The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, is not just a book about the Chicano experience. Although it accurately portrays the life of a young Hispanic girl during this time, the short vignettes also have a universal message for all young adults. Lessons such as individualism, self-reliance, sexuality, and family are important aspects of everyone's life. Moreover, it is through these lessons that one learns the hardships as well as the blessings that life has to offer.
             The first vignette explains how Esperanza and her family arrived at Mango Street. Even though the house is in poor condition, it provides the family with more space and more independence than they have ever had. The rented house allows them to dream of someday having a house of their own, a safe and luxurious haven for the family.
             This dream is particularly important to Esperanza who longs for a space in which to develop her own habits and opinions, and for a security she has never known. A house in Esperanza's mind, is not only a refuge from the world but also a sign directed at the world. For example, she believes that the condition and location of a person's house determine who and what you are. Therefore, in an attempt to make herself a better person, it is her longing and pursuit of a better home that remains the focus of this novel.
             Coming from a patriarchal Mexican heritage, Esperanza faces the conflict between identifying oneself with an ethnic group and identifying oneself as a woman. In "Hips", "The Family of Little Feet", and "Linoleum Roses", women are portrayed in the same manner. In these stories, the sole purpose of a woman was to get married, have a few children, make tortillas, and stay at home. However, Esperanza's aspirations go far beyond everyone's expectations. Through her struggle of figuring out which identification should take priority in her life, she comes to the actuali...