Who Is Esperanza Cordero In The House on Mango Street

Within Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street novel, Esperanza Cordero comes out as a rebellious character; through her behavior, Cordero challenges social expectations. To this end, Cordero fails to tidy the table after meals. Further, Cordero refuses to accompany her family when it visits wealthy neighborhoods. Moreover, against the views of both the mother and school administrators, Cordero insists on having lunch at school. In addition, after receiving unwanted attention from some men, Cordero stops wearing some high-heeled shoes. This essay analyses The House on Mango Street to highlight Cordero’s rebellious personality based on the following behaviors: Cordero fails to tidy the table after meals; Cordero refuses to accompany her family when it visits wealthy neighborhoods; against the views of both the mother and school administrators, Cordero insists on having lunch at school; and after receiving unwanted attention from some men, Cordero stops wearing some high-heeled shoes.

By failing to tidy the table after meals, Cordero highlights her rebellious personality. In this regard, after having meals, Cordero does not take the plate away. Further, Cordero does not put the dining chair back in its place. According to the narrator, Cordero’s behavior resembles that of a man (Cisneros, n.d. ). Through this behavior, Cordero illustrates her rebellious personality. Such rebellious personality causes Cordero to fail to live to societal expectations; being a girl, Cordero should tidy up the table after meals. Nevertheless, Cordero disregards this societal requirement and thus behaves like a man. This conduct highlights Cordero’s rebelliousness. If she were not rebellious, Cordero would live according to social expectations and thus tidy up the table.

To further illustrate her rebellious personality, Cordero refuses to accompany her family when it visits wealthy neighborhoods. On this note, Cordero does not want to see items within these wealthy neighborhoods that would be unaffordable to her family. In Cordero’s thinking, seeing these expensive and unreachable items would humiliate and shame her. To avoid feeling ashamed, Cordero declines to accompany her family members whenever they visit these rich neighborhoods (Ibid.). This stance illustrates Cordero’s rebellious personality. If she were not rebellious, Cordero would accompany her family on these wealthy neighborhood visits.

Given that, against the views of both the mother and school administrators, Cordero insists on having lunch at school, Cordero further demonstrates her rebellious personality. In this regard, the mother holds that it would be inadvisable for Cordero to have lunch at school as this would force Cordero to eat cold food. Likewise, the Sister Superior argues that, since Cordero’s home is right next to school, Cordero can comfortably have lunch at home (Ibid.). Nevertheless, Cordero keeps pestering both the mother and the Sister Superior, seeking permission to have lunch at school. This conduct highlights the Cordero’s rebellious personality. If she were not rebellious, Cordero would accept the views of the mother and the Sister Superior.

Cordero also illustrates her rebellious personality in that, after receiving unwanted attention from some men, Cordero stops wearing some high-heeled shoes. To this end, Cordero wears these high-heeled shoes and strolls happily around her neighborhood. Cordero however notices that certain aged men take undue attention in her. Henceforth, Cordero stops wearing these shoes and dumps them in her home. When Rachel’s mother decides to throw these shoes away, Cordero does not object (Ibid.). Through this conduct, Cordero illustrates her rebellious personality; she refuses to be the subject of attention for some undesirable men. This way, Cordero refuses to abide by social conventions; she refuses to accept men’s attention. If she were not rebellious, Cordero would not react negatively to the men’s attention. She would thus not abandon her shoes.

In conclusion, within The House on Mango Street, Cordero illustrates her rebellious personality in several ways. For instance, Cordero fails to tidy the table after meals. Further, Cordero refuses to accompany her family when it visits wealthy neighborhoods. Moreover, against the views of both the mother and school administrators, Cordero insists on having lunch at school. In addition, after receiving unwanted attention from some men, Cordero stops wearing some high-heeled shoes. It would be prudent to investigate what motivated Cisneros to create the rebellious character of Cordero.

References

Cisneros, S. (n.d.). The House on Mango Street. Retrieved from www.nlcphs.org/SummerReadings/Freshmen/HouseOnMango.pdf