Identity and Society in The House on Mango Street

Introduction: Bildungsroman and the Theme of Identity

Sandra Cisneros' novel The House on Mango Street, published in 1984, is considered a Bildungsroman — that is, a narrative following the development of a person, tracing the process of transformation from an initial state symbolically representing potentiality to a final one symbolically representing actuality, in the Aristotelian sense of fully achieved and actively manifested potentiality.

This paper analyzes how Esperanza constructs her own identity and becomes aware of it through the various relationships she forms with both boys and girls from a variety of family backgrounds and social statuses. The main theme is the dynamic that occurs in the relationship between the individual and society.

Esperanza, the main character, undergoes a process of growth — literal and spiritual. As she interacts with other boys and girls of her own age, some richer, some poorer, some more permissive and some more conservative, what she achieves is a deeper understanding of her own true values.

At the beginning of the story she is unhappy with her house, a symbol of her social status, because she compares it to the house of a wealthier girl her own age. This discontent arises not necessarily because the other girl's house is more beautiful or would make her happier, but because the other girl seems to embody the ideal of the perfect family. In this context, the perfect house functions as a metaphor for a perfect family. It is worth noting how the concept of family gradually shifts from the actual house to the entire Mango Street, where all the action takes place.

The process through which Esperanza constructs a strong identity for herself is closely connected with issues such as family, economic status, and sexuality. The house is a problem because it was supposed to be the dream home — far better than the old house where nothing worked properly. Reality differs from the promise her parents made, and so she is angry both with reality and with her family. An additional issue readable between the lines is the concept of power.

Through her discontent with the house and her anger toward her family, the young girl expresses resentment toward an origin that affords her little power — financial and therefore social. An element from the author's biography is relevant here: Cisneros' own Mexican-American heritage. When addressing the social status and social power of the young girl, the author may be making a broader point about the conditions Mexican-Americans typically face in the United States. The fact that the girl is named Esperanza is by no means accidental; in Spanish, the word literally means "hope." The novel's denouement — with the girl's positive transformation and growing strength — thus functions as a symbolic future perspective for Mexican-Americans as a whole.

Social Relationships and Awareness of Class

The first people Esperanza befriends in the neighbourhood are Rachel and Lucy. Because the girls share similar family backgrounds, the relationship forms naturally. Other girls who enter the picture are Alicia and Marin.

As her social relationships develop, so does Esperanza's awareness of her own status — both as a person and as a female. She is confronted with various reactions regarding the place where she lives. Because many people of color live in the neighbourhood, it is considered dangerous and unsuitable by certain segments of society.

The dynamics of these friendships are central to the novel's exploration of social class and belonging. Each relationship teaches Esperanza something new about where she stands in relation to the world around her and what she values in herself.

Sexuality, Morality, and Reputation

Sexuality is another significant theme that slowly develops throughout the book. From the very beginning, the narrator tells us about young Esperanza and her friends wearing high heels as they go out. Naturally, this makes them feel attractive and powerful. Soon, however, the girl has a negative encounter with a figure who embodies religious moral codes: the Mother Superior.

This particular character insinuates things about Esperanza's morality while assuming she comes from the worst house in the neighbourhood. The character has no given name — she is called simply "Mother Superior" — and the reader is meant to understand that it is her status which entirely defines her. She is a symbol of rigidity and intolerance, and although her position ties her to religion, she has nothing to do with religious principles of love for others or open-mindedness.

She also becomes a symbol of the fact that potentially harmful judgments can come from unexpected directions. Another lesson Esperanza takes from the high heels episode is that sex, morality, and reputation are closely intertwined. The Mother Superior is the voice of one segment of society. The lesson arrives at a significant moment: Esperanza likes a boy, the boy likes her, she is aware of it, and she responds when he looks at her.

Conclusion: Maturity, Empathy, and the Meaning of Home

At the end of the book, Esperanza demonstrates a strong empathy for the other people living on Mango Street. This moral responsibility is clear proof of her maturity, as well as of the lesson she has learned: that love and spiritual values are the elements that provide a person with a real house, a real home, a real point of stability, and a source of happiness.

Cisneros' novel ultimately argues that identity is not a fixed possession but a process shaped by community, hardship, and self-awareness. Esperanza's journey — from resentment of her circumstances to an empathetic understanding of those who share them — mirrors the broader experience of finding one's place at the intersection of personal aspiration and collective belonging.

Bibliography

Chesla, E.L. Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street. Google Books. Retrieved December 6, 2009.

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Vintage, Later Printing edition, 1991.

Novel Units. The House on Mango Street. 2006.

"Sandra Cisneros." Retrieved December 6, 2009 from http://www.sandracisneros.com/