 November 2002
The House on Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros
Do not allow the 1984 original release date of this book lull you into belief that it's a book without merit. There are quite a few books that are revered for their contct that stroke the imagination of readers but still are able to evoke realism.
The House On Mango Street is not only in that class, but is able to continually be on lists as required reading for most collegiate literary classes, as well as a requirement for junior and senior high curricula. It is most often described as a series of lyrical vignettes, but this is a classic tale of a girl who seeks to find a place for herself in her community at the same time she hopes to escape its poverty and repressiveness. It's also a story of Esperanza growing up in a small red house with no front yard in a Hispanic neighborhood of Chicago that everyone has an opinion of but unwilling to give answers. It's about family, racism, oppression, love, and the American immigrant experience makes it a literary darling that transcend time.
Now in its 56th printing, with sales of over 2 million, this book has become both the signature piece and an albatross for its writer, Sandra Cisneros. If for no other reason than to be judged by your last book, the author would continue to reap benefits, thus any follow up would be that of great ecpectations full of empty promise if she doesn't deliver.
What I like about this novel is how the stories flow in a semetric style where the language is so rich and has such beautiful imagery. It makes you feel that you are part of the story! In this case, the author has an incrdible vision because it's composed in a conscious effort to confirm the power of story and to amplify a poor girl's voice. It can be looked upon as non-academic, if not anti-academic stripped of the studied artfulness of something written down to savor when you want to critically think...no wonder it has become a small rich masterpiece of the multicultural canon, and a reason to celebrate freedom for Esperanza to rise up from mediocrity.
Esperanza in needing to be heard, doesn't allow her rundown neighborhood and the world's low expectations of her perceived disposition to keep her from possessing a sense of ownership. To wit: "The house on Mango Street is ours and we don't have to pay rent to anybody, or share the yard with the people downstairs or be careful not to make to much noise, and there isn't a landlord banging on the ceiling with a broom!"
Readers not able to understand how reflective vignettes can tell a powerful story would miss the point here if they're looking for a working plot. This book doesn't need one, and that's why it succeeds. Sandra Cisneros doesn't fool around with philosophical flourishes or unnecessary fluff to illustrate HER point. Reading this book again makes it worthwhile to know that growing up with choices for change is always within reach as long as perseverance can prevail. Add this book to your collection to be read for the benefits of all of the above.
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