House on Mango Street Questions

Ch 32: Sally 1. What is Sally like? 2. Describe the relationship between Sally and her father. 3. How do her schoolmates see her? 4. What transformation takes place when Sally comes home?

1. A beautiful girl, all the boys like her. 2. Her father is strict with her and tells her to be careful because he thinks to be beautiful is trouble. Father beats her 3. Her classmates see her as a lonely nobody ever since she lost her best friend Cheryl when they got in a fight. Now, the classmates make fun of Sally and make up stories about her. 4. She loses the will/freedom to leave the house. Wants to be alone in the house

Ch 24: Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water 1. What is going on in this chapter? 2. What is Esperanza's attitude towards the fortune teller? 3. What are some of her superstitions? 4. Why is home in the heart so disappointing?

1. A fortune teller is prediciting Esperanza's future. 2. Doesn't trust the fortune teller or really believe in her. 3. Makes sign over water a couple of times, cuts the cards. 4. Esperanza wants a real physical new home, not just one in the heart.

Ch 15: Darius and the Clouds 1. Why is Esperanza surprised Darius says the cloud was God?

1. Because she thinks what he said was wise and he usually is a stupid fool.

Ch 18: A Rice Sandwich 1. Why does Esperanza want to eat lunch at the Canteen? 2. What does she realize about the canteen? 3. What kind of person is Esperanza? What does the reader learn from this story about her strengths and weaknesses?

1. Because the special kids get to eat their, and she wants to eat their with them. 2. It really isn't as special as she thinks. 3.Esperanza wants things in life she doesn't deserve. She thinks the canteen kids are special, so she wants to be special just like them. Strengths: Wanting better, strive for better. Weaknesses: Jealousy, struggles to find identity

Ch 37: What Sally Said 1. Why is the speaker so straight forward about the abuse?

1. Because this is how Sally was treated by her father, no other way around it. One time when she was even just talking to a boy, her father beat her so bad she was out of school for two days.

Ch 19: Chanclas 1. Why is Esperanza so concerned about her shoes? 2. What is significant about "All night the boy who is a man watches me dance. He watched me dance."

1. Because those are symbols of mobility and freedom and beautiful. 2. Adult men are noticing her in adulthood, sexuality.

Ch 25: Geraldo No Last Name 1. What happened to eraldo? 2. Why do you think the surgeon was late? 3. What do they know about Geraldo? 4. How does Esperanza feel about this?

1. Died in a hit and run accident 2. He was a non-important mexican wet back 3. He was mexican and a wet back 4. Mad because the surgeon wouldn't even come to save a man's life just because of his race.

Ch 28: Sire 1. What is going on in Esperanza's head? 2. How is Lois a contradiction?

1. Esperanza has a crush on Sire, but is afraid. She tries to show that she is unafraid and strong when she walks by his house everyday and looks at him. 2. Lois and Esperanza are foils. Lois has companionship in Sire where Esperanza doesn't. She is ironic in the story because she is young and innocent but her behaviors are mature and adultlike.

Ch 20: Hips 1. What's happening to the two sisters? 2. Why do you think this chapter talks about Hips? 3. How does Esperanza distinct herself from Nenny in this story? Does this distinction echo the one in Gil's Furniture Bought and Sold?

1. Esperanza is entering adulthood while Nenny is still in childhood. Nenny says childish things and Esperanza compares hips to science. 2. Hips show puberty which is a step into adulthood. 3. Esperanza is entering adulthood while Nenny is still a child. Esperanza doesn't want to show Nenny she is still interested in childish things in Gil's Furniture Bought and sold.

Ch 23: Born Bad 1. Why does Esperanza feel guilty about Aunt Lupe? 2. How does she explain diseases?

1. Esperanza, Lucy, and Rachel were playing a game in which they would imitate people. That day, Esperanza imitated Aunt Lupe, and she died. 2. They have no eyes, and can pick up anyone. Means anyone can get a disease at any time.

Ch 22: Papa who wakes up Tired in the Dark 1. What does Esperanza realize about her father?

1. Even though he is a tough-hard worker, he crumples and isn't as tough when the grandmother dies.

Ch 11: Marin 1. Why is Marin living with Louie's parents? 2. Why does Esperanza like Marin? 3. What does the last line "Marin is waiting for someone to change her life." imply?

1. Her family and boyfriend is in Puerto Rico. 2. Because she's adult like and tells adult stories to the kids since she's older. 3. She needs someone to make her happy and turn her life around.

Ch 10: Louie, His Cousin and His Other Cousin 1. What doesn't Esperanza realize about Louie's cousin? 2. List details that describe Marin.

1. His cousin was a criminal and he stole the cadillac. 2. Louie's first/oldest cousin. Lives with Louie because her family is in Puerto Rico. Wears dark nylons and kits if makeup. Has to take adult responsibilities because she's the oldest. Smokes and listens to music. Adult responsibilities don't allow her to have freedom.

Ch 44: Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes 1. What is familiar about the chapter? 2. What does Esperanza mean when she says, " They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out?"

1. It starts the same way as the first chapter, describing all the places they have lived. 2. Esperanza will come back to save the people on Mango Street who cannot leave and become trapped like many in the story. Does this through her writing.

Ch 38: The Monkey Garden 1. In the last line, Esperanza says, "And the garden that had been such a good place to play didn't seem mine anymore." Why does she feel like this?

1. It used to be a place for her to have fun like a kid and she regained innocence. But, Sally just made out with boys here, not making it such a fun childlike place for Esperanza anymore.

Ch 35: Beautiful and Cruel 1. What does Esperanza want to be like when she's older? Why? 2. Why is it easier for Nenny? 3. What is the nature of Esperanza's "quiet war"? Against whom or what is she fighting?

1. Like the women in the movies who are beautiful and cruel because they make women love them but never give up their own power. 2. Because she's pretty. 3. She is trying to show that she is sexually desired by men, but wants to show her own power by acting like a man and not cleaning her dishes, which only creates problems for other women though.

Ch 27: The Earl of Tennessee 1. Why is Earl a mystery?

1. No one really knows much about him. He is never out as his blinds are closed during the day and he works nights. No one knows much about his wife either.

Ch 31: Rafaela 1. What is Rafaela's predicament? 2. What is making Rafaela grow old? 3. Who is Rapunzel, and why would Rafsels dream of having hair like hers?

1. Rafaela is trapped in her room by her husband because he is scared she is going to leave. 2. Leaning out the window for so long, longing for change. 3. Because Rapunzel's hair is what saved her from being trapped in her room, so she wishes she can be saved.

Ch 40: Linoleum Roses 1. What is Sally's fate? 2. Do you see any contrasts in this chapter?

1. Sally got married to a marshmallow salesman at a young age. Left Mango Street now that she has a husband. 2. Sally wanted to be free from her husband and Mango Street, but now she's with a husband that locks her in the home and doesn't really give her any freedom.

Ch 26: Edna's Ruthie 1. What is strange about Ruthie?

1. Is the only adult they know who still likes to play, like she is a child.

Ch 1: House on Mango Street Narrator? How does narrator feel about moving?

Narrator: Esperanza. Sick of moving, still waiting to find a true home.

Ch 39: Red Clowns 1. What did Sally lie about? 2. Why don't the boys call Esperanza by her real name? 3. Why do you think this is called Red Clowns?

1. Sally left Esperanza at the carnival and said she would come back. Esperanza was raped and Sally never came back to help her. 2. The boys don't even know her real name, they just call her Spanish girl, which strips her of her identity and makes her just another spanish girl who goes out with boys at a young age. 3. It is called Red Clowns to show reality versus perception. Many people see red clowns as childlike funny characters. Red usually represents love and passion, but here red shows caution and blood. Clowns are usually childlike characters, but this shows a darker side of them.

Ch 9: Meme Ortiz 1. What indicates Esperanza is still a child? 2. How is Meme an example of a person who lives in two worlds? 3. How do the residents of Mango Street interact with one another?

1. She decides to have a jumping contest off a tree with Meme. 2. His real name is Juan, but everyone calls him Meme except his mother, so he tries to hide his Mexican culture. 3. Talk?

Ch 30: No Speak English 1. What happens to Mamacita when she moves to the states? 2. How does her husband act? 3. What happens to the baby?

1. She doesn't know how to speak any English, and doesn't feel comfortable and is scared because she can't speak to anyone. 2. Her husband was the one that caused her to move to the states, and painted the house pink, which made Mamacita sad, because it reminded her of all of the happy memories she had in this house. 3. The baby starts repeating the Pepsi commercial in English.

Ch 43: A House of My Own 1. Why does Esperanza want a house so badly?

1. She feels like she hasn't lived in a real home yet. She wants a real home all to herself so she feels she can find her identity, and be free from others.

Ch 14: Alicia who Sees Mice 1. What are Alicia's goals and dreams? 2. Why does she make the lunches? 3. What is Alicia afraid of? Why? 4. How has Esperanza's relationships with Alicia changed since Cathy Queen of Cats?

1. She goes to school and studies so she won't have to work in the kitchen or anything like that like her mother did. 2. She makes the lunches because that's her jobs as mother of the house and she has to care for her father and younger siblings. 3. She's afraid of mice and fathers because those are symbols of her economic level, as she's low on food and money. She's afraid of her father because she's afraid to stick up herself and say she won't fill her mothers spot anymore, showing her lack of freedom. 4. Esperanza goes from them not having a great relationship to showing sympathy for her and calling her a good friend.

Ch 33: Minerva Writes Poems 1. What is Minerva's life like? 2. Why does Minerva write poems?

1. She has two kids and a husband who keeps leaving and coming back. Husband comes back occasionally. 2. The poems give her hope that life could be better.

Ch 13: There was an Old Woman 1. What is the mother's fate (situation)? 2. What happened at the end?

1. She is trying to take care of a family but she can't take care of all her kids by herself. 2. Angel thought she could fly from the sky, but then she fell and died.

Ch 17: The Family of Little Feet 1. What might the shoes symbolize? 2. What happens when the girls wear shoes? 3. Why aren' they upset when the shoes are thrown out?

1. Shoes symbolize mobility and freedom and beauty. 2. They become beautiful and free. 3. They regain their innocence

Ch 8: Gil's Furniture Bought and Sold 1. What does Esperanza purchase from Gil's? 2. Why is Esperanza interested in the music box? 3. Why do you think she feels she has to look away and pretend it doesn't interest her?

1. Statue of liberty 2. She believes it is beautiful and becomes very intrigued when the music plays. 3. She doesn't want Nenny to see how stupid she looks and how interested she is.

Ch 42: Alicia and I Talking on the Steps 1. What is Alicia implying when she asks, "Who's going to do it? Not the mayor." 2. Do you think Esperanza will be back?

1. The mayor doesn't find Mango Street as important or a real home. The mayor doesn't really care about Mango Street, cares about more important things. 2. Yes because many people are telling her she has to come back to save the people.

Ch 36: A Smart Cookie 1. Compare and contrast Esperanza and her mother. 2. What advice does her mother give her? 3. What is ironic about the title?

1. They both feel they could be better. Mama thinks that if she stayed in school, she could've been something because she was smart. Esperanza longs for better than the House on Mango street, and a better life. She isn't as concerned with school. 2. To stay in school and study hard. 3. Even though she was smart in school, Mama wasn't smart outside of school as she made bad decisions such as dropping out of school which she regrets.

Ch 41: The Three Sisters 1. What power do the sisters have? 2. What do they guess about Esperanza? 3. Why do they want Esperanza to come back? How is this like a circle?

1. They can predict the future. 2. They say she's special and will go far, and that her wish, which was that she will finally get a house outside of Mango Street, will come true. 3. To come back and save the others. Because Esperanza joins Mango but wants to leave, eventually does leave, and then comes back to help the others, making it a circle.

Ch 12: Those Who Don't 1. Why do strangers feel afraid when they go to Esperanza's town? 2. Why do people from Esperanza's town feel afraid when they go to another town?

1. They think the people in Esperanza's neighborhood are dangerous (probably because of race), and think they will be attacked with knives. 2. Because they think they will be kicked out or attacked because of their race.

Ch 34: Bums in the Attic 1. What does Esperanza's father do for a living? 2. Why has Esperanza stopped joining her family on Sunday outings? 3. Why would Esperanza have bums stay in her attic?

1. Works on the gardens of home in hills, gardener. 2. She is tired of looking at things she can't have. 3. Because she knows what it's like to be poor and not have a house.

Ch 21: The First Job 1. Why does this story have a misleading title? 2. What happens to Esperanza on her first day of work? 3. What does this vignette tell her about her family and her expectations? 4. What are your reactions to the end of this chapter? 5. Where does Esperanza work?

1. it sounds like a good thing is about to happen, she is finally entering a job getting freedom, but her spirits are crushed when she is assaulted by a man. 2. A man kissed Esperanza hard on the mouth without her permission. 3. They expect her to be an adult and live as one by getting a job. 4. It is terrible what adult life could be like, but Esperanza has to face it and live up to it. 5. Peter Pan Photo Finishers

Ch 3: Boys and Girls 1. Why don't the brothers have any responsibilities at home?

Because the girls are supposed to do all of the hard work in the society

Ch5: Cathy Queen of Cats 1. What do you think the last line " They'll just have to move a little farther north from Mango Street, a little farther away every time people like us keep moving in."implies?

Esperanza and her family is known as bad people. This is because Cathy says the neighborhood is getting bad just as Esperanza moves in. Has something to do with racism and wealth probably

Ch 16: And Some More 1. What is going on in this chapter?

Esperanza says that the Eskimos have 30 names for snow, and they begin a discussion about names for clouds. Esperanza describes scientific names for clouds (shows her pursuit of knowledge), Nenny gives the clouds everyday names, and Lucy and Rachel compare the clouds to things such as Esperanza's fat ugly face, causing them into an argument when Nenny continues to give the clouds everyday names.

Ch 4: My Name 1. What does Esperanza's name mean? (literal and figurative) 2. What does Esperanza find shameful or burdensome about her name? Why might Cisneros have chosen this name for her protagonist?

Literal: Hope in english, too many letters in spanish. Figurative: sadness, waiting, number 9, muddy color. She finds it shameful because she thinks it's disgusting and her great grandmother was named this but she lived most of her life in sadness. Cisneros might've chosen this name to show everything could look bad at the moment but there is still hope.

Ch 2: Hairs Who are the members of Esperanza's family? Why does the narrator tell about the family member's hairs?

Mama, Papa, Carlos, Esperanza, Kiki, Nenny. Hair represents personality

Ch 29: Four Skinny Trees 1. Why does Esperanza identify herself with the trees?

She identifies herself with the trees. Calls them outsiders, and ragedy excuses just like herself and the people on Mango Street. They live just to live and don't contribute much.

Ch 7: Laughter What similarities do Esperanza and Nenny have?

They have the same laugh, like a pile of dishes breaking. They also have a connection because they both thought a house looked like Mexico.

Ch 6: Our Good Day 1. How does Esperanza make friends with Lucy and Rachel? What makes them better friends than Cathy? 2. How does Cathy act towards Rachel and Lucy? Why?

They tell her they will be friends forever if they give them $5 to pay for a bike, and they become friends. Cathy is only a friend till Tuesday, and is not a great one because she doesn't want Esperanza to become friends with Rachel and Lucy. Cathy is mean towards Rachel and Lucy and says they smell like a broom because she doesn't want Esperanza to become friends with them. She doesn't think Lucy and Rachel are good enough for them as they are just poor neighborhood girls.