Characters
Who offers Esperanza a job
Aunt Guadalope
The family moves from a apartment on Loomis to a small red house.
Moving to Mango Street
Esperanza gets a job to help with family finances, where she faces sexual harassment by an older male coworker.
Esperanza's first job
The characters face challenges to poverty and trying to figure out life between Latin American culture and English-speaking American society.
Cultural Identity
who is the loudest in the the family of little sisters
Louie
Who's boyfriend is in Puerto Rico
Marin
Esperanza meets her new best friends and they share adventures, buying a bike and exploring the neighborhood.
Friendship with Lucy and Rachel
Esperanza faces her first intimate experience with death, gaining a deeper understanding of life and mortality.
Aunt Lupe's illness and death
Names represent how characters are viewed and their struggle to define themselves.
The importance of names
Whose English name means hope
Esperanza
Who is the oldest in the family of little sisters and never has his t-shirt tucked in
Louie
Esperanza experiences multiple assaults,being kissed against her will at her first job
Sexual harassment and assault
Throughout the book,Esperanza dreams of a house of her own
Motive to escape
Esperanza experiences loss of innocence,learning about sexual violence,society traps,and the hardships of adult life.
Innocence
Who were the kids trying to buy a bike from
Tio
What grade did Sally get married?
Before 8th grade
Sally marries an older man before finishing eighth grade to escape her abusive father.
Sally's marraige
Esperanza witnesses the women in her community trapped in abusive relationships
exposure to abuse at an early age
The story focuses on the bonds between women and the guilt with leaving behind those who are stuck in the neighborhood.
Responsibility and accountability
Who sold a box of magazines for a dollar
Carlos
Minerva
At a funeral,wise old women predict that Esperanza will leave Mango Street but tell her she must return for the sake of the others.
The three sisters
Esperanza learns about life and the dangers of men from older women, including Marin
mentorship from older folks
Writing is shown as a way for Esperanza to process her experiences,view her identity,and gain personal freedom.
Words and writing