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  • Essay / The Effects of Community on Esperanza's Life in The House on Mango Street

    The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is an illustration of the problems faced by Latina women in a culture fraught with racism, prejudice and of discrimination. Society as depicted in the book is male dominated, where women are generally praised for their physical characteristics; However, Latina women are treated without equality, absolutely as second-rate beings. The ultimate goal of the novel is to depict the challenges and issues that Latina women face every day, but at the same time show the sense of duty one feels in caring for the community and one's loved ones. As such, Cisneros best describes the effect of community through stigma, events in Esperanza's life, and feelings that develop into a sense of community and obligation of duty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Cisnero portrays women as the objects of counterparts in their relationships. This objectification takes place for women as daughters, employers, girlfriends or even friends. Women are raised to believe that their physical appearance is what matters most in life. The book describes how women are expected to be faithful to their spouses while their male counterparts have complete control over all aspects of relationships. The main character, Esperanza, is portrayed differently from the other female characters. She was raised to settle for the same role as the rest of the women, but surprisingly, that's not the case. Esperanza realizes that she wants to break away from slavery and live real life. The level of concern for physical appearance exhibited by Latina women in the novel can be considered extreme. Women think that if they are not particularly sexually attractive, they will not get the attention they need for life from men. Since a woman's role is to be welcomed, supported, and controlled by a man, she feels the need to make herself attractive enough to be desired for that role. All the women in the community are raised to believe that they are powerless without men. Esperanza seeks to free herself from the role imposed on her by the community, while dreaming of a society where men are controlled. She also hopes, in the future, to reach out to the community to teach them how to free themselves from their bonds. Stigma is one area Esperanza uses to show the effects of community, but another powerful tool she uses is the perspective of her personal life as she grows and forms connections. Cisneros depicts Esperanza growing both physically and mentally. The story traces events such as the development of his social life, puberty, his first feelings for a person of the opposite sex and his interest in writing. Esperanza's writing allows her to express herself while providing comfort and a sense of freedom, this is evident in "Jump and somersault like an apostrophe and a comma" (Cisneros 71). The stories she writes give a better picture of the neighborhood and also show how many lines of action she can take. Shortly after moving into a new house, Esperanza makes two Latina friends who live nearby. All girls reach puberty and in some cases already find themselves sexual targets from various members of the community. “Officially” Esperanza begins puberty that summer when she becomes interested in men who watch her dance. After the death of two close family members, Esperanza.