1. Pick one passage that embodies the main concern (theme) of the novel. Write a close reading of the passage exploring how it negotiates the main concern.
“She looked out the window her whole life, the way so any women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window.” pg 11
I felt this passage epitomizes the theme of the novel because early on it sets the tone of the book and gives us an idea of how motivated Esperanza is to leave Mango Street. Esperanza desperately wants a better life than she has. She is a free spirit and her name means hope, and she exudes it. She describes herself as “A balloon tied to an anchor.” She articulately describes the woman in her life who have little to no power over what happens to them, and she vows her life will be different.
Growing up as a Latina Esperanza tells of the hardships and how women had their place. She mentions in the above passage “Was she sorry because she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be?” I believe she is acknowledging women need autonomy from men, something to call their own. She is explaining women can have as much potential as men, if given the opportunity. Many of the women Esperanza comes in contact with end up trapped (figuratively and literally) on in the inside looking out. They were promised a wonderful life, but ended up in either an abusive relationship, abandoned with children, or controlled by their husband. Esperanza has her writing and she believes this is her ticket off Mango Street. As she gets older she realizes as much as she tries to leave Mango Street it will always be a part of her drive to be successful.
Hi Shae,
ReplyDeleteI agree that this discussion of her namesake and the image of the woman waiting by the window is a pivotal scene for Cisneros' theme of female belonging and identity. As you aptly point out, Cisneros wants female futures that are autonomous from men, and the motif of windows reoccurs throughout her work. We see windows as a prison and a potential escape for Rafaela later. And, in Cisneros' introduction to the text, she talks about the importance of windows that let in the sky in a home of her own.