The Symbolism In The House On Mango Street

Through the entire quarter, we’ve seen how symbolism can be used to communicate culture. Specifically, we are referring to “Latino Language Communities,” where we learned through readings in class, lively discussion, and many excursions. A common theme was evident in the symbolism examples we encountered. All of our experiences this quarter have been dominated by the culture theme. The ofrendas in the Day of the Dead Exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art are my favorite. These artistic and symbolic masterpieces, which express a rich culture with a powerful meaning, are testimony to the themes of symbolism and culture. The House on Mango Street was written by Sandra Cisneros and contains many of the overarching themes that were discussed during class. Sandra Cisneros’s story is filled with symbolism that portrays many of the conflicts Latino Language communities face. Esperanza’s growing up is captured in the book, which emphasizes culture and its relationship to identity. In these two examples, I was able to identify a significant component of my identity and culture. For me, music is an important cultural and symbol factor. Music can be used to convey emotion and evoke memories.

You will see a recurring theme of symbolism and culture throughout all the excursions. Each excursion was rich with culture. This culture was expressed in many ways, including through music, art and ethnic food. Pilsen is the one community that we were able to visit. Once you step off the Chicago “L”, you are immediately immersed in this community. You will notice as you walk through the streets that the symbols are a part of the culture. It is a great way to learn about the importance of these artworks in preserving culture. The ofrendas displayed at the National Museum of Mexican Art were a great example of cultural symbolism. It was enlightening for me to see how the Mexicans incorporated their culture into everyday life. I was particularly impressed by the ofrenda made in memory of a woman who recently died, but had lived in her neighborhood for several decades. The ofrenda I chose was unique because it reflected the cultural symbolism and the life of the woman who had created it. Her personal items were used to create the ofrenda, which represented her most important life events. This tradition is a great example of how to express culture through symbolism. Items in her ofrenda were not just a representation of things she did often, but they also had a deep emotional and sentimental value for her and the people who surrounded her. Some of the objects symbolized a heritage or an ethnicity and others have a wider symbolic meaning. People close to her were deeply affected by the hidden box of her chocolates on her ofrenda. This was because she often hid her chocolates in order to resist people. Many ofrendas represent cultural ideas. For example, the box of chocolates that was hidden on her ofrenda had a deep emotional and symbolic meaning for the people close to her. She would often hide her chocolates from others during the course of he life. Butterfly images in ofrendas have always been memorable for me, as they represent a significant cultural and historic meaning to the Mexican people. It was believed that they could guide or transform you through life. The symbolism was so simple that the monarch butterfly acted as a bond between the Mexican families and the American families. In all of our visits to this area, not just the Pilsen excursion but also the rest, there was a common theme: the use symbolism to express cultural values. The excursions I took were culturally enriching, and very informative. For people who are of that ethnicity, the importance of these expressions is much greater. The life story of Sandra Cisneros from Humboldt Park was also very interesting to gain a new perspective on these places.

The House on Mango Street was written by Sandra Cisneros. The author used symbolism through the book in order to highlight underlying issues and relevant conflicts for a population of minorities. The book focuses on the struggles of a minority and how Esperanza, its main character, deals with them. Esperanza is never able to fit in with her peers, whether in school or at home. Sandra Cisneros creates Esperanza as a way to describe her own experiences. Esperanza represents Sandra Cisneros and also the Mexican American struggles. Cisneros believed that culture was a significant part of one’s identity and represented many different symbolic elements. Esperanza was proud of her “House on Mango Street,” despite its small size and crowded appearance. She grew into a woman who was proud of where she lived and the house that she owned. The Three Sisters is one of the many chapters that deal with symbolism, culture, and history. She was very patriotic about her home. It is symbolic of our childhood and what we have become today. Esperanza told me that her home was a symbol of our culture and identity. The book was set in Chicago. As such, we visited the original house where the story originated. In Humboldt Park was the house and community, which like Pilsen reflected their culture with symbolism. Humboldt Park featured many political and culturally relevant murals. The Puerto Rican community in this neighborhood has always been treated as one of Chicago’s most marginalized minorities. They have been gentrified in their native neighborhoods and forced out. The Puerto Ricans took a symbolic stand by “planting their flag” at Humboldt Park. Two large Puerto Rican flags are placed on Division Street to protect the community from being victimized by regentrification. As I read through the book, a chapter struck me as having many similarities. Cisneros illustrates the symbolic meaning of these “four slim trees” with a choice of interesting words. Esperanza mentions the similarities in their physical characteristics, for instance, “[their] pointy elbows and skinny necks are similar to [her]” (Cisneros 74) Cisneros makes the trees represent Esperanza’s family and the other minorities. Cisneros describes the trees as if they were a microcosm of the struggle these enthic individuals go through in order to preserve their culture and identity. Esperanza speaks about the “secret strength” of the four trees, and how their roots go deep into the earth and that they will never give up fighting (74). This quote reminded me of the 45-ton Puerto Rican flags, 59 feet high and 59 feet wide that symbolize the struggle and stand for Puerto Rican Americans living in Chicago. This short chapter, which describes these “four thin trees”, has many symbolisms. It also expresses how important it is to use symbolism in order to protect and convey culturalism. Esperanza asks why the trees are there. Esperanza compares, in the second chapter of this book, the “bricks”, a common sight to the refreshing tree. Esperanza is amazed that these trees are still there, even though “there was nothing to look upon on [the] road.” “Four [skinny] tree grew despite the concrete surrounding them” (74). She explains how these trees were not meant to grow in a concrete-dominated environment, but they did.

The four thin trees in Sandra Cisneros’s “Four Skinny Trees” represent Esperanza. Esperanza’s true nature is not understood. She’s a thin girl with pointed elbows. She doesn’t feel as if she belongs in this place, but it is. She feels like a dirty excuse that was thrown in the city. Esperanza is a strong woman. She has a life full of ferocious rooted. Her roots are both upward and downward, becoming stronger over time. She supports herself by putting down roots. In difficult times, she helps herself to overcome. She is able to overcome obstacles in her neighborhood through observing beauty both around her and within herself. It will always be home to her, even if one day she decides to leave. She says that even though she feels like she does belong here, she will still make the most of her time.