Analysis

Earl of Tennessee

Earl, a jukebox repairman from the South, is Esperanza’s main focus in this vignette. Cisneros describes Earl’s life using lots of imagery and similes. His apartment, described as a breath of mold and darkness, and the sounds of his returning home give readers auditory, visual, and olfactory imagery. Not only in this vignette but throughout the book, her uses of imagery help to more accurately portray her time on Mango St. and the its community. She also uses similes and personification to describe Earl’s dogs, “but leap and somersault like an apostrophe and comma.” (The Earl of Tennessee, pg. 71) The Earl of Tennessee is related to the theme of maturity than runs throughout the book. Esperanza, even though she often times pushes herself into mature things, is still naive and young at heart. This is exemplified by her beliefs about Earl’s wife. Certainly, the girls that the neighbors see entering his house are not the same woman. Readers are left to assume that Earl is bringing home prostitutes or just many women in general. Either way, this assumption does not cross Esperanza’s mind. To her, he just has a wife. This innocence represent her inner youth, despite the maturity level she believes she has reached.

Sires

This vignette is a dramatic contrast to The Earl of Tennessee. Here, it is evident that Esperanza has matured quite a bit. She begins to notice boys and gets caught up in daydreams about them. Not only does this illustrate her maturation, but it also shows the tough decisions that teenagers face. Esperanza impulsively wants to be like Lois and “sit out bad at night, a boy around my neck and the wind under my skirt.” (Sire, pg. 73) However, the mothers advice still rings in her ear, “But Mama says those kinds of girls, those girls are the ones that go into alleys.” (Sire, pg. 73) This is a common conflict for teenagers, deciding between impulses and morals. Although she is lured by her impulses, Esperanza does seem to show that her values outweigh them. She admires Lois’s beauty, however she notes that she cannot tie her shoes. She follows this by saying, “I do.” This is reassuring that Esperanza values wits and character over material things like beauty. This in turn, keeps her from following her maturing instincts.

Four Skinny Trees

This vignette uses a tree to represent Esperanza.  She admires their attempt at beauty and strength in an unpromising place. "Four who grew despite concrete. "Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be." (Four Skinny Trees, pg. 75) This is relates to Esperanza in how she seeks beauty and good in everything around her. This has been an apparent trend in the past vignettes, and is brought into more light by this metaphor. Cisneros uses personification to associate the trees to herself. "Their strength is secret. They send ferocious roots beneath the ground. They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth..” (Four Skinny Trees, pg 74) This is also related to Esperanza's frustration with the world. She is often conflicted with the fact that she lives on Mango Street and that her home is not the model house seen on magazines and TV. She wonders why she is different, yet she uses this anger to build strength and character. Lastly, this vignette displays Esperanza's teenage emotions. LIke the classic teenager, she is trying to find her place in the world and often times feel misunderstood by her friends and family. This is exemplified by the quote, "They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them.” (Four Skinny Trees, pg 74).

No Speak English

In this vignette, there are many themes represented. The first is the theme of femininity and beauty. Although Mamacita is not the traditionally slim, beautiful woman, Esperanza still finds her to be breathtaking. Cisneros describes this with great visual imagery, "All at once she bloomed. Huge, enormous, beautiful to look at, fromt he salmon-pink feather on the tip of her hat down to the little rosebuds on her toes. I couldn’t take my eyes off her tiny shoes.” (No Speak English, pg 77)  Mamacita, although Esperanza doesn't know her well, is another one of the women that she admires. In many ways, Esperanza and Mamacita are very similar. They both are unique, yet beautiful in their own unconventional ways, and they both yearn for a home. Mamacita for her pink home back in her country, and Esperanza for one of her own. Esperanza, even though she many not realize it, admires these similarities. She also admires Mamacita's adherence to her heritage. This is something that she can relate to and Mamacita is someone she can look towards for guidance.

Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays

Rafaela is another woman that Esperanza can look towards. However, Esperanza does not look at her admiringly, but rather cautiously. Rafaela is confined to her home, and seems to be caught up in material things. She is always looking for something better, and that is a dangerous path to go down. Unlike Esperanza, she seems to lack the ability to find beauty and good in the little things. She then gets caught up in wishes and dreams. This is emphasized by the last line, "And always there is someone offering sweeter drinks, someone promising to keep them on a silver string." (Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays, pg 80)

Sally

This vignette is about Sally, a pretty girl that Cisneros describes with great imagery, "The boys at school think she's beautiful because her hair is shiny black like raven feathers and when she laughs, she flicks her hair back like a satin shawl over her shoulders and laughs." (Sally, pg 81) Sally's story relates to the theme of sexuality and society's expectations for females. Her father, who is constantly degrading her confidence, represents these societal expectations. Sally also shares similarities with Esperanza. They both have dreams and wishes to escape their lives on Mango Street. "Do you wish your feet would one day keep walking and take you far away from Mango Street, far away and maybe your feet would stop in front of a house, a nice one with flowers and big windows and steps for you to climb up two by two upstairs to where a room is waiting for you." (Sally, pg 82)