House on Mango Street

1. House on Mango Street

2. Sandra Cisneros • Born 1954 in Chicago • Addresses issues of Hispanic American women • House on Mango Street was first novel

3. House on Mango Street • Main character • Esperanza • Struggling to grow up in Chicago's poverty-stricken south side • Short, interconnected chapters • “Lyrical narratives, vivid dialogue, and powerful descriptions” • Written in vignettes

4. Vignette • Short scene that focuses on one moment or gives insight into a character, idea, or setting • Poetic language • Simile • Metaphor • Imagery

5. House on Mango Intro • Read the back cover • Look at illustrations on front and back • Look at table of contents • Flip through book

6. House on Mango Street Themes • Identity • Community / Neighborhood • Freedom / Growth • Fitting In • Coming of Age • Home / Belonging

7. Essential Theme Questions • How does environment shape our identity? • What identities, if any, are permanent and which do we have the power to change? • What roles do neighborhood and community play in shaping who we become?

8. Names • What is the personal significance of your given name (first, middle and last)? • Does your name mean different things to you, your family, and your friends? • What are your nicknames? What do your nicknames mean to you and those who call you those names?

9. “It means” (write three adjectives that describe you) • “It is the number” (write any number you want) • “It is like” (describe a color but don’t name it) • “It is” (name something you remember experiencing with family or friends) • “It is the memory of” (name a person who has been significant to you) • “Who taught me” (write two abstract concepts like “honesty”) • “When he/she” (write about something that person did) • “My name is” (“write your first name”) • “It means” (state something important you believe about life in 1-2 sentences)