Sandra Cisneros

1. Sandra Cisneros Author of House on Mango Street

2. Biography • born in Chicago in 1954. • daughter of a Mexican father and a Mexican-American mother • Novels: Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories, Loose Woman and Wicked Wicked Ways

3. Description of the book: • The House on Mango Street is a deceptive work. It is a book of short stories that add us, as Sandra Cisneros has written, "to tell one big story, each story contributing to the whole – like beads in a necklace."

4. Elements of the Novel • Narrator: The stories are told through the voice of a young girl, Esperanza Cordero. • Themes: This book is an artful exploration of the themes of individual identity and communal loyalty, estrangement and loss, escape and return, the lure of romance, and the dead end of sexual inequality and oppression.

5. Novel Elements Cont. • Culture: This book is about the culture of Chicanos, or Mexican-Americans. • In her own words: "You, the reader, are Esperanza . . . You cannot forget who you are."

6. “The House on Mango Street” • Where did the narrator live before she moved to The House on Mango Street?  • How were her previous homes different? • In what kind of house would she like to live?

7. "Hairs" 4. Who are the members of Esperanza's family?

8. “Boys and Girls” • Explain the following quotation: “I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor.”

9. "My Name" • After whom was Esperanza named? • What does her namesake's story tell you about the status of women in Mexican society?

10. "Cathy Queen of Cats" 8. Why is Cathy's family about to move?

11. "Our Good Day" 9. How does Esperanza make friends with Lucy and Rachel?  • What makes them better friends than Cathy? 11. What did Esperanza buy? 12. How did she go about buying it?

12. Journal • In a paragraph, describe either your current house or dream house.

13. Barrettes (6): Rosettes (6): Anchor (9): Chandelier (11): Inherited (11): Raggedy (12): Lopsided (22): In the space provided, write the definition of the word and the sentence that the word is in. ex) … she wore yellow barrettes… The numbers tell what page you can find the word. Vocabulary #1

14. "Marin" 13. Who is Marin?  14. Why is she unable to leave her house? 15. How does she plan to change her situation?  16. Why do Esperanza and her friends admire her? 17. Where is Marin going in a year? Why?

15. "Those Who Don't" 18. How do outsiders see Esperanza's neighborhood?  19. How does Esperanza feel when she visits other neighborhoods?

16. "There Was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn't Know What to Do" 21. Why does Rosa Vargas cry every day? 22. What does Esperanza say the Vargas children don’t have?

17. Pages 31-66

18. Cumulus (36): Frijoles (37): Tamales (39): Salamander (40): Canteen (43): Spartan (44): Anemic (44): In the space provided, write the definition of the word and the sentence that the word is in. ex) … she wore yellow barrettes… The numbers tell what page you can find the word. Vocabulary #2

19. “Alicia Who Sees Mice” • What is the role of woman in Alicia’s house? 2. Compare that role to that of woman’s roles today?

20. “Darius and the Clouds” 3. Why is the sky important to the neighborhood, especially Darius?

21. “And Some More” 4. Why do we sometimes have different words that mean the same? Please provide two examples of this?

22. “The Family of Little Feet” 5. How did wearing the shoes change the way others see the girls? 6. How did the girls perspective of themselves change?

23. Quotations • “You can never have too much sky” (page 33) • “You are like the Cream of Wheat cereal.” (page 37) • “My feet swell big and heavy like plungers” (page 47) • “Ready and waiting like a new Buick with the keys in the ignition” (page 49) • “A home in the heart: (page 64)

24. “A Rice Sandwich” 7. Why does Esperanza desire to eat at school so badly? 8. Was it as wonderful as she thought it was going to be? Why or why not?

25. “Chanclas” 9. Why was Esperanza not enjoying herself initially?

26. “Hips” • 10. List a few reasons hips are good for?

27. “The First Job” • 11. How did the old man take advantage of Esperanza? • 12. Will she sit with him tomorrow? Why or why not?

28. “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” • 13. What are the funeral customs in Papa’s family?

29. Vocabulary #3 • Boulevard (45): • Chanclas (46): • Merengue (51): • Naphtha (52): • Abuelito (56): • Esta Muerto (56): • Crumples (56):   • Los espiritues (63):

30. “Born Bad” 14. Why does Esperanza believe that she will go to hell? 15. What happened to her aunt?

31. “Edna’s Ruthie” 1. What is wrong with Ruthie? (Inference) 2. Why did Ruthie make up stories about things she could have done? (Inference)

32. Your Name Your Neighborhood Games or Favorite Toys from your Childhood A Time You Got Into Trouble A Time You Saw Someone Else Get Into Trouble Advice From an Adult A Positive Story From Your Experiences at School A Negative Story From Your Experiences at School A Special Family Member A Happy Time For You Going to Work A Special Holiday A Special Birthday The Big Game A Birth Life in Omaha Topics

33. “Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water” 16. What is a modern day term for a witch woman? 17. What is Esperanza’s fortune?

34. “Geraldo No Last Name” 18. Why will Geraldo’s family in Mexico never find out what happened to him?

35. “The Earl of Tennessee” 3. Who is the woman that Earl keeps bringing into his apartment? How do we know this?  What can we infer about her? 4. What is Earl’s occupation?

36. “Sire” 5. According to Mama, what kind of girls go into alleys? (Inference)

37. “Four Skinny Trees” 6. Why does Esperanza compare herself to the “four skinny trees?”

38. “No Speak English” 7. Why does Mamacita confine herself to her apartment each day?  8. Why is she upset that her son is singing Pepsi commercials?

39. “Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut and Papaya Juice on Tuesdays” 9. Why does Rafaela send children to the store for her on Tuesdays? 10. What does this say about the role of Hispanic women during this time?

40. “Sally” 11. Describe Sally 12. How does Esperanza feel about her?

41. “Minerva Writes Poems” 13. Why is Minerva sad? 14. Why is she black and blue when she comes over to Esperanza’s house?

42. “Bums in the Attic” 15. Why will Esperanza allow bums to live in her attic?  16. What is she so afraid to say to her father? Why?

43. “Beautiful and Cruel” 17. Why does Esperanza want to be both beautiful and cruel?  18. What steps is she already taking?

44. “A Smart Cookie” 19. Why is Mama trying to convince Esperanza that she could have been somebody?

45. “What Sally Said” 20. Who hits Sally and why? 21. Why does she return home?

46. “The Monkey Garden” 22. Esperanza mentions playing two games. What are they and how do they differ?

47. “Linoleum Roses” • 1. How old is Sally when she got married? • 2. How does Sally’s husband treat her?

48. “Red Clowns” 23. What did Sally lie about? 24. What can we infer that happened to Esperanza? How do we know that? 25. What was Sally doing during the meantime?

49. “The Three Sisters” • 3. Whose baby died? • 4. Why does the sister with the marble hands tell Esperanza that she is Mango Street?

50. “Alicia and I Talking on Edna’s Steps” 5. Why does Esperanza claim that she doesn’t have a house?