The Search for Identity in Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street.

Abstract

The vignettes of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros are about the maturing of a young Chicana and the development of a writer, Esperanza Cordero. Esperanza wants to be a writer and tries to discover the complexity of the dual identity as a Chicana woman. Although she wants to escape the Chicano community, Esperanza wishes to remember the certain aspects of the poor and dirty community. She realizes that she should find it a source of her inspiration. As a writer, she believes that she can find her voice and overcome sexism, classism, and racism. Through telling stories about her own experiences, she can find her own identity as a Mexican American. In the end, Esperanza tries to find a way to bridge the gap between both Chicana women’s American and Mexican identity. (Paichai University)