Summary
Sandra Cisneros's 1984 novel The House on Mango Street is a seminal work of Chicano literature. Through a series of vignettes, the book follows young Esperanza Cordero as she comes of age in a Hispanic neighborhood of Chicago. Drawing on Cisneros's experiences growing up Mexican American, the novel poignantly explores themes of identity, belonging, gender roles, and the immigrant experience.
Though just over 100 pages, The House on Mango Street has had an outsized cultural impact. It has sold more than six million copies, been translated into more than 20 languages, and become required reading in many schools across the United States. The novel's lyrical prose and unflinching look at issues like poverty, domestic violence, and sexual assault have garnered critical acclaim as well as spurred some controversy. Esperanza's coming-of-age story continues to resonate with readers.
Plot
The House on Mango Street follows a year in the life of Esperanza Cordero, a 12-year-old Chicana girl growing up in a poor Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. Esperanza and her family have just moved to a small, run-down house on Mango Street, which falls far short of the “real house” they've always dreamed of owning. Though it's an improvement from their previous apartment, Esperanza feels ashamed of their new home and longs to have a house she can be proud of.
Through a series of vignettes, Esperanza describes her family, neighbors, and experiences on Mango Street. She befriends several other girls in the neighborhood, including Sally, who wears provocative clothing and makeup. Esperanza begins to notice boys and experience sexual feelings, but she also witnesses the oppression many women in her community face from controlling husbands and fathers. She vows that she will someday leave Mango Street and have a house of her own.
As Esperanza matures, she faces several traumatic experiences, including being sexually assaulted at a carnival and kissed by an older man at her first job. She sees how many women in her neighborhood are trapped by poverty, abuse, and cultural expectations. Esperanza finds solace in writing poetry and stories, dreaming of one day becoming a writer. She befriends an older neighbor named Alicia, who attends university and encourages Esperanza's ambitions.
By the end of the novel, Esperanza has grown and changed significantly. Though she still dreams of escaping Mango Street, she realizes the neighborhood has shaped her identity and will always be a part of her. She vows that after she leaves to pursue her dreams, she will return to help those she's left behind. The book ends with Esperanza's determination to “go away to come back” and tell the stories of her community.
Themes
Coming of age and loss of innocence
Gender roles and female empowerment
Identity and belonging
Poverty and socioeconomic inequality
Cultural identity and assimilation
Dreams and aspirations
Home and community
Setting
The House on Mango Street is set in the early 1980s in a working-class Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. While the exact date is not specified, the story takes place over approximately one year as the protagonist, 12-year-old Esperanza Cordero, enters adolescence. The setting reflects the urban, multicultural landscape of Chicago during this era, with a focus on the experiences of Mexican American immigrants and their children.
The primary setting is Mango Street, a rundown neighborhood where Esperanza's family has recently moved. Their small, crumbling red house stands in stark contrast to Esperanza's dreams of a white house with trees. The street is populated by other Hispanic families living in similar modest homes and apartments. Key locations include the local shops, schools, and community spaces like vacant lots where neighborhood children play.
Esperanza’s world remains largely confined to her immediate neighborhood, underscoring themes of limited opportunities and cultural insularity. The claustrophobic urban setting, with its lack of nature and open spaces, fuels Esperanza's yearning to escape to somewhere better.
Characters
Esperanza Cordero: The protagonist and narrator. A 12-year-old Latina girl growing up in a poor Chicago neighborhood who dreams of having her own house and becoming a writer. Esperanza struggles with her identity as she comes of age, observes the women around her, and seeks to forge her own path.
Nenny (Magdalena) Cordero: Esperanza's younger sister. She is described as having “slippery hair” and being very different from Esperanza.
Mama: Esperanza's mother. She is described as having hair like “little rosettes” and encourages Esperanza to stay in school. Intelligent and talented, she regrets not pursuing more education and opportunities for herself.
Papa: Esperanza's father. He works hard to support the family but is not described in much detail.
Sally: Esperanza's beautiful but troubled friend. She wears makeup and provocative clothing, attracting male attention. Sally has an abusive father and marries young to escape her home life but ends up in another controlling relationship.
Marin: An older girl who babysits her cousins and dreams of finding a husband to take her away. She gives the younger girls advice about boys and makeup.
Quick facts
The House on Mango Street was originally published in 1984 by Arte Público Press, a small Hispanic publishing house in Texas.
Sandra Cisneros wrote much of the book while attending the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she felt out of place as one of the few students of color.
The character of Esperanza is loosely based on Cisneros's experiences growing up in Chicago, though the author says the book is not strictly autobiographical.
The novel is composed of 44 short vignettes, some only a paragraph or two long.
The House on Mango Street has sold more than six million copies and has been translated into 20 languages.
The book is frequently taught in US schools yet has faced several challenges and attempts at banning due to its mature themes.
In 2012, teachers and activists formed a “librotraficante” caravan to distribute the book in Arizona after it was removed from school curriculums.
Cisneros has stated she wanted the prose style to be accessible to working-class readers with little time to devote to reading.
The House on Mango Street won the American Book Award in 1985.
A 25th anniversary edition was published in 2008 with a new introduction by Cisneros reflecting on the book's legacy.
The novel was adapted into a well-received stage play that premiered in Chicago in 2009.
In 2020, the production company Gaumont purchased the rights to produce a television miniseries based on the book.
About the Author
Sandra Cisneros is a prominent Mexican American writer and poet. Born in Chicago in 1954, Cisneros grew up as the only daughter among seven children, an experience that influenced her writing and shaped her perspective as a Chicana feminist. She is best known for her 1984 novel The House on Mango Street, a coming-of-age story drawing on her childhood in Chicago's Latino neighborhoods, an international bestseller that has become required reading in many American schools. Other notable works include the short story collection Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991) and a volume of poems, My Wicked Wicked Ways (1992).
Cisneros's writing style is characterized by poetic prose with feminist themes, exploring the challenges faced by Latina women in the United States. She often incorporates Spanish words and phrases into her English writing, creating a unique bilingual voice. Her work tackles complex social issues through seemingly simple characters and situations, inviting readers to look beyond the surface and recognize larger societal processes. Central themes in her work include the construction of Chicana identity, female sexuality, the challenges of living between two cultures, and the concept of home and belonging.
Throughout her career, Cisneros has received numerous awards and honors, including the Lannan Literary Award, the American Book Award, a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the National Medal of Arts, and the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. She remains active in supporting other writers through initiatives like the Macondo Foundation, which she founded to nurture writers working on cultural and geographic borders.
