Copyofthmessay

Yadhira Linares
Ms. Shaffer
English 1 GATE
27 September 2016
Self-Definition
Have you ever felt lost in your own skin? Defining oneself can be challenging, especially
at a young age. This situation resembles how Esperanza feels. Esperanza is the main character in
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. She is a young girl around the age of twelve
who lives in Chicago on Mango Street. Esperanza moves into the house her parents recently
purchased and described so eagerly, but is disappointed to see the actual place. Due to living on
Mango Street, Esperanzas perspective widens as she experiences things, furthermore, matures
over time. In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza is seen to struggle with self-definition as
shown with examples of her own experiences. The first being, feeling uncomfortable with her
name, secondly, having ill thoughts due to feeling unwanted, worthless, and undefined, and
lastly, wanting to escape Mango Street for various reasons.
Names are a great part of defining yourself. This is not how Esperanza feels; she feels out
of place with her name. Esperanza states, I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a
name more like the real me, the one nobody else sees (11). This quote reinforces the idea that
Esperanza feels like a ghost, undefined. The physical parts of her are not the real her; nobody
else sees who she truly is. This quote highlights that Esperanza feels uncomfortable with her
name and is having trouble with her self definition. She feels like the name is defining her, she is
not defining her name. In modern times, by the time a person realizes who they really are, others
have sometimes already made headlines, but it is never too late to change. In other words, they
have expectations and sometimes those expectations trigger something in the persons mind, like
should I show my real personality or this is not the real me.
Esperanza goes through a lot of challenges, one of them being self-definition. She
struggles with it throughout the year and has ill thoughts toward the end. Esperanza states, This
where I wanted to die and where I tried one day but not even the monkey garden would take me
(pg.96). This quote reveals that Esperanza feels unwanted and worthless because nobody accepts
her, therefore committed a suicidal act. An examination of this quote reveals that she feels
desperate to get to know her real identity, but is tired to possibly search so much since self
definition can be a long process. Everyday people who are comfortable with themselves would
not commit suicidal acts just for fun.
Esperanza often talks about her dream house, like the ones shown on television, but is
disappointed after she perceives her familys financial circumstance. This idea becomes so
personal that it begins to have an effect on her character identification. Esperanza states, Before
Keeler it was Paulina, but what I remember most is Mango Street, sad red house, the house I
belong to but do not belong to (110). This quote clarifies that she wants to escape Mango Street
because the house is holding her back. This point is noteworthy because it shows how something
as materialistic as a house can be an obstacle to self definition, turning it into a difficult process
as seen with Esperanza. Even in this generation our surroundings define us. For example, what
do we think of people who live in dangerous cities? As humans, our senses make us believe the
people there are dangerous and nefarious, but that is only a stereotype. As the readers can tell,
Esperanza feels like she has to be a certain way due to her surroundings. She wants to escape and
release herself from her cage of desperation.
Esperanza feels undefined throughout the whole book. The first reason being, feeling that
her name is defining her. The second is feeling worthless and unwanted, which results in ill
thoughts. Last, but not least, feeling that her surroundings hold her back. Since Esperanza
demonstrates how self definition can be challenging, what will you do to make society more
accepting?
Cited Works
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Arte Pblico Press, 1984.
Rubric rating submitted on: 10/2/2016, 11:54:40 AM by ashley.shaffer@salinasuhsd.org

2
Hook
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Background Evidence
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Your score: 2
Thesis
Your score: 1
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Topic Sentence 1
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Says 1
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Means 1
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Matters 1
Your score: 1
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Topic sentence 2
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Says 2
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Means 2
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Matters 2
Your score: 1.5
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Topic Sentence 3
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Says 3
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Means 3
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Matters 3
Your score: 1.5
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Restate Thesis
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Review Evidence
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Universal Connection
Your score: 1.5
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Evidence
Formatted/Cited
Correctly
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Your score: 2
Evidence Clearly
Connects to Thesis
Your score: 1.5
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Comments:
M.U.G.: 10/10
Rubric rating submitted on: 10/10/2016, 5:11:04 PM by ashley.shaffer@salinasuhsd.org
2
Hook
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Background Evidence
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Thesis
Your score: 1.5
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Topic Sentence 1
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Says 1
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Means 1
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Matters 1
Your score: 1.5
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Topic sentence 2
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Says 2
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Means 2
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Matters 2
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Topic Sentence 3
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Says 3
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Means 3
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Your score: 2
Matters 3
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Restate Thesis
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Review Evidence
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Universal Connection
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Evidence
Formatted/Cited
Correctly
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Evidence Clearly
Connects to Thesis
Your score: 2
Present
Partially Present
Absent
Comments:
M.U.G.: 10/10

Copyofthmessay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Copyofthmessay

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Copyofthmessay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Yadhira Linares

Rubric rating submitted on: 10/2/2016, 11:54:40 AM by ashley.shaffer@salinasuhsd.org

You might also like