Sandra Cisneros' Life and Language
             "What does a woman inherit that tells her how to go?" (Cisneros 3). There has never been a great literary work written without an inspiration or as a product of life experiences. Although Sandra Cisneros knew she was destined to become a writer, she felt lost in her search for a topic about which to write. Then, in college, she finally had a revelation. She decided to write about her own life, offering readers an unprecedented look at Mexican-American culture (Dasenbrock). Since this revelation, Sandra Cisneros has poured her soul into her writing, allowing her language and life to uniquely influence her work.
             Born in Chicago in 1954, Cisneros grew up in poverty with six other brothers and sisters (Dasenbrock). She described her family's financial situation as turbulent, requiring them to move a lot and not allowing her to form any lasting friendships. She often found herself lonely, and chose to observe life quietly, recording her feelings and thoughts in a secret journal. Attending a Catholic school, Cisneros received poor grades because she was very quiet and didn't feel comfortable participating in class. Although she was constantly writing at home, it wouldn't be until her sophomore year that she felt confident enough to become the school's newspaper editor (Dasenbrock).
             Because her father was Mexican and her mother was Mexican-American, Cisneros felt her race gave her a unique sense of identity (Cisneros 3). She thought many of her beliefs and principles came from the culture that surrounded her as well. Both of her parents worked hard to make ends meet for their children, and encouraged them to become educated so they wouldn't have to do the same for their children (Dasenbrock).
             As she began college at the University of Iowa, she noticed most of her classmates came from privileged backgrounds and concerned themselves with more classical...