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-