The House on Mango Street, Essay Example

The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros was published in 1984. Categorically acclaimed to be one with an affluence of Latino background, there is an intrinsic portrayal of her background, association and friends in the novel. Beautifully set in vignettes, it is all about her desires and embellishments; demonstrating a symbolic and literal dimension in the lives of teens. The heart of the novel is the illustration of the poverty, oppression, rape and Hispanic traits, coupled with sequential sneak peek into the geography of Mango Street. This literary marvel was later developed into a film. On the other hand, Juno MacGuff, the title character of Jason Reitman’s film; is sixteen, pregnant, decides to have a baby, place it for adoption and move on in life. “Juno” characterizes the new genre, emphasizing on the moralistic melodrama and societal obligations of a teenager. She faced problems and interpreted it in a spirit that matched her desires. Both House on Mango Street and Juno describe the journey of teenagers amidst the titillations of family and society. These characters are traumatized by a sudden flow of subtle and fragile sentiments, which is unknown and complacent to them, leading to confusion and trauma in their lives. Our study encompasses on their vulnerability in coping with their culture, gender and sexuality. Nonetheless, to conclude that both survive the challenges of their transformation and adjust to the emotional motifs of being a teenager, and a victim to their culture and neighborhood.

Culture

The House on Mango Street: Sandra Cisneros writes short vignette-style stories, centering the vivid memories and experiences of a young Latin girl, Esperanza, growing up in a small city, in Chicago neighborhood. Esperanza is a spokesperson to a multitude of characters; oppressed, confused and poor teenagers, man and woman shrouded in the limitation in darkness of Mango Street. She voices the strangulation and voracity of cultural discrimination; and describes how culture percolates and ruins a complete fraternity by barring their growth and development.  She speaks about Chicanos, or Mexican-Americans—that has long been veiled by the demeaning stereotypes and torn apart by internal ambivalence. Unlike Americans of Jewish ancestry, Chicanos have been categorically disintegrated from the American mainstream.  While some of the Latino writers use their poetry, fiction and essays to manifest their “border state” directly — in, for example, an autobiographical mode — it is true that others communicate the flavor and environment of their luminal world through fictional artifice. They use literary devices to enhance an expression of Latino life.  Cisneros use language as a recurring metaphor for the gap between Mexican-Americans and the majority culture, which keeps Esperanza Cordero and her family and friends locked in their barrio. It was something more obdurate than language: an amalgamation of poverty, racism and shame (Binder).

Juno: It is a movie revolving complexity of the issues regarding teen pregnancy, seeing it from diverse angles: parents, peer and teachers. In some scenes Juno is shown as an outcast in school, manifesting the general response on teen pregnancy. However, her parents were supportive. It is pervasive in the present culture to accept the extended adolescence and bear a teenager to get pregnant at this early stage. “But while there is no denying the fact that such a trend is indeed encouraging, we have still got a long way to go in changing the culture, and the movie Juno perfectly illustrates what I mean. Through this movie, we catch a glimpse of a worldview where sex, marriage, children, and even love are treated with utter casualness, stripped of their holy and sacramental nature. There is no sense that it is a gift from God. It is no wonder that this, the surprise comedy of the year, turns out to be a rather depressing reflection of our culture” (Mark).

Gender Roles

House on Mango Street: “Born like me in the Chinese year of the horse–which is supposed to be bad luck if you’re born female–but I think this is a Chinese lie because the Chinese, like the Mexicans, men don’t like their women strong” (Ciscernos 10). Female gender and its continuous degradation have been another focus of discussion in the House of Mango Street. Here the women are treated with contempt and malice; subjugated to ordeal. Men on Mango Street beat their wives and daughters and confine them in the boundaries of home. Just being women causes enough abuse – an example of the beatings that Sally constantly receives, and in the rape of Esperanza. Ciscernos offers her protagonist to critique the way men and women relate to one another. She refuses to divulge in marriage, or remain captive in the male dominion. She is a rebel who by defying gender roles and remaining independent finds her source of a recluse and happiness. Augsberger pointed “The oppression of women is inextricably bound up with the world system of sexploitation. Women bear the heaviest burden of national, economic, class, and religious oppression. They are often told their own liberation must wait for the attainment of the whole society’s liberation” (224).

Juno: The movie seemed a bit sexist. The facades of the archetypes were set up in the beginning – the primary males (Mark, Bleeker and Dad) were respectable, even-tempered and admirable characters “good guy” mold. Juno, Bren and Vanessa, are the three primary female characters, set as slightly neurotic and volatile personalities. When Bren commented Juno on “He’s married! There are some boundaries that you just shouldn’t cross?” The film had created subtle gender expectations all throughout the film.

Sexuality

House on Mango Street: Esperanza fancied sexual attention. Her bookish insights on love and sensuality were crudely determined as the sexual encounters of her life. She admired Marin, the girlfriend of neighbor Louie because of her loose sexuality and cigarettes.  She felt the cliché of males being attracted to females, when the latter dresses for seduction. She felt superior when she realized that her sensual advances, like high heeled women’s shoe could rule on the male gender. Also, when the girls discover their new hips, they are excited as they realize they can give birth and can attract men. Esperanza wanted sensuality in love and hated advances motivated by pure algorithm of physical pleasure. To her romance was sensuality and she deterred the male advances made by her office colleague and the neighborhood.

Juno:  Juno is an apparent comedy. Deep insight into the movie reveals the veracity of the message – be careful of the pros and cons of teenage sexual indulgence. Like when Juno tells her father about her situation, his father shakes his head in disappointment, “I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when” (Juno). These words are unfortunate and biased; showing clearly the unfair truth of feminine sexuality as it brings punishment and demeanor   to family, culture and society. So females should know how to control this appetite in this regard guards. Juno had let her guard down, and the single sexual experience changed her life.

References

Binder, W. “Partial Autobiographies: Interviews with Twenty Chicano Poets,” Erlangen: Verlag, Palm & Enke, 1985, Last Retrieved 28 April 2010 from http://latinostories.com/Latino_Fiction_and_the_Modernist_Imagination/Latino_fiction_chapter_one_part_one.htm

Cisneros, Sandra. “The House on Mango Street, NY: Vintage Books, 1991, last retrieved on April 28, 2010, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mangostreet/

Juno.  Jason Reitman, Diablo Cody.  Movie.  Twentieth Century Fox Film Co. 25 December 2007 (USA), 28 April 2010 from http://www.foxsearchlight.com/juno/

Mark, E. “The Normalcy of Brokenness”, Across Pacific Magazine, 2008, Last Retrieved 28 April 2010 from http://across.co.nz/Juno08.html