The House on Mango Street

READING CHECK

1. What did Sandra Cisneros’s mother encourage her to do with her life?

Answer: become a writer

2. In the house Esperanza’s parents purchase on Mango Street, what do all six members of the family have to share?

Answer: a bedroom

3. Which member of Esperanza’s family has hair “like little candy circles all curly and pretty”?

Answer: her mother

4. What does Esperanza’s name mean in English?

Answer: hope

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to begin a discussion about what a persona or implied author is in a work of fiction. The term persona literally means “a mask.” Why might Cisneros have chosen to tell stories of a girl similar to herself through a character named Esperanza? Why is it important to distinguish between the author of a book and his or her chosen persona?

QUIZ

1. How did Cisneros defy her father?

A) She married young.

B) She refused to go to college.

C) She left home before getting married.

D) She studied meteorology.

2. How does Esperanza feel when the nun questions her about her house?

A) ashamed

B) guilty

C) surprised

D) irritated

3. To convey how comforting the smell of her mother’s hair is, what does Esperanza liken it to? (short answer)

4. After noting that her younger sister is her “responsibility,” what does Esperanza say she longs for?