Hopes and Dreams

In “The House on Mango Street” Esperanza describes several hopes and dreams she has for herself. The main dream she has is to live in a house she can call home. She has a feeling she does not actually belong in the places she lives. Her house on Mango Street is an actual house, but because it is not the house she had envisioned, she felt disappointed. The vignette  “Hips” describes her dream of becoming a woman, and the stereotypes she associates with that. Her desires to grow up are evident throughout several vignettes, similar to many girls when they are young. they want to have a purpose, and the one set in her mind of being a mother seems the most popular. Finally, in the vignette “Born Bad,” she reads one of the poems she had written:

 I want to be

like the waves on the sea,
like the Clouds in the wind,
but I’m me.
One day I’ll jump
out of my skin.
I’ll Shake the sky
like a hundred violins.

This poem is the best example of Esperanza's yearning to be someone greater than who she is at this moment. She knows for a fact that she is destined for greatness, and although she may have dreams of becoming a mother, she aspires for more than just that.

Several dreams of Esperanza's friends also appear throughout the vignettes that have a way of influencing her. For example, a majorly influential person to Esperanza was her Aunt Lupe, who inspired her to continue writing. Aunt Lupe had a successful dream, of becoming a swimmer, before the disease took her. Aunt Lupe made Esperanza realize there is more to life for a woman than simply becoming a housewife, and wants to follow similar footsteps to become a successful writer.

Death and Growth

Death: A simple, one-syllable word, yet a difficult concept to grasp, especially in the mind of 12-year-old Esperanza. The vignette “There Was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn’t Know What to Do” may have a lengthy title, but her explanation for Angel’s death very sudden. Esperanza’s awe for this moment seems to override her actual understanding for what happened. This viewpoint alters in “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” from awe to confusion. The news of her grandpa’s death from her own crying Papa makes her think more about the situation, how to act, how to tell her siblings, and even what life would be like if her Papa died. This realization of death alone explains how much Esperanza has matured already in the book. She has gone from innocent, child-like thoughts to being more mature and coming to know her morals and values.