Windows- The Final Idea

  What are windows? Sure, they're simply a pane of glass but Sandra Cisneros explains them to be much more figurative.  Group Windows has explained the imagery that came with windows in our previous posts. They have been depicted to be barriers and the way women in the text have tasted a bitter sweet freedom. The list goes on. Despite the elegance in Cisneros' writing, in The House On Mango Street, the last thing Esperanza wants to be next to is a window. In the book, Esperanza never wants to become like her great grandmother, being trapped at the side of a window. Once finishing the book, Group Windows learned that she wont be like her. Esperanza escaped her fate, and jumped from the confinement of the window that trapped almost every woman on Mango Street.

- Josh R. / Armani B. / Andrew N. /Akim C.-

Last but not Least (Windows through the House on Mango Street)

    As we saw in many of Sandra Cisneros' vignettes through the house on mango street windows have been seen as a central idea but with a deeper meaning then we thought at first. As it starts out in "My Name" the window idea is used as a prison from which Esperanza's grandmother could not escape. But in "No Speak English" Mamacita sees the window as a way to let feelings out and meditate on what she has, wants, and left behind. But as we see it progressing like in “Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut and Papaya Juice on Tuesdays” the window is a way to contact the outside world and really think about what could’ve been if she didn’t tie herself to the man her pries her freedom away from her. And in the last viewing of windows in The House on Mango Street in a vignette called “Linoleum Roses” it talks about when sally got married and was so controlled she couldn’t even look out of the window and forced to stare at her house and the walls, the ceilings, and the floor her whole day every day, because she’s scared. In this vignette windows symbolize basically freedom, freedom that most women in this vignette don’t get mainly by getting trapped by men, but thanks to all these examples Esperanza sees what not to do and she’ll eventually leave Mango Street but she’ll always come back to help the helpless.

--Josh.R--

Linoleum Roses: summery

In this Vignette Esperanza's friend, Sally, gets tied down and is trapped by the window at a young age.  she marries a man who worked at a school bazaar before she was ready, before 8th grade. Sally and the man had went to a state where it was legal to marry a young girl. After the wedding they moved in with each other. Sally says that she is happy because her husband works and gives her money yo buy stuff but really she is stuck in the house. her husband gets angry allot and beats her. He also does not let her talk on the phone or have her friends over unless he is at work. "she sits at home because she is afraid to go outside without his permission," as stated in the text means that she is always home and cannot leave the house. but most of all he does not let her look out the window, which does not let her see what she could want. If she does not realizes what she really wants then she will see that everything she does see is what she wants. so every day she looks at the towels, toaster, the alarm clock, drapes, the neat walls and the linoleum roses on the floor.


-Andrew Neils-

Andrew's Vignette- A Growing Feeling for Percussion

Sometimes I look back to that day, in forth grade, and think about the decision I made. As always when you go into a new school you have an assembly for the incoming kids but this assembly was different. We went through the things, that I will find out after years are regularly said at an assembly for incoming students, and at the end they brought up Ms. Zacheis, who showed us all the different instruments you can play in the school. I saw many that I thought sounded cool because my mom said, "pick an instrument that you think sound nice, not one you think is cool." but at the same time I wanted to play the drums, until I listened to the saxophone. It sounded cool and I thought it was cool. I decided that that would be my instrument, but then I heard the Rut-tut-tutting of the snare drum and I liked the sound and thought it was cool too.

I could not decided which one to pick but when they brought out the sheet, it asked for 2 choices, one instrument you definitively wanted to play, and the second was for if the school does not have enough spaces for the instrument you want. I had decided what instrument I wanted to play then and there. it was the instrument I wanted to play after I heard that you can play an instrument in the school, the drums. I wrote down drums first then saxophone second. I think I had made the right choice because right now I am no longer trapped looking through the window of my life because of what drums has done for me, making me able to become my own man who is right now the president of the marching band after being the drum captain. I am making my own decisions now about things but at the same time i have only broken the lock and all I need to do now is wait for the right time to step through the window and be completely free.

-Andrew Neils-

Writer's craft: Symbolism

Sandra Cisneros has used many different kinds of figurative language throughout her book, The House on Mango Street, one figurative language she used is symbolism. This figurative language uses words that go beyond there meanings such as, "looking through there eyes" which means that you are feeling what they feel. one example from Sandra Cisneros' book is the vignette, "My Name."
   In the vignette she explains how Esperanza's great grandmother, also named Esperanza was a free soul who was carried away by her great grandfather. For the rest of  Esperanza's great grandmothers life, she just sits by a window looking out into the world. In this the "Window" does not represent a real window, it represents the window to our soul. if you are looking out the window that means  your soul is trapped and only by opening the window will you be free.

-Andrew Neils-

Armani's Vignette- A New Pair of Eyes

     

     I can remember the day as if it were yesterday, a normal typical summer day. The breeze was nice and the sun beamed over everyone's heads. A better way to top off the beauty was that I was spending a little quality time with my grandma. I could tell just by the looks of how everything was going--today was going to be special. My grandma had mentioned me paying a visit to the local eye doctor, she said,"Today will be the day where you'll stop wearing glasses. Today you will see if you're capable for contact lenses." After those words, a variety of emotions pulsed throughout my body. I didn' t know whether to be excited, nervous or even sad. I wasn't going to wear glasses like I had my whole life, it was going to be a big change. All I knew was that by the end of the day, I was going to look and feel different.
   
    My grandmother and I decided to go to the doctor around noon. Once we arrived, we were welcome by a friendly lady. My grandma then asked if there were any avaliable appointments for me. The nice lady then responded,"Yes! You can see the doctor now, if you'd like." My grandmother responded,"Now is good." Before I knew it, I was taking an eye exam that surprisingly only lasted ten minutes. After the doctor evaluated my eye-sight, he said I was eligible for contact lenses and he explained to my grandma that he was going to send my prescription to a contact lenses company. Now all my grandmother had to do was pay and sign a form saying that she did so; we were coming back tomorrow.
   
     The following day, we returned to the doctor once more. We were greeted by the same friendly woman. She already knew that we had came back to pick up the lenses so she asked for my last name. I responded,"Bishun." The lady then searched for my name and within seconds she had pulled out three boxes. Two were concerning the contact lenses, the other for something called "Eye Care Solution." Before we could leave, I had to try on one of the the lenses. I had to be guided on how to put it on. At first it was a little tough, but then it became a little easier and I got it in. Immediately, I noticed the difference. One eye was clear and the other was blurry. I felt such a weird sensation!  Excited,  I reached for the second one and tried to put it in. Yes! They were both in now. The lady then said,"Great job! Now you can go test them outside." I did just that. Once I got outside, I looked around. My world was so clear and different now. It was as if I was seeing everything in a high definition TV screen. The lenses were like clear windows that opened up my vision to the world. It was amazing! I said to myself I love the new me. Once I got back inside, I told my grandmother the news. I said,"Wow! It felt like my world was just in HD." She starts to laugh and then says,"You think your the man now?" At that moment we both bursted into laughter.


-Armani B.-

"Red Ballon Tied to an Anchor"

        Esperanza once said, "Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor." In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza mentions that "Boys and girls live in separate worlds. The boys in their universe and we in ours." This quote gives the reader the impression that boys and girls both have their restrictions. For boys, Esperanza talks about her brothers as an example, and says that they can't be seen speaking to girls outside of the house. Therefore, both Carlos and Kiki, her brothers, are each other's best friend as far as anyone else is concerned.  On the other hand, Esperanza is limited to her interactions with other boys and girls. Nenny is Esperanza’s responsibility, being that she is older, so she can't have a best friend. In the book, Esperanza says, "Someday I will have a best friend all my own. One I can tell my secrets to. One who will understand my jokes without me having to explain them. Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor." I think Esperanza means that her interactions with others are limited due to the responsibilities she has being an older sister. Nenny is not an ideal friend to Esperanza because she's immature, which means her mind probably wouldn't understand or connect to Esperanza's sayings or doings. Her actions as well won’t appeal to Esperanza’s knowledge.  In the story, Esperanza displays herself as a red balloon that is tied to an anchor. Esperanza is the red-balloon and the anchor is Nenny.

      
      I can relate to Esperanza. Sometimes when I have plans to go out with my friends, I get caught up with the problem of having to babysit my siblings. Other times, I may be occupied with a project or some sort and I'm really busy with it, but then my mother orders me to stop what I'm doing and go help one of my brothers out with his homework. You could say that I have felt the emotions of what Esperanza is going through. It is a tough time, but after a while you get so use to the feelings. To the point that it’s a part of your daily routine. I just hope that as the story progresses, Esperanza will find a solution to her absence toward social interaction.

  

     - Armani B. -

No Speak English: Summary

   
  

   In this vignette it depicts the struggles of a woman getting tied down by a man. This is similar to Esperanza's great grandmother shown in the earlier passage “My Name.” "Mamacita,” the central character in No Speak English just came to the country. Before her arrival, her husband was struggling with their baby and juggling two jobs to get "Mamacita" to the U.S. While she’s in the U.S her husband works all day and she sits at home waiting for his return with her child, staring out the window. Mamacita's son is described to break her heart because he already speaks English, while she can only say "No speak English." In the text it states she sits by the window crying because she was homesick, this is shown when the author says “She sits all day by the window and plays the Spanish radio show and sings all the homesick songs about her country in a voice that sounds like a seagull." This idea is shown by Mamacita staring out the window to the street, imaging what she can't have.


-Josh R.-

Women by Windows

In The House On Mango Street windows are used as one of the central images. Esperanza's great-grandmother was forced into the traditional life of a wife. Her only way to deal with being trapped in her home was to look out of a window to the world she couldn't go out to. In the following vignettes women by windows are often seen. Rafeala is another girl depicted being by a window. The vignette she appears in is Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut and Papaya Juice, this story shows her to be a girl who's husband believes her to be too beautiful to let out of the house.

The rest of the book includes a variety of other characters who do the same, including Minerva, Sally and Mamacita. If there was one thing they all had in common despite looking out of windows, it would be the trapped lives they shared.
-Akim C.-

The Writer's Craft: Allusion

In The House On Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros uses a number of themes to conduct her unique writing style. The use of allusions is one of the many. This technique uses slight hints and indirect references to connect the story to an outside idea. A prime example of this in the text is in the vignette The Monkey Garden. In this chapter Esperanza leaves her childhood behind her after being introduced to the maturity that her friends were showing. In the text Sally plays a game with other boys that involves kissing--Esperanza finds it wrong and tells Sally's mother but she responds in a nonchalant way. Becoming frustrated, Esperanza retreats to the Monkey Garden's tallest tree where she wishes she'd die. The only thing that died would be her childish self. Suddenly the garden became "Not so fun anymore."

When reading this story the allusion seen is a reference made to the famous story "The Garden Of Eden." The Monkey Garden passage includes the setting of a large garden with a tree that seems to grant wishes. In the Garden Of Eden, Adam & Eve sin by daring to eat an apple from the tree they were forbidden to take from. After doing so, the pair were banished from the paradise. In likelihood to The Monkey Garden, Esperanza never came back to the garden as if she took an apple from the tree.

-Akim C.-

Who Let the Dogs Out? -A Vignette

My family didn't always have a pet. The idea of one always seemed much too crazy to even consider. To this day, I can't recall how the minds of two clean freak parents were convinced to get a pet or a dog for that matter. The only thing that I can remember is just how weird your first time meeting a real dog can be, especially when it just so happens to be the same size as you. That and the pressure of picking out the one you actually want.

After choosing my dog, Sunny, I'd soon find out that getting him to settle down for the car ride home was going to be the real challenge. For the rest of the drive, his saliva covered my face as his tongue sprang from his mouth like a grandfather clock striking noon. It almost felt as if I were in one of those Beethoven movies. I didn't mind, surprisingly. I had the same bubbly feeling in my stomach when I make a new friend. It felt right, it felt good. 

-Akim C.-

A Decieving Roadtrip- A Vignette

  I recall being twelve years old and my family and I were trudging through a difficult time. We had just moved from Texas all the way to Spring Valley which forced us to face a major change in comparison to our old neighborhood. Since my dad was a truck driver he often took me with him in the summer to venture along the eastern coast of the U.S. Since we already relocated to New York he paid my family and I a visit, then a trip back to Texas--making deliveries along the way for just about a week. I loved spending time with my dad because we seldom spent any real time with each other. I spent maybe a few accumulated days just staring out the old Peterbilt window, driving, day and night alike, allowing my imagination to save me from boredom.

Despite talking, laughing, eating and sleeping I didn't get anything done during the trip. The only  actual fun I had was at a stop in a city we took. The place was to my surprise, enjoyable. They had theaters, arcades and some really good old fashion buffets. I'd soon find out it was all too good to be true. Breaking from my young and naive dream, I had figured why I was even on the trip in the first place. My dad wanted to have a serious talk with me about the problems he was facing with my mother. If that wasn't bad enough, he then asked me which of my parents I wanted to live with. I had to pick my mother, because i knew my father wasn't as reliable as i needed him to be. But on the other hand  knew with or without my father a mothers love is always consistent and she always found a way to make ends meet, and I knew where ever I went he would still support me and visit.

After all this, I noticed I really like reflecting on myself and my troubles and just how I deal with them. I enjoyed looking out the window and staring out to the empty road. It gives me time to think seriously and flex my imagination--break from my shell and really learn about myself. The method hasn't failed yet.

-Josh R.-

Gil's Furniture Bought & Sold

             -Armani B.-

     In this vignette, Esperanza and her sister, Nenny take a visit to a local junk store, owned by an old man named Gil. Both of them are very familiar with the store because they once purchased a used refrigerator and other used junk from there. The building is described to be small with a single dirty window that is used as a primary light source. The only time Gil turns on the actual lights is when someone has money to buy to things. Therefore, the place is often dark. The store is filled with TVs that probably don’t even work, dusty old sofas, stacks of upside down chairs, and other pre-owned products. 

   The owner is an old black man who doesn't talk much. He just sits about and observes all movement that occurs in the store. Nenny, who has faith in her intelligence socializes with the old man and asks him a lot of questions. On the other hand, Esperanza keeps quiet. Gil then, shows Nenny an old music box and Nenny becomes fascinated with it. Esperanza then, starts to visualize the box as a pretty one with flower illustrations on it, and a ballerina in its contents. To her surprise, it was just a wooden box with brass in it, but still manages to play an unrecognizable tune. Esperanza remains quiet as the music box plays, pretending to not like the wooden box because she doesn’t want her sister to notice how foolish she looked. Her little sister wanting to buy the box, but Gil shuts her down. "This one isn't for sale”, he says.

    The music box was seemingly cherished by the owner, clearly proven as he didn't want to give up the item. The box more or likely was accompanied with several important memories he couldn't afford to give up. One thing that caught my attention in this vignette was that the junk store used windows as a source of light, rather than electricity. I believe that here the windows represent the border between reality and imagination. The darkness of the store giving Esperanza the means to call upon her thoughts. Such as "The TVs stacked high create a maze in the store." I think that the window is also recognized as a new life for Esperanza and the darkness or depression that she’s facing now.

My Name

Esperanza's culture calls for a traditional role for woman starting an early age--she was never fond of the idea. Being born in the Chinese year of the horse, she is expected to have a bucking spirit of one. Her grandmother was a prime example. Esperanza was named after her grandmother who was forced into that life by her husband. She'd rest her sadness on her elbow, and gaze out of a window.

The mention of windows in this passage depicts how it acted as a barrier from the outside world and how gazing out of it from the confines of a house provides the hunger for freedom with a bittersweet reality. This is the life Esperanza hopes to avoid and she seeks to do so by changing her name to one that fits her true self. Change it to something that her friends wouldn’t laugh at, something like "Zeze the X."

I can relate to her troubles. As a kid my name would be often be mispronounced or made fun of. For some reason I'd want to rename myself to Christian, my middle name. As time went by I found pride in it--as the story progresses Esperanza does the same as she matures.

-Akim C.-

The House on Mango Street

In the House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the main character, Esperanza is a poor Latina girl who hates the house that she moved in to. She feels that it's pale in comparison to the commercial homes she's seen. The homes with a big front yard and big beautiful windows you can look out of, without the dirty eyes of people looking back. One of her descriptions of the house on Mango Street was "The windows are so small you'd think that they were holding their breath".  The rest of the story includes just how she endures it all and manages to cope with her chronic desire to wriggle free from the clutches of poverty and to mature as she sees her older peers are.

-Akim C. / Josh R. / Armani B.-