The family of little feet by Sandra Cisneros

¶ … Family of Little Feet" by Sandra Cisneros

"The Family of Little Feet" deals with contemporary concepts at it attempts to show how women are likely to become victims of discrimination in communities which are mainly ran by men. Sandra Cisneros has incorporated her life experiences in "The House on Mango Street," almost considering the book to be a response to the prejudice that she had been treated with across her early years.

When starting to write, Cisneros realized that her position had been somewhat unique, as there had been little to almost no Hispanic-American writers at the time. Her background also contributed to her condition, making it possible for her to transform her memories into literature.

Sandra Cisneros's "The House on Mango Street" is certainly an interesting read relating to the Hispanic community in the U.S. "The Family of Little Feet," from Part VI of the novel, mainly concentrates on the life of Esperanza, and to the problems encountered by a developing Chicana girl. Cisneros is celebrated by critics and fans alike because of her writings and because she is among the first Hispanic-American writers to have attained commercial success. The difficulties that she had encountered growing up in the U.S. And the fact that she had been a Hispanic-American writer in a community dominated by white Americans had materialized in "The House on Mango Street."

In "The Family of Little Feet," Cisneros presents the novel's protagonist, Esperanza, as she has to deal with sexuality in a community that does not welcome the concept. The mother in a family with small feet from Esperanza's neighborhood gives three pairs of high heeled shoes to Esperanza, Rachel, and Lucy. The shoes are a perfect match for the girls, given the fact that the person that gave them had very small feet. Enthusiastic about their new shoes, the girls practice walking in them and are recognized by Mr. Benny, who claims that it is not proper for the girls to be looking like this, since it is dangerous. The girls avoid an altercation as they run away, coming across a boy and a drunk man that are also surprised at their sight. The drunken man even goes as far as wanting to give Lucy a dollar in exchange for a kiss, but the girl is saved by her friends before she gets the chance to consider the opportunity. Cisneros's work is virtually considered to have made it possible for the Hispanic and American societies to coexist in her texts.

In spite of the fact that the U.S. is a country promoting concepts such as equality and diversity, it had not been easy for a Hispanic person to get any attention from U.S. citizens during the second half of the twentieth century. Most Hispanic-American communities live in poverty, either because there are a lot of undocumented immigrants there, or because the white American public tends to discriminate.

Most of Cisneros writings are based on her childhood experiences and address topics like poverty, cultural oppression, self-identity, and the role of women. "If I were asked what I write about," says Sandra Cisneros, "I would have to say I write about the ghosts inside that haunt me." These ghosts-of poverty, sexism, and racism-populate The House on Mango Street, the novel that won Cisneros the Before Colombus American Book Award in 1985 and also won the hearts of thousands of readers across America" (Elizabeth L. Chesla, pp. 1). Even though Hispanics have had to adapt to the American landscape if they wanted to thrive in the U.S., Hispanic communities have done a great job at keeping their customs and traditions.

One can actually say that Cisneros put a lot of her real life experiences into the character of Esperanza. The author has always felt that the men around her have attempted to impose themselves, pressing her to assume a typical female role. This is seen in "The Family of Little Feet" in several instances. Mr. Benny threatens the girls that he'll call the police if they don't leave. Also, he says that it is dangerous for them to be walking around with high-heeled shoes. It is obvious that Cisneros had had trouble developing in a community where women were not necessarily considered equal to men. Certain men have even went as far as comparing women to merchandise, as the drunken man knows that he can take advantage of the girls if he offers to pay them.

Similar to how Cisneros had managed to prevent herself from leading an ordinary life, Esperanza also feels the need to be different, taking advantage of several opportunities to prove this. Wearing high heeled shoes, or wanting to eat in the school's canteen, even though she lived close to the institution, are examples of her wanting to express herself freely.

Across her writing, the public is able to see how Cisneros had been mainly fueled by two factors: her gender and her ethnicity. "The House on Mango Street" has provided the American public with important information relating to the trouble encountered by Hispanic woman in a society that is inclined to discriminate.

While it may seem that Cisneros has been assimilated in the world of American writers, matters are actually different. The author has succeeded in creating her identity as a Mexican-American without having to betray her patriarchal culture by becoming anglicized. She is an example for virtually anyone that has come across great difficulties while attempting to express their cultural identity.