonist in The House on Mango Street.Within the written passages of this novella, Esperanza the last light of hope, the unsung hero for the women living on mango street.Since she is thrived and motivated to not be another sad latina who has failed in life, Esperanza learns from the mistakes of others like Sally and Alicia. She uses this information to fuel her desperately burning fire of getting out of Mango Street.
Sally has a large positive influence on Esperanza with her negative and foolish choices.One great example is when Esperanza says, “But Sally doesn’t tell about that time he hit her with his hands just like a dog,she said,like if I was an animal.He thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed.Just because I’m a daughter,then she doesn’t say”(Cisneros 92).But, there are still more things to discuss. Sally’s actions have a big influence on Esperanza,because she has the ability to leave, but chooses to escape by getting married. Esperanza further more narrows down her options of escaping Mango Street. Because Sally get’s married to a older man, this proves she was just looking for another caretaker instead of a true love. Sally’s life is still in despair because her “escape” is really just another trap. Her new husband does the same thing her father did to her when Sally was still living on Mango Street, he puts her under total control and is very abusive. Indeed Sally is under oppression because her husband
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won’t let her use the phone, Sally’s friends aren't welcome and Sally isn’t even allowed to sit by the window.Further more, Sally’s choices have a imprint on Esperanza.
Alicia, whose actions have a big impact on Esperanza, is another woman who has helped to shape Esperanza’s personal escape plan with her mindset of escaping life on Mango Street. Alicia has a big influence on Esperanza. She is abused, oppressed, and even sexually assaulted by her own father, but still has the strength and spirit to escape by going to college every day.An example is when Esperanza says”Alicia, whose mama died, is sorry there is no one older to rise and make the lunchbox tortillas. Alicia, who inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart and studies for the first time at the university ”(Cisneros 31). Still Alicia spends all of her spare time studying to follow her dreams, just like how Esperanza writes in her spare time. Alicia was forced to take the role of the family caretaker at a young age. This thrives her even more to escape Mango Street. However, there are more ways that Alicia has influenced Esperanza. Esperanza find’s out Alicia's father is abusive in the qoute, “Is a good girl, my friend, studies all night and sees the mice, the ones her father says do not exist.Is afraid of nothing except four-legged fur. And fathers’(Cisneros 32). In this passage it is clear that her father and the ‘mice’ have something to do with hurting Alicia, thus pushing her to escape Mango Street. But there is still more sad and tortured women living on Mango Street.
Marin, is the third and final character in "The House on Mango Street" who affects Esperanza. Marin makes a big impression on Esperanza, she is under the illusion that a man will soon swoop down and rescue her. This is evident when Esperanza says "Marin says that if she
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stays here next year, she's going to get a real job downtown because that's where the best jobs are, since you always get to look beautiful and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you and take you to live in a big house far away" (Cisneros 26). It is evident in the text that Marin dresses in a very provocative way to attract men, in other words Marin has no self respect. Because of this and bad behavior Marin later would get sent back to her home in Puerto Rico. Because Marin has no self respect, Esperanza later learns that following her footsteps will get her to nowhere but a dead end. Marin leaves a mark on Esperanza, furthermore when Esperanza says "Marin, under the streetlight, dancing by herself, is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life"(Cisneros 27).The passage states that Marin is trying to be noticed, she is waiting for a car, anybody actually just so she can escape. Esperanza picks up a lot from this and develops into the independent person she is now.
Alicia, Sally and Marin play a big role in Esperanzas life with their actions. Sally and Marin are just what Esperanza does not want to be. They are both dependent on a man to get them out instead of being strong and doing it on their own.But Alicia, she is under oppression, abused and mistreated, and still has the courage and the strength to to got to school and follow her dreams so she can escape the lie on Mango Street. Sally influences Esperanza because of how weak she was. Sally used to be a role model for Esperanza, until she lied to her and got married to a much older man. Marin really affects Esperanza. Marin is woman who dresses very provocative, she doesn’t have self respect and expects a man to do everything for her.
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Work Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1981.