It is the first time Esperanza sees her father cry and she quickly takes charge in order to keep family stability.
The death of Esperanza’s grandmother shakes her family emotionally. This helps Cisneros establish Esperanza’s disproval of large families in addition to her view on the Vargas family. The chapter title, “There Was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn’t Know What to Do” (29), is an example of allusion Cisneros is making a reference to the disorganized family in a popular nursery rhyme. Esperanza’s disproval of a large and disorderly family confirms her support for family unity, which is impossible if the family is too large. It’s not her fault you know, except she is their mother and only one against so many. Rose Vargas’ kids are too many and too much. Esperanza’s obvious distaste for their chaotic and unorganized family structure is distinctly defined she evades the Vargas children throughout the book. The Vargas family is the loud and rude group of the neighborhood. Esperanza sacrifices normal things to keep the family unified. Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor” (9).Ĭisneros uses the metaphor of a red balloon being held down by an anchor to show that Esperanza feels tied down and held back by her siblings, and she wishes she could float and away and be free, like a red balloon.
“Someday I will have a best friend all my own. Esperanza accepts that being the oldest prevents her from having normal things, like a best friend. You don’t pick your sisters, you just get them” (8). She’s just my sister and that was not my fault.
Cisneros uses metaphors, allusion, and symbolism to convey the theme of family unity in The House on Mango Street.Įsperanza, the oldest sister in a large family, often feels repressed because she always needs to be responsible for her younger siblings. She protects her siblings from unhappiness by carrying the burden of death alone. She is a strong believer of family support and disproves of the Vargas’ large chaotic family. As the oldest sister, Esperanza feels responsible for her siblings. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a narrative about the importance of family unity in a neighborhood where families are being torn apart by poverty.
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