The House on Mango Street
- author's website
- Article about the terms Hispanic and Latino
- Sandra Ciscneros reads Beautiful and Cruel
- Actors perform scenes from the book
- more scenes
- actors perform My Name
- Ciscneros relates the book to her life
- Ciscneros discusses the 25 yr anniversary of the book
While we are reading much of this book in class, I realize that for some of you the at home reading might be challenging. For those of you who might be struggling with this book, please consider using the following to support your reading:
- Audiobook (it isn't free)
- While most of the vocabulary in this book is straight forward, if you have trouble with any of it, you might choose to reference this list of words.
- Mark confusing or interesting parts with a sticky note and then when we talk about the reading in class, be sure to raise your hand to ask about or comment on the part you marked.
- Look over these study questions before reading each chapter and listen for the answer to the question as you read.
Study Questions
- Where did the narrator live before she moved to The House on Mango Street? How were her previous homes different?
- In what kind of house would she like to live? Does her new home live up to her expectations? Why not? "Hairs"
- Who are the members of Esperanza's family? "My Name"
- After whom was Esperanza named? What does her namesake's story tell you about the status of women in Mexican society? "Cathy Queen of Cats"
- Why is Cathy's family about to move? "Our Good Day"
- How does Esperanza make friends with Lucy and Rachel? What makes them better friends than Cathy? "Marin"
- Who is Marin? Why is she unable to leave her house? How does she plan to change her situation? Why do Esperanza and her friends admire her? "Those Who Don't"
- How do outsiders see Esperanza's neighborhood? How does Esperanza feel when she visits other neighborhoods? "There Was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn't Know What to Do"
- Why does Rosa Vargas cry every day? Why do her children misbehave? What happens to her son Angel? "Alicia Who Sees Mice"
- How does Alicia's father treat her efforts to get an education? "The Family of Little Feet"
- What happens to Esperanza when she and her friends are given some cast-off shoes? How do the shoes change them? What effect do they have on the men in the neighborhood? "A Rice Sandwich"
- Why does Esperanza want to eat in the school canteen? How does she get her mother to help her? "Hips"
- What are the girls doing as they talk about hips? What are hips good for? What does their conversation tell you about their ages? "The First Job"
- Why does this story have a misleading title? What happens to Esperanza on her first day at work? What does this episode tell you about her family and their expectations? "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark"
- Why does Esperanza's father cry? How does his crying make her feel? "Born Bad"
- What happens to Aunt Lupe? Why does Esperanza believe she deserves to go to hell? What special relationship did Esperanza have with her aunt? "Geraldo No Last Name"
- Why does Geraldo have no last name? From the information Cisneros provides, do you believe that his death was inevitable? "Sire"
- Why is Esperanza afraid of Sire? What do her parents think of him? Why is she so curious about what he does with Lois, and why does this curiosity make her feel as though "everything is holding its breath inside me" [73]? "No Speak English"
- What eight English words—or, really, phrases—does Mamacita know? What do they tell you about the ways in which Mexican immigrants relate to the "official," English-speaking culture outside their communities? "Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays"
- What is making Rafaela grow old? Who was Rapunzel, and why would Rafaela dream of having hair like hers? "Sally"
- Describe the relationship between Sally and her father. How do her schoolmates see her? What transformation takes place when Sally comes home? "Minerva Writes Poems"
- Why does Minerva write poems? Why is she black and blue when she comes to visit Esperanza? "Bums in the Attic"
- What does Esperanza's father do for a living? Why has Esperanza stopped joining her family on their Sunday outings? "Beautiful & Cruel"
- What is the nature of Esperanza's "quiet war" [89]? Against whom—or what—is she fighting? "A Smart Cookie"
- How would you categorize the things Esperanza's mother knows? What things might she not know that Esperanza does? Why do you think she left school? "The Monkey Garden"/"Red Clowns"/"Linoleum Roses"
- How does the Monkey Garden change? What does Sally do that makes Esperanza so angry? From whom is she trying to save her? What eventually happens to Sally? How does Esperanza feel about her marriage? "The Three Sisters"
- How does Esperanza meet the three sisters? What kind of future do they predict for her? What is the responsibility they place on her? "Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes"
- How does the ending of The House on Mango Street complete a circle?