Love and Liberty in “The House on Mango Street” Essay Example

held back by the expectations for them by society. Now she is trapped in her life, unable to do the what she wants and enjoys. It is forcefully reiterated that, like Rafaela, she could have a better life without the constraints of marriage. The connection Cisneros makes Madame Butterfly is definite proof of this theme. Madame Butterfly’s story mirrors this theme of a girl withheld her freedom by a confining relationship. That fact that Cisneros brings up this opera manifests the significance of this topic.

One last example of relationships versus freedom is the character Sally, specifically in the vignette “Linoleum Roses.” This example is unique in that Sally forged a relationship to acquire her freedom, and instead finds herself in an oppressive relationship. Unlike the other two examples, Cisneros uses a young, naive character to prove that anyone can fall into this trap. This example has particular significance because Sally is arguably the biggest influence on Esperanza and her marriage probably left the biggest impact, unlinking freedom and love as synonymous concepts in Esperanza’s mind. For the third time, the author goes out of her way to show what a girl misses out on because of a relationship. This is demonstrated in this vignette using the quote, “Except he won't let her talk on the telephone. And he doesn't let her look out the window. And he doesn't like her friends, so nobody gets to visit her unless he is working. She sits at home because she is afraid to go outside without his permission” (102). This explicit statement cries for the reader’s attention and perfectly sums up this crucial time.

A prominent theme Cisneros creates

in “The House on Mango Street” is relationships versus freedom. Esperanza wants nothing more than her freedom, but as she matures, she also begins longs for a relationship. Cisneros illustrates several women held captive husbands and children, making Esperanza and the reader realize there is no way for these two desires to coincide. An example of this theme is the character Rafaela in the vignette “Rafaela, who Drinks Coconut and Papaya Juice on Tuesdays.” Her husband locks her in her own house and forbids her to leave it. Cisneros uses exceptionally strong imagery, including the line, “Rafaela leans out the window and leans on her elbow and dreams her hair is like Rapunzel’s” (79).

This allusion to a fairytale creates a wistful mood and amplifies the despair of Rafaela. The author puts stress on showing that she could have a better life if she was not married, one instance in the quote, “Rafaela, who drinks and drinks coconut and papaya juice on Tuesdays and wishes there were sweeter drinks, not bitter like an empty room, but sweet, sweet like the island, like the dance hall down the street where women much older than her throw green eyes easily like dice and open homes with keys” (80). The single women are enjoying their freedom while Rafaela is trapped in her relationship.

In “A Smart Cookie”, Esperanza’s mother expresses similar grief to Rafaela. She also feels suffocated by her family and home life, saying that, “I could have been somebody, you know” (90). In this vignette Cisneros takes the theme a step further through the mother, making the point that women are intelligent yet held back by the expectations

for them by society. Now she is trapped in her life, unable to do the what she wants and enjoys. It is forcefully reiterated that, like Rafaela, she could have a better life without the constraints of marriage. The connection Cisneros makes Madame Butterfly is definite proof of this theme. Madame Butterfly’s story mirrors this theme of a girl withheld her freedom by a confining relationship. That fact that Cisneros brings up this opera manifests the significance of this topic.

One last example of relationships versus freedom is the character Sally, specifically in the vignette “Linoleum Roses.” This example is unique in that Sally forged a relationship to acquire her freedom, and instead finds herself in an oppressive relationship. Unlike the other two examples, Cisneros uses a young, naive character to prove that anyone can fall into this trap.

This example has particular significance because Sally is arguably the biggest influence on Esperanza and her marriage probably left the biggest impact, unlinking freedom and love as synonymous concepts in Esperanza’s mind. For the third time, the author goes out of her way to show what a girl misses out on because of a relationship. This is demonstrated in this vignette using the quote, “Except he won't let her talk on the telephone. And he doesn't let her look out the window. And he doesn't like her friends, so nobody gets to visit her unless he is working. She sits at home because she is afraid to go outside without his permission” (102). This explicit statement cries for the reader’s attention and perfectly sums up this crucial time.