Shame in Sandra Cisneros' the House on Mango Street
Sarah Clanton
Professor Nixon
ENGL 1102 MW
March 7, 2013
“Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down”:
The Power of Shame in Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street
In Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, Esperanza’s main goal is to one day have a house of her own that she can be proud of. Of course this is many people’s dream, but for Esperanza it means everything. It’s such a big deal to her because she’s ashamed of where she lives now, so she wants something better for herself in the future. While shame plays such a major role in the novel, this theme has received little attention from critics. Many critics focus mainly on how literacy and writing help Esperanza to find herself and to help her with her problems. In fact, in her article “More Room of Her Own: Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street," Jacqueline Doyle writes that The House on Mango Street is about “the maturing of a young Chicana and the development of a writer” (6). While this is true, by focusing wholly on Esperanza’s writing, people seem to overlook the critical role shame plays in the novel. Shame is so important because it’s what motivates Esperanza throughout the story to try and be independent and to make a better life for herself. By taking a closer look at the novel, we see the major effects shame can have on people and the power it has to change people’s lives.
Shame is an emotion that we all possess, but we don’t realize it until someone comes along and makes us feel it; it’s a learned emotion. Early on in the novel, a nun from Esperanza’s school is passing by and asks her where she lives. After Esperanza points out her apartment, the nun replies, “You live there?” (5). The nun’s reaction of disbelief and disgust stirs up emotions Esperanza didn’t know she had until now. In her article “Adolescent Journeys: Finding Authority in The Rain Catchers and The House on Mango Street,” Christina Dubb, suggests that “it is the disapproving eyes of authority that force Esperanza
Professor Nixon
ENGL 1102 MW
March 7, 2013
“Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down”:
The Power of Shame in Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street
In Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, Esperanza’s main goal is to one day have a house of her own that she can be proud of. Of course this is many people’s dream, but for Esperanza it means everything. It’s such a big deal to her because she’s ashamed of where she lives now, so she wants something better for herself in the future. While shame plays such a major role in the novel, this theme has received little attention from critics. Many critics focus mainly on how literacy and writing help Esperanza to find herself and to help her with her problems. In fact, in her article “More Room of Her Own: Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street," Jacqueline Doyle writes that The House on Mango Street is about “the maturing of a young Chicana and the development of a writer” (6). While this is true, by focusing wholly on Esperanza’s writing, people seem to overlook the critical role shame plays in the novel. Shame is so important because it’s what motivates Esperanza throughout the story to try and be independent and to make a better life for herself. By taking a closer look at the novel, we see the major effects shame can have on people and the power it has to change people’s lives.
Shame is an emotion that we all possess, but we don’t realize it until someone comes along and makes us feel it; it’s a learned emotion. Early on in the novel, a nun from Esperanza’s school is passing by and asks her where she lives. After Esperanza points out her apartment, the nun replies, “You live there?” (5). The nun’s reaction of disbelief and disgust stirs up emotions Esperanza didn’t know she had until now. In her article “Adolescent Journeys: Finding Authority in The Rain Catchers and The House on Mango Street,” Christina Dubb, suggests that “it is the disapproving eyes of authority that force Esperanza
Cited: Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 2009. Print. Doyle, Jacqueline. "More Room of Her Own: Sandra Cisneros 's The House On Mango Street." Melus 19.4 (1994): 6. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. Dubb, Christina Rose. "Adolescent Journeys: Finding Female Authority in the Rain Catchers and The House On Mango Street." Children 's Literature in Education 38.3 (2007): 219-232. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. de Valdes, Maria Elena. "In Search of Identity in Cisneros 's The House On Mango Street." Canadian Review of American Studies 23.1 (1992): 55. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.