A major theme that the book deals with is coming of age. Growing up. Esperanza, the main character, grew up in a very low class. She has moved many times, and lived in the most run down places. In one instance, she recounts a tale of being asked to identify her house when a nun from her school passed by and interrupted her play. The mortification she felt from having to point to the apartment over a "laundromat" with peeling paint and barred windows and admit she lived there scarred her. And it was not helped any when the nun rudly replied, "You live there?" Esperanza has been made to be bitter of her surroundings and ashamed of her place in life. Esperanza also deals with all the problems that children face. Like feelings of being rejected and being an outcast. Her status of waiting for a best friend as being "a red balloon tied to an anchor." She is isolated, alone, visibly different, and raised high for all to see. Esperanza longs to escape. She

Another theme is Social Class Differences. Esperanza has gotten the lower end of the stick in life, and she knows it. She hates it, too. She hates all the houses that he's lived in. The hates the lack of privacy she has. And she hates the fact that people in higher classes look down on her so much. A lot of the book revloves around her need to have a place of her own free from the constraints she finds both inside and outside her present domicile.

The House on Mango Street, as it has been shown, contains many different themes. There's Coming of Age, Social Class Differences, Gender Supression, and Family Traditions. There are many other themes, but the major reoccuring ones are covered here. These themes are things that still take place today, regardless of the fact that this book was written over 15 years ago. And if everybody plays their part, maybe these themes will slowly start to dissolve away and the world will be a better place for all of us.

needs a true friend to come and set her free.

Another theme is Family Issues. Esperanza has many family members. In the chapter, "Hairs", Esperanza describes the hair of all her family members. Their hair can play as a metaphor for their personality.. For instance, Nenny's slippery hair seems to match her wistful and dreamy dis

Some common words found in the essay are:
Growing Esperanza, Gender Suppression, Mama Esperanza, Indeed Mama, Nenny Esperanza's, Differences Esperanza, Sandra Cisneros, Family Traditions, Hairs Esperanza, Nenny Nenny, brothers sisters, house mango street, mama's hair, coming age, little sister, gender suppression, sisters esperanza, esperanza describes, longs escape, brothers sisters esperanza, class differences, social class differences, social class,
Approximate Word count = 869
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)