Compiled by Jeremy Grey
Hi, my name is Jeremy Grey. My sub-topic for this web page is hope. Throughout The House On Mango Street, the reader witnesses testimonies of hope; hope found in many different ways and in many different lives. And, though it may seem that most of the people of Mango Street have no basis for it, in some cases hope is the only thing they have.
This is what we see in Esperanza, her goals and dreams for a better life and a better her. The hardships she finds only make her stronger and more determined to reach these goals. And as we see these characteristics in her, the reader can better understand the origins of hope from within the human soul. They can see light in the darkest of situations. It is the dream that someday everything will be as it should be.
And so it is this that I chose for my sub-topic, examples of wishes and
dreams, of goals and destiny, and above all, hope. The following writings give
different interpretations of hope from The House On Mango Street.
by Jeremy Grey
The House on Mango Street shows us the lives of so many people, alike and different and their one common characteristic, their hope. No matter what their dreams are or their goals, every one of them has one. And, though sometimes it may seem that those dreams can never be reached, the fact that they keep on trying and keep on believing remains.
There is not a character who does not show this characteristic at some point or another, whether it is Mamacita, who lives her life in solitude and who dreamed of returning to Mexico, or if it is Esperanza, who never stops setting goals for herself. Hope is found within everyone and in every situation. And, even though it may seem that there is no hope sometimes, hope is always present.
One example of hope is found within the first few pages. It is here where we read Mama and Papa's dreams of winning the lottery and buying a big house with all sorts of extravagancies. And even when they buy a house that is far from what they depicted earlier, they only look upon the situation as temporary and continue to hope for this house.
Another example from The House On Mango Street is Sally's goals to marry someone and have a house of her own. Though this goal does not turn out to have a happy ending, with Sally all alone in her house with no one to talk to, she still hoped for something other than living at home with her abusive father. Hope remains even when the original goal does not work out.
And finally, the main example of hope from the book is Esperanza. She is the one who knows what her future will be, who uses her faults to make her stronger and more independent. She can close her eyes and know exactly how her life will be when she gets older; despite all of the evidence in her life that is working against it.
by Nina Laney
The House on Mango Street is filled with examples of hope. Every chapter shows hope being displayed in some form. Esperanza hopes that her family gets a house of their own. She hopes that she will find a friend that is like her. She hopes the people she meets will like her name and not laugh. She hopes that she could be like the beautiful women in the movies. She hopes she can eat in the canteen. She hopes that she will make something of herself, she hopes that she will escape Mango Street, she hopes that she will not end up like all of the other women on Mango Street, she hopes for a better life. Alicia hopes that she will be able to continue to attend school so she does not end up in a factory or as a housewife. Marin hopes that she will be able to return to Puerto Rico to be with her boyfriend. Mamacita hopes that she will return home to her family. Sally hopes that she can escape from her father. The list goes on and on, almost everyone in the neighborhood hopes, hopes for a better life, to be someone else. But hoping, and actually achieving are two different things. Esperanza's hopes are so strong, that she is determined to fulfill those hopes. The difference between Esperanza and so many of the other women that are full of hope in the neighborhood is that Esperanza turns her hopes into actions to achieve what she wants. The other women simply sit and wish, waiting for it to magically happen. Alicia's hopes are similar to Esperanza's in that they both hope to make something of themselves, and are both taking action. Sally is going to college, and Esperanza is preparing for her future in many different ways. So even though this book is full of examples of hope, there are few examples of people actually taking action, actually working to change things in their lives.
You are one of who have come to our
home. Thanks for stopping by!
Last updated: Sunday, March 18, 2001
©1998 - Hill, Lara and her English 1 Honors Class