Vocabulary
This word means “to enjoy something very much.”
What is savor?
This word means “to walk with pride or confidence.”
What is strut?
Cisneros’s writing reveals that authors often do this to make stories feel authentic.
What is draw from personal experiences?
Alicia continues going to school because she hopes education will help her do this.
What is escape the limitations of her life?
Cisneros uses this literary device to create vivid pictures of Esperanza’s world.
What is imagery?
This word means “the money you pay to travel on a bus, train, or plane.”
What is fare?
This word means “an agreement to stop fighting for a while.”
What is truce?
The house on Mango Street is important because it is this for Esperanza’s family.
What is the first house they have owned?
The girls feel this way when they first wear the high-heeled shoes.
What is powerful and grown-up?
The novel uses these short snapshot-like sections instead of a traditional structure.
What are vignettes?
This word means “to strike with sudden wonder or surprise.”
What is astonish?
This word means “saying something clearly but using only a few words.”
What is succinct?
Esperanza wishes she could do this because she dislikes her name.
What is give herself a new name?
Esperanza’s workplace scene is important because it highlights this issue.
What is the vulnerability of young girls in unsafe environments?
Poverty affects characters by shaping both how they live and how they feel about this.
What is themselves or their identity?
This word means “to copy the way someone acts, speaks, or looks.”
What is imitate?
This word means “to call someone or something to come to you.”
What is summon?
Esperanza’s friendships with Lucy and Rachel show that this can happen quickly.
What is friendship?
During the “Hips” conversation, Esperanza realizes this about Nenny.
What is that Nenny is growing apart from her?
Cisneros explores this issue when people judge Mango Street and its residents unfairly.
What are race and class?
This word means “sticking out beyond the edge of something.”
What is jutting?
This word means “weak or lacking energy.”
What is anemic?
These children are described as having “too much sadness and not enough sky.”
Who are the Vargas children?
Esperanza better understands her father and family relationships after this event.
What is her grandfather’s death?
The vignette structure helps readers understand Esperanza’s growth over this.
What is time?