Name: ___________________________________________________
Ms. Mauro
Period: _____
The House on Mango Street
A) Figurative Language / Devices: Identify references or words that create meaning, highlight key literary
devices, or suggest sensory imagery as you as you read. For example, if you identify a simile as you read,
tag it and write “S” on the note; similarly, if you see sensory imagery, perhaps you would write
“Sensory” on the note.
B) Directions: Respond to the following literary questions with textual support from the chapter. Make
sure that you weave it through your responses using complete sentences, ALL PARTS of the question
answered, and refer to page numbers on which you find the answers.
Section 1: Self Definition and Identity
(pp. 3-11) “The House on Mango Street” – “My Name”
1. On page three, what is evidence of Esperanza’s disappointment?
2. On page four, we see evidence of the “American Dream” allusion. How?
3. What specific pieces in this section display personification?
4. How do we know that Esperanza understands shame?
5. What is ironic about the nun saying “You live there?” (Cisneros 5) to Esperanza?
6. What qualities do we learn about our protagonist, narrator and pre-teen?
7. “I knew then I had to have a house. A REAL house. One I could point to … For the time being, Mama
says. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go” (Cisneros 5). What can we infer based
upon this passage?
Section 2: Friendship, Neighborhood, Home
(pp. 12-25) “Cathy Queen of Cats” -“Louie, His Cousin and His Other Cousin”
1. List 3 adjectives to describe Cathy:
________________________, _______________________, _________________________
2. Why do Lucy and Rachel want five dollars?
3. Give 2 possible reasons why this chapter is titled, “Our Good Day.” Use textual support for your
answers.
a.
b.
4. Using context clues to help you, what do you think the word “sassy” means on page 16?
5. Why does Esperanza devote an entire vignette to laughter?
6. What does Esperanza mean when she says the house looks like Mexico?
7. Describe the shop owner in “Gil’s Furniture Bought and Sold” and his treatment of the girls. What
themes are explored in this vignette?
8. Why does Esperanza feel stupid and Nenny “stupider” (Cisneros 20)?
9. Why does Meme’s dog have two names? Why is this significant?
10. What is symbolic about the “First Annual Tarzan Jumping Contest” described in the “Meme Ortiz”
vignette?
11. Where did Louie’s cousin get the car?
12. Give an example from the experience in the car that illustrates to you that these kids are poor.
Thematic Section 3: Freedom and Entrapment
(pp. 26-38) “Marin” - “And Some More”
1. Provide two reasons as to why Esperanza might like Marin.
a.
b.
2. What does “Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life” mean?
3. Who are “those who don’t”? Can Esperanza ever be one of those who don’t?
4. Give one reason why it is okay to give up on the Vargas’ and one reason why it is not.
a.
b.
5. Is Alicia’s father good or bad? How do you know?
6. What do we learn about Darius and Esperanza in the “Darius and the Clouds” vignette?
7. Why does the chapter “And Some More” look differently than the rest of the chapters in this novella?
8. Which character is talking about what?
9. What does “We must be Christmas” mean?
10. Why does the boy on the bike think the girls can take him to Heaven?
11. Was the shoe experience good or bad? How do you know? What are the shoes a symbol of?
12. List one change that has taken place in Esperanza since the start of the novella.
13. Do you still think that Esperanza hates her neighborhood? Why or why not?
Section 4: Growth and Maturity, Sexuality
(pp. 39-55) “The Family of Little Feet” – “The First Job”
“The Family of Little Feet”
1. On page 40, Esperanza says “Today we are Cinderella…” What does she mean by this metaphor?
2. What is the first example from this vignette of male attention that the girls receive? What metaphor
does Esperanza use to describe this?
3. Why does Mr. Benny say the shoes are dangerous?
4. In this vignette, the girls get their first taste of adulthood. At the end of the vignette, how do they feel
about it?
5. Are they ready to accept and embrace adulthood or do they want to remain children? Provide textual
support.
6. Choose one example of figurative language, imagery or rhyme from your vignette. Copy it below,
identify it and then analyze its meaning.
“A Rice Sandwich”
1. How does Esperanza’s mother react to Esperanza’s request to eat in the canteen?
2. What does Esperanza learn about herself and her world while eating in the canteen?
3. What does the rice sandwich symbolize? Explain.
4. How is shame explored in this vignette? Can someone else “make” a person feel shame or is it a “selfinflicted” feeling? Provide support for your answer.
5. Choose one example of figurative language, imagery or rhyme from your vignette. Copy it below,
identify it and then analyze its meaning.
“Chanclas”
1. On page 47, Uncle Nacho describes Esperanza’s Mama. From this, what can we infer about her
behavior at the party?
2. How do Esperanza’s shoes make her feel and what do they symbolize? Provide textual support.
3. What do you think is the theme of this vignette? Provide textual support.
4. Choose one example of figurative language, imagery or rhyme from your vignette. Copy it below,
identify it and then analyze its meaning.
“Hips”
1. What is the significance of the poetic rhyme at the beginning of this vignette?
2. To where are her hips ready to transport Esperanza? What is she implying?
3. “If you don’t get them (hips), you may turn into a man” claims Nenny on page 49. What quality within
Nenny does this represent?
4. “I want to be Tahiti. Or merengue. Or electricity. Or tembleque! Yes, tembleque. That’s a good one”
(Cisneros 51). What do these comments suggest about Esperanza’s desires?
5. On page 51, how do the different poems vary depending upon who speaks them?
6. On page 51, where is Nenny “going”?
“The First Job”
1. What is the difference between public and private education in this vignette?
2. What might the white gloves symbolize?
3. Describe your impression regarding the last paragraph on page 55. What is happening? How old do
you picture this man to be?
Section 5: Gender Roles and Expectations
(pp. 56-73) “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” – “Sire”
“Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark”
1. What do we learn about the role of Papa in the Cordero family in this chapter? What does this tell us
about gender roles in Mexican-American culture?
2. Describe a typical morning for Papa?
3. Esperanza comes to several difficult realizations in this vignette. What are they?
4. How does this vignette represent a “turning point” for Esperanza?
5. Identify and create an illustration that corresponds with one use of figurative language or rhyme in this
vignette.
“Born Bad”
1. Why does Esperanza emphasis that her aunt used to be a swimmer?
2. Esperanza begins the vignette by stating, “Most likely I will go to hell and most likely I deserve to be
there.” Why?
3. What does Aunt Lupe’s blindness symbolize, particularly in relation to Esperanza’s writing?
4. How have gender roles shifted in Aunt Lupe’s family as a result of her illness?
5. Identify and create an illustration that corresponds with one use of figurative language or rhyme in this
vignette.
“Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water”
1. Why does Esperanza visit Elenita?
2. Elenita has to balance her roles as a mother and a provider. What problems does she run into? What
can we infer about her role as a mother?
3. Esperanza talks about how she wishes she could watch the Bugs Bunny cartoons with the children.
What does this fact tell us about her?
4. What does Elenita tell Esperanza about her future?
5. Identify and create an illustration that corresponds with one use of figurative language or rhyme in this
vignette.
“Geraldo No Last Name”
1. What happened to Geraldo?
2. What can we infer about: why Marin likes to attend to the dances? why no surgeon came to help him
at the hospital?
3. Why does Marin feel such a connection to Geraldo?
4. Why does Esperanza mention that Geraldo was the kind of person who always looked “ashamed?”
“Edna’s Ruthie”
1. Provide two examples of how Ruthie acts more like a child than an adult?
2. What can we infer may be “wrong” with Ruthie? Provide one example of support.
3. On page 69, Esperanza questions why Ruthie is living on Mango Street is she doesn’t have to. Why do
you think Ruthie is living on Mango Street? Do you think she really has a house and a husband to
return to? Why or why not?
4. Why does Esperanza mention that Geraldo was the kind of person who always looked “ashamed?”
“The Earl of Tennessee”
1. What does Esperanza associate with Earl? What does this say about gender roles in Mexican-American
culture?
2. What can we infer about Earl and his wife? Does she exist? Why or why not?
3. Why can’t anyone agree about what Earl’s wife looks like? Who might these women be?
4. Why does Esperanza mention that Geraldo was the kind of person who always looked “ashamed?”
“Sire”
1. How does Esperanza feel about Sire?
2. On page 72, Esperanza says, “I don’t cross the street like other girls.” Why is it so important for her to
differentiate herself from the other girls in the neighborhood?
3. Who is Lois? Is Esperanza jealous of her? Why or why not?
4. Why does Esperanza mention that Geraldo was the kind of person who always looked “ashamed?”
Section 6: Fitting in
(pp. 74-87) “Four Skinny Trees” – “Bums in the Attic”
“Four Skinny Trees”
1. Why does Esperanza feel a connection to the trees?
2. What do the trees “teach” Esperanza?
3. Explain what the concrete symbolizes:
4. Do you think that Esperanza really believes that the trees are the only ones that understand her? Why
or why not? Provide support for your reasoning.
“No Speak English”
1. Describe the character of Mamacita and the circumstances surrounding her arrival in the country.
2. Why is Mamacita frequently sad? Do you think she has a right to be sad considering all her husband
did for her? Why or why not?
3. What does the English language symbolize for Mamacita? For her husband?
4. What is the significance of the Pepsi commercial?
“Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut and Papaya Juice on Tuesdays”
1. What do we learn about the relationship between Rafaela and her husband in the first paragraph?
2. Why does Esperanza compare Rafaela to Rapunzel?
3. What does the juice symbolize?
“Sally - Minerva”
1. Take your own notes for these two sections, jotting down important points, symbols, figurative
language and any questions that you may have. At least 8 points must be addressed:
“Bums in the Attic”
1. Why doesn’t Esperanza go with her family to visit the houses on the hill?
2. How does Esperanza feel about the people who live in the houses?
3. Why does Esperanza say that she will invite bums to live in her attic one day?
Section 7: Facing Hardships and Regret
(pp. 88-102) “Beautiful and Cruel” – “Linoleum Roses”
“Beautiful & Cruel”
1. Compare and contrast Esperanza and Nenny.
2. Why does Esperanza mention that she doesn’t put back her chair or pick up her plate after dinner?
“A Smart Cookie”
1. Describe Esperanza’s mother. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?
2. What role does regret play in Esperanza’s mother’s life?
3. What warning does she have for Esperanza?
“What Sally Said”
1. What is Sally’s relationship with her father like?
2. Why is Sally’s father the way he is?
3. How is Sally similar to Minerva?
“The Monkey Garden”
1. Describe the monkey garden.
2. Why does Esperanza like to go there? Why does Sally like to go there?
3. What role do adults play in this vignette? What can we infer this says about the community as a
whole?
4. How does Esperanza try to protect Sally?
5. Why does Esperanza try to will her heart to stop beating?
“Red Clowns”
1. Why does Esperanza initially want to go to the carnival with Sally? What does Sally do once they are
there?
2. What happens to Esperanza at the carnival? Who does she blame for this? Why?
“Linoleum Roses”
1. Does Sally really escape her father? Why or why not?
2. Describe Sally’s relationship with her husband.
3. What do the linoleum roses represent?
Section 8: The Last Section
(pp. 103-110) “The Three Sisters” – “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes”
“The Three Sisters”
1. Should we sanitize (eliminate discussion about) death for children?
2. What does this mean: “came to look at that little thumb of a human in a box like candy” (104)?
3. Where is there evidence that her name has been praised for the first time?
4. Who is the only other one to recognize Esperanza’s talent?
5. “When you leave, you must always remember to come back” (105). Analyze this: Why should she do
this? What are the implications of doing so?
6. Is Esperanza really selfish? Explain your response.
7. What is the significance of the circle?
“Alicia and I Talking on Edna’s Steps”
1. Who will make Mango Street better?
2. What is the significance of the metaphor used?
3. How does Esperanza describe her feeling of being out of place?
“A House of my Own”
1. How does Esperanza demonstrate her desire for female independence?
2. Analyze “clean as paper before the poem”. What is the significance behind this quotation?
“Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes”
1. Is not belonging and not wanting to belong the same? Explain.
2. What is important about story-telling?
3. How does storytelling relate to the title?
4. “…the house I belong but do not belong to” means what (110)?
5. “I am too strong for her to keep me here forever” (110) personifies what? Why does Esperanza
personify it In this way?
6. Analyze the last three sentences of this vignette.