This essay examines Sandra Cisneros's use of the house as a central symbol in The House on Mango Street. Through the protagonist Esperanza's experiences, the paper traces how the house evolves from a marker of social humiliation and poverty into a complex symbol of self-actualization, creative freedom, and dignity. Drawing on key passages from the novel, the essay explores how encounters with racial and class bias deepen Esperanza's longing for a home of her own, how writing becomes an alternative dwelling, and how Esperanza's mature understanding of the house ultimately centers love and autonomy over mere respectability.
In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros uses the symbol of a house to represent the desire for freedom, self-actualization, the redressing of humiliation, and the gaining of respectability. From the very beginning, the emphasis on the house is clear as the protagonist Esperanza informs us:
"We didn't always live on Mango Street. Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor, and before that we lived on Keeler. Before Keeler it was Paulina, and before that I can't remember. But what I remember most is moving a lot. We had to leave the flat on Loomis quick. The water pipes broke and the landlord wouldn't fix them because the house was too old. . . . We were using the washroom next door and carrying water over in empty milk gallons." (p. 7)
Not only is the house itself important, but the conditions that caused the family to move so often are also worth examining. Because the family could not afford a house of their own, they were forced to move in and out of various dwellings. This situation intensified the desire of the entire family — and most pronouncedly Esperanza — to have a house of their own. Esperanza is a young girl whose sense of self-respect is frequently diminished by the humiliating comments of others. She grows up believing that her sense of self-worth is closely connected with owning a home: a white house "with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence" (p. 8).
This desire is further fueled by the hurtful comments people make regarding her living conditions. A nun at her school frowned as she pointed to Esperanza's house: "You live there? There. I had to look where she pointed — the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the windows so we wouldn't fall out. You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing . . ." (p. 9). These lines demonstrate the racial and social bias that young Esperanza encounters, and it is only natural that she would desire a more decent dwelling in a respectable neighborhood. The nun's gesture of pointing with apparent disgust makes the humiliation directed at the child unmistakable.
The Sister Superior at school is similarly insulting. Her condescending remarks lead Esperanza to feel that people expect all minority members to be living in small, cramped houses: "You don't live far, she says . . . I bet I can see your house from my window. Which one? . . . That one? she said pointing to a row of ugly 3-flats, the ones even the raggedy men are ashamed to go into. Yes, I nodded even though I knew that wasn't my house and started to cry . . ." (p. 43). It seemed the Sister Superior assumed, or at least felt entitled to assume, that all Mexicans lived in such houses. This kind of racial and class prejudice pervades Esperanza's early life and sharpens her longing for a home that commands respect.
Esperanza's happiness and her sense of self-worth are thus closely tied to her house. She wants a bigger, more respectable home in order to affirm her own dignity. As a young child highly sensitive to humiliating comments, she longs for something more decent to call a home: "Only a house quiet as snow, a space for myself to go, clean as paper before the poem" (p. 100). Consumed by the idea of a beautiful house of her own, she finds that the "sad red house" on Mango Street brings her little comfort. She feels she does not truly belong there because it is not the house of her dreams.
It is highly interesting that the house in this novel does not only represent a physical structure but also the imaginary dwelling in the mind that Esperanza escapes to in order to alleviate her anguish. The house is thus a place of escape. When reality becomes too unbearable, Esperanza seeks another dwelling — one that exists in her mind and is produced by her creative skills. This is precisely what prompts her to begin writing. Her creative pursuits help her remain grounded so that she does not feel entirely trapped by the "ghost" of the sad red house: "I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much. I write it down and Mango says goodbye sometimes. She does not hold me with both arms. She sets me free" (p. 101).
"Creative writing becomes Esperanza's alternative refuge"
"Sally and Rafaela reveal house as potential trap"
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1985).
You’re 57% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 2 sections.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.