Gender Violence in The House on Mango Street According FindCounciling.com, around the world, one in every three women is abused in her lifetime. Gender violence is and always has been a problem for our world, especially on Mango Street, the fictional street from a book by Sandra Cisneros.The House on Mango Street was based in the 1970-80's. The main character, Esperanza Cordero, is a middle school-aged girl living in a poor Latino neighborhood in Chicago. The book tells of Esperanza getting older. She learns a lot throughout one year, living on Mango Street. She makes friends, loses friends, learns to accept her life for what it is, and realizes how good she has it, but also goes through traumatizing events and comes out wiser and stronger. Esperanza is a victim of gender violence. Gender violence is a large theme in The House on Mango Street; Sandra Cisneros, the author of the book, is trying to raise awareness that gender violence is a very big issue in society.
One of the first times we see gender violence in the book is when Esperanza is unwillingly kissed at work. Esperanza makes a friend when she gets a job at a local photo finishers. He tells her it's his birthday and asks her for a kiss: “I thought I would because he was so old and just as I was about to put my lips on his cheek, he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard on the mouth and doesn't let go”(55). This quotation shows Esperanza's “friend” taking advantage of her. She trusts him and he is violent towards her. This can greatly effect her life. Now she probably feels cynical and alone. She will be forever changed, for better or for worse. However, a person should be able to change their own life, not have someone change it for them. Esperanza, a young, innocent girl, is a victim of gender violence when she is unwillingly kissed at work. This was not what she thought she was getting herself into. This example shows that gender violence is a terrible problem.
Gender violence also occurs when Sally is physically abused by her father. Sally lives with her father and mother. Her father abuses her, and although her mother knows, she doesn't stop it. Finally Sally goes to Esperanza's house. When her father comes to find her, she changes her mind and returns home with him. He tells her the abuse won't happen again and Sally trusts him because this is what she wants to believe. Later he catches her with a boy and starts beating her again: “and the next day she doesn't come to school. And the Next. Until the way Sally tells it, he just went crazy, he forgot he was her father between the buckle and the belt” (93). This quote is telling of Sally's father abusing her and hurting her physically but also mentally. This is gender violence. I think Sally's father wants his daughter to be good and pure. He doesn't want Sally associating with boys. Fathers try to protect their daughters instead of just letting them grow up into who they want to be. If Sally was a boy, she would probably not be abused. Sally's father wants to believe that his daughter is perfect and is still his little girl. Sally just wants to be loved. Sally is a young, innocent girl who is also a victim of gender violence.
Gender violence greatly effects Esperanza's life when she is unwillingly raped at the carnival. She is raped by a man after Sally leaves her alone at the fair: “Sally, make him stop. I couldn't make them go away. I couldn't do anything but cry. I don't remember” (100). Esperanza gets raped. When she says she can't talk about it, it makes the reader hink she was touched inappropriately and against her will. Rape is gender violence. Esperanza screamed and cried but no one helped. The awareness of gender violence should have been much higher. But no one came to help. Esperanza is greatly changed for life. She thought she was safe. She just wanted to be a kid, have fun at the carnival. Gender violence should never happen, especially at a place where so many people could have helped. No one came to help and the situation most likely hurt Esperanza physically and mentally. This shows how gender violence is also a hidden problem.
A big problem in society is gender violence. Sandra Cisneros is trying to raise awareness of that fact. Maybe Cisneros experienced this as a young girl and is trying to spread consciousness of it. A man forcefully kisses Esperanza in public. Sally's father abuses her at home. A man rapes Esperanza at the fair. Throughout the book there are examples of gender violence. In Esperanza's neighborhood gender violence is a problem that no one seems to care about. When people are mentally, physically, or sexually abused, they feel like they can't tell anyone and even if they did, nothing would be done about it. This is a real life problem; people do get abused and they feel like they can't get help. Trying to control the problem now might stop gender violence in the future. Like many cases, Esperanza's situation scarred her for life. Sandra Cisneros at least goes back and tries to help raise awareness by writing this book. Gender violence is an inimical misfortune that is allowed to happen when people aren't educated about it. It happens often and is a terrible, yet hidden problem in our world. Gender violence is a theme inThe House on Mango Street. It is a problem that desperately needs more awareness.
Gender Violence in The House on Mango Street
According FindCounciling.com, around the world, one in every three women is abused in her lifetime. Gender violence is and always has been a problem for our world, especially on Mango Street, the fictional street from a book by Sandra Cisneros. The House on Mango Street was based in the 1970-80's. The main character, Esperanza Cordero, is a middle school-aged girl living in a poor Latino neighborhood in Chicago. The book tells of Esperanza getting older. She learns a lot throughout one year, living on Mango Street. She makes friends, loses friends, learns to accept her life for what it is, and realizes how good she has it, but also goes through traumatizing events and comes out wiser and stronger. Esperanza is a victim of gender violence. Gender violence is a large theme in The House on Mango Street; Sandra Cisneros, the author of the book, is trying to raise awareness that gender violence is a very big issue in society.
One of the first times we see gender violence in the book is when Esperanza is unwillingly kissed at work. Esperanza makes a friend when she gets a job at a local photo finishers. He tells her it's his birthday and asks her for a kiss: “I thought I would because he was so old and just as I was about to put my lips on his cheek, he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard on the mouth and doesn't let go”(55). This quotation shows Esperanza's “friend” taking advantage of her. She trusts him and he is violent towards her. This can greatly effect her life. Now she probably feels cynical and alone. She will be forever changed, for better or for worse. However, a person should be able to change their own life, not have someone change it for them. Esperanza, a young, innocent girl, is a victim of gender violence when she is unwillingly kissed at work. This was not what she thought she was getting herself into. This example shows that gender violence is a terrible problem.
Gender violence also occurs when Sally is physically abused by her father. Sally lives with her father and mother. Her father abuses her, and although her mother knows, she doesn't stop it. Finally Sally goes to Esperanza's house. When her father comes to find her, she changes her mind and returns home with him. He tells her the abuse won't happen again and Sally trusts him because this is what she wants to believe. Later he catches her with a boy and starts beating her again: “and the next day she doesn't come to school. And the Next. Until the way Sally tells it, he just went crazy, he forgot he was her father between the buckle and the belt” (93). This quote is telling of Sally's father abusing her and hurting her physically but also mentally. This is gender violence. I think Sally's father wants his daughter to be good and pure. He doesn't want Sally associating with boys. Fathers try to protect their daughters instead of just letting them grow up into who they want to be. If Sally was a boy, she would probably not be abused. Sally's father wants to believe that his daughter is perfect and is still his little girl. Sally just wants to be loved. Sally is a young, innocent girl who is also a victim of gender violence.
Gender violence greatly effects Esperanza's life when she is unwillingly raped at the carnival. She is raped by a man after Sally leaves her alone at the fair: “Sally, make him stop. I couldn't make them go away. I couldn't do anything but cry. I don't remember” (100). Esperanza gets raped. When she says she can't talk about it, it makes the reader hink she was touched inappropriately and against her will. Rape is gender violence. Esperanza screamed and cried but no one helped. The awareness of gender violence should have been much higher. But no one came to help. Esperanza is greatly changed for life. She thought she was safe. She just wanted to be a kid, have fun at the carnival. Gender violence should never happen, especially at a place where so many people could have helped. No one came to help and the situation most likely hurt Esperanza physically and mentally. This shows how gender violence is also a hidden problem.
A big problem in society is gender violence. Sandra Cisneros is trying to raise awareness of that fact. Maybe Cisneros experienced this as a young girl and is trying to spread consciousness of it. A man forcefully kisses Esperanza in public. Sally's father abuses her at home. A man rapes Esperanza at the fair. Throughout the book there are examples of gender violence. In Esperanza's neighborhood gender violence is a problem that no one seems to care about. When people are mentally, physically, or sexually abused, they feel like they can't tell anyone and even if they did, nothing would be done about it. This is a real life problem; people do get abused and they feel like they can't get help. Trying to control the problem now might stop gender violence in the future. Like many cases, Esperanza's situation scarred her for life. Sandra Cisneros at least goes back and tries to help raise awareness by writing this book. Gender violence is an inimical misfortune that is allowed to happen when people aren't educated about it. It happens often and is a terrible, yet hidden problem in our world. Gender violence is a theme in The House on Mango Street. It is a problem that desperately needs more awareness.