1. "The House on Mango Street"
In describing her house, or where she lives, what does Esperanza convey
about her self-identity? How is the description of her house different
from other information about her and her family’s identity, such as a
name, an occupation, or a physical description?
2. "Hairs"
What binds the family together in The House on Mango Street?
3. "My Name"
What does Esperanza find shameful or burdensome about her name? Why
might Cisneros have chosen this name for her protagonist?
4. "Cathy Queen of Cats"
Why is Cathy’s family about to move, and what does this mean to
Esperanza?
5. "Our Good Day"
At this stage of her life, what are Esperanza’s friendships based on,
and what do her friends mean to her? Does she fit in with an older or
younger crowd, and how does she feel about her place in the social
hierarchy?
6. "Laughter"
What common traits does Esperanza share with Nenny, and how does she
distinguish herself from Nenny?
7. "Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold"
What makes Esperanza want the music box, and why is she ashamed of
wanting it? How does her reaction to the box differ from Nenny’s
reaction, and what does this difference tell the reader about the
difference between the two girls? As in "Hairs" and "Laughter," how does
Esperanza separate herself from her family?
8. "Meme Ortiz"
How do the residents of Mango Street interact with one another?
9. "Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin"
How do Esperanza’s vivid similes such as those in this story ("the nose
of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an alligator’s" [p. 25]) or
those in "Laughter" ("ice cream bells’ giggle" or laughter "like a pile
of dishes breaking" [p. 17]) set the tone throughout the novel? As
Esperanza matures, does her use of simile change?
10. "Marin"
Does Marin dream of sex, romance or love, or all three? What are her
goals? How does Esperanza position herself vis-á-vis Marin, and what is
her opinion of Marin? Can she identify with Marin, and how might Marin
be or not be a role model for Esperanza?
11. "Those Who Don’t"
How does Esperanza’s view of herself compare to her perception of how
others view her?
What is the picture of the neighborhood that
Esperanza paints for the reader? Does this picture change the reader’s
perception of the neighborhood from this point on in the book?
12. "There Was an Old Woman..."
Like "Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays," the title
of this story is long and filled with detail. What do these and other
titles in the book convey about the people and the life surrounding
Esperanza? What kind of tone do these longer titles set for the story?
What do they suggest about Esperanza’s character? How are children
regarded in Esperanza’s community?
13. "Alicia Who Sees Mice"
How has Esperanza’s relationships with Alicia changed since "Cathy Queen
of Cats"? How does Esperanza’s portrait of Alicia compare to her
portrait of Marin? What do these portraits indicate about the
differences between the two girls, and about Esperanza herself?
14. "Darius & the Clouds"
How does Esperanza keep her dreams alive? Does she hold any religious
beliefs?
15. "And Some More"
What is the importance of names? How does Esperanza portray names in
this story in comparison to her own name in "My Name"? How has her
narrative voice changed from that earlier story?
16. "The Family of Little Feet"
To what degree is Esperanza aware of sex and sexuality? What does this
indicate to the reader about her age?
17. "A Rice Sandwich"
What kind of person is Esperanza? What does the reader learn from this
story about her strengths and weaknesses?
18. "Chanclas"
What stage in Esperanza’s life does this story capture, and how is this
stage portrayed? How has Esperanza’s voice changed from the previous
stories "And Some More" and "The Family of Little Feet," and in what
ways is her voice still the same?
19. "Hips"
How does Esperanza distinguish herself from Nenny in this story? Does
this distinction echo the one in "Gil’s Furniture Bought and Sold"? How
does Esperanza distinguish herself from the other girls she plays with,
and has her relationship with them changed since the earlier stories
such as "And Some More" or "Our Good Day"? Has Esperanza’s comprehension
of her own sexuality changed since "Marin," and, if so, how?
20. "The First Job"
What range of emotions does Esperanza experience in this story, and how
does Cisneros convey these emotions to the reader without naming them?
How does Esperanza express her emotions in this story differently than
those she experienced in "A Rice Sandwich" or "Chanclas" and, if so,
why?
21. "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark"
What is Esperanza’s relationship with her father? How does this story
develop Esperanza’s character?
22. "Born Bad"
What clues does this story provide about the roles of women and men in
Esperanza’s community? How does this story, like "Papa Who Wakes Up
Tired in the Dark," evidence Esperanza’s character development?
23. "Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water"
Does the superstition expressed in this story conflict or coexist with
any religious beliefs Esperanza may hold? With what tone does Esperanza
describe her visit to Elenita?
24. "Geraldo No Last Name"
What is the significance of this being the last story in the book in
which Marin is mentioned?
25. "Edna’s Ruthie"
What does Esperanza learn from Ruthie’s experience that helps her
formulate goals?
26. "The Earl of Tennessee"
What does Esperanza learn from Earl that might help her formulate goals?
27. "Sire"
How has Esperanza’s awareness of her own sexuality evolved from "Hips"
to this story? How have her imagination and her desires moved away from
her negative sexual experience in "My First Job"?
28. "Four Skinny Trees"
What do the trees symbolize? What does Esperanza impose of her own
character on the trees, and what does she take from the trees? How do
the trees compare to the clouds in "Darius & the Clouds"?
29. "No Speak English"
What does Esperanza tell us about her community’s attitude towards
non-Mexican Americans? What about the image that the non-Latinos have of
the Latinos? How do these views help or hinder Esperanza in the
formulation of her own personal identity?
30. "Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut..."
What conflicting needs or desires of Esperanza’s does her description of
Rafaela’s situation convey?
32. "Sally"
Compare the portrait of Sally to that of Marin in "Marin." How is
Esperanza’s relationship with Sally different?
33. "Minerva Writes Poems"
With what tone is Esperanza’s plaintive "There is nothing I can do"
conveyed? [p. 85]
34. "Bums in the Attic"
Why does Esperanza wish to house "bums" in her attic?
35. "Beautiful & Cruel"
Does Esperanza reconcile the images of herself as "ugly" [p. 88] and
"beautiful and cruel," and what does each self-image imply about her
future?
36. "A Smart Cookie"
What does Esperanza learn from her mother in this story, and how might
their relationship be characterized?
37. "What Sally Said"
With what tone does Esperanza convey the violence Sally suffers? How
does this tone convey her attitude toward abuse? Has Esperanza’s
attitude changed from the earlier stories? Compare Esperanza’s family’s
response toward this abuse with how the community reacts toward domestic
violence and abuse in general.
38. "The Monkey Garden"
What is the nature of Sally’s and Esperanza’s friendship? Can Esperanza
ever recover what she lost in the monkey garden? What does the monkey
garden symbolize?
39. "Red Clowns"
What does Esperanza lose in "Red Clowns," and how does it compare to her
loss in "The Monkey Garden"? What clues does Cisneros provide the reader
about the precise nature of the assault on Esperanza?
40. "Linoleum Roses"
How and why has Esperanza’s tone toward Sally changed?
41. "The Three Sisters"
In what way do the Sisters provide the decisive turning point for
Esperanza? How does Esperanza’s community fit into her vision of her own
future?
42. "Alicia & I Talking on Edna’s Steps"
What is the significance of the fact that the only lasting friendship
Esperanza seems to have is with Alicia?
43. "A House of My Own"
How does Esperanza’s dream house in this story and in "Bums in the
Attic" differ from Sally’s dream house in "Linoleum Roses"? How does
Cisneros utilize the recurring image of a house as a metaphor to tie her
stories together thematically and structurally? Is the house a positive
or negative image? What does it alternatively preserve or imprison
within its walls, and what does it keep out? How is Esperanza’s house on
Mango Street alike or different from the other houses portrayed in the
stories? [See, e.g., "Meme Ortiz"]
44. "Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes"
Why must Mango say goodbye to Esperanza, and not vice versa? Why is
Mango Street personified as a "she"? Might Esperanza’s view of her own
name have changed at this point, and, if so, how might she describe it?