"The Earl of Tennessee"
In “The Earl of Tennessee”,
Esperanza is narrating the life of another one of her neighbors. The title of
the chapter is rather ironic, as an earl is a term for a noble or an
aristocrat, but the Earl being discussed in the chapter is a crude, unkind man.
This contrast demonstrates the theme of the differences between the lifestyles
of independent people. Earl uses his independence to remain detached from any
obligations, shown by his frequent change of female partners, whom the children
of the neighborhood believe are his wives. This vignette evoked a disturbing feeling
within me, because of the unrefined mannerisms of Earl and the way Esperanza
describes his lifestyle.
"Sire"
“Sire” is a
vignette that illustrates the theme of the desire to grow up. Esperanza
describes Sire, a boy that she often sees, and his girlfriend whom she envies.
The beginning of the vignette describes Esperanza’s increasing self-confidence.
She dares to look into the eyes of the boy, while the other girls avoid him and
his friends by crossing the street. This symbolizes Esperanza’s effort to
mature and enter adulthood. She then describes Sire’s girlfriend, Lois, and how
she wishes she could obtain her lady-like features. Although Esperanza admires
Lois for her boyfriend and lady-like features, it is apparent that she
understands the significance of the more important things in life, such as
education. Her childish desires do not completely take over her mind, as her
parents and her logic influence bring her back into reality. This vignette is
one of my favorites so far because it very clearly shows how Esperanza’s
maturation affects the way she feels and thinks.
"Four Skinny Trees"
“Four
Skinny Trees” is an extremely powerful vignette. Esperanza’s conflicted mind
seeks the comfort of trees, to whom she can relate. The reader can see how
lonely and confused Esperanza feels, as she believes that the trees are the
only beings that can understand her. Both do not belong in the environment that
Mango Street provides. Both attempt to grow in a restricted space. These
similarities support the theme of struggling to grow and adapt to one’s
environment. The trees inspire Esperanza to continue to live. “When I am too
sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many
bricks, then it is I look at the trees.” (Four Skinny Trees, Page 75) I believe
that the complex idea of this vignette is influential to the story because it
is the first times that Esperanza’s thoughts about the ugly part of growing up
are revealed.
"No Speak English"
“No Speak
English” is a vignette that provides a contrast to Esperanza’s idea of home.
Esperanza does not take pride in her house and she is uncomfortable with her
financial and social status. Cisneros introduces Mamacita, the mother of one of
Esperanza’s neighbors, as a contrast to Esperanza’s thoughts. Mamacita shares
the same feelings about Mango Street as Esperanza, but for a different reason.
She longs for the home to which she used to belong. This longing for her real
home and pride in her heritage causes Mamacita to fear coming out of her house
and emerging into the unknown world on Mango Street. Mamasita is similar to
Esperanza because they both are living in places that restrict them from
obtaining what they really want. I enjoyed this vignette because it differed from
the others in that it did not just focus on the issues of young people, but
rather focused on an issue that both the young and old encountered.
"Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays"
This
subject of this vignette, Rafaela, is a character who resembles Esperanza’s
grandmother. Both have led limited lives due to the way their husbands treat
them. Esperanza frequently uses the image of a woman looking out the window to
symbolize wanting something you currently do not have or cannot have. Esperanza
states that Rafaela, while looking out the window, wishes that she could have
someone who will take care of her and treat her fairly. This wish is similar to
that of Esperanza’s neighbor, Marin. This vignette supports the theme of the
unjust lifestyles and poor treatment of women. All Esperanza hopes to do is be
able to live the life that she chooses to live, without having her heritage and
gender hinder her desires. This vignette provides me with a feeling of despair
because Esperanza’s description of Rafaela’s life is rather depressing and
hopeless.
"Sally"
“Sally” demonstrates how Esperanza feels about her current
self and who she wants to be while also showing how these feelings are affected
by the restrictions of her environment. Sally is a girl at school whom
Esperanza admires for her beauty and ability to be her own person. Esperanza
does not personally know Sally, but the reader can see her infatuation with her
through a conversation Esperanza has with her in her head. She asks Sally all the
questions that possess her mind. Because of the admiration that Esperanza has
for Sally, Esperanza might be able to sort through her troubles by talking, or
pretending to talk, to her. She may begin to feel less lonesome, and finally be
able relate to something or someone other than trees. I think the most powerful
line in this vignette is, “…without the whole world waiting for you to make a
mistake when all you wanted, all you wanted, Sally, was to love and to love and
to love and to love, and no one could call that crazy.” (Sally, page 83) This
quote shows Esperanza’s true desires. She wants to be free from the criticism
of her community and be able to love others. This vignette evoked a feeling of
warmth, as Esperanza’s longing for love and freedom is described openly and mightily.
No comments:
Post a Comment