The House on Mango Street

“How can art make a difference in the world?”

Looking back on her first major work, Sandra Cisneros asks the question of how her form of art (poetry and fiction) can help make a difference for people who live working-class lives and for the Mexican American community in particular. She often wonders if her success can trickle back to her community. This is a poignant note, as Cisneros’ novel is widely used in school curricula and exposes readers to the hardships of immigrant children in general and Chicana girls specifically. 

“Good lucky you studied…you mean my office, my life.” 

For Sandra Cisneros’s mother (and Esperanza’s by extension), the key to success in life is a good education. When she visits her daughter, who finally has a house of her own under the wide-open sky and more money than anyone in their family, she attributes this incredible success to her pursuit of education. Her mother always regretted not finishing school and pursuing higher education, so she is very proud of Cisneros for achieving her dream. The phrase “good lucky” appears repeatedly throughout the novel. 

“You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing. There. I lived there.” 

Esperanza is deeply ashamed of her family’s house on Mango Street. She knows that it is a place for impoverished people, and she wishes she lived in a stereotypical American home with a yard.