Model Literary Analysis Paragraph:
In the vignette “My Name,” Esperanza is characterized
as someone who demonstrates her feelings about her
name and cultural expectations. When she mentions
“sadness…waiting…a muddy color” or “sounds like
sobbing,” readers can tell that she doesn’t appreciate her
name because it is very traditional and she associates it
with sadness and dull “muddy” colors (Cisneros 10). Beyond
feeling depressed about her name, Esperanza worries
about her cultural expectations. This becomes clear when
she talks about her great grandmother’s life. She doesn’t
want to end up like her, someone who lost her freedom and
who “looked out the window her whole life” in sadness.
Esperanza refuses to inherit her grandmother’s “place by the
window” (Cisneros 11). Overall, even though Esperanza is
expected to follow her traditional Mexican culture, she
hopes to follow a new path that will give her more freedom
and allow her to be unique.