Chapters: “Bums in the Attic”, “Beautiful & Cruel” “A Smart Cookie”

 Esperanza is talking about where she is going to live in the future.  She dreams on living on a hill  She used to go on Sunday’s to look at the house that are on the hills  She stops going because she is ashamed of her families poverty  One day she plans on owning a house on the Hills and she will have bums living in the attic  Personification: “The attic grumble.”

 Espironza wants to turn her life around and own her own house on the hills and have bums live in the attic  Her parents aren’t really trying to change their way of life and are hoping to win the lottery instead of trying to turn their lives around.

Esperanza and her mom are talking while her mom is making oatmeal. Her mom explains to her what she could have been, because she is smart, but didn’t stay in school because she didn’t have money for clothes She further more explains that she feels regret and how she used to be a, “Smart cookie.”

 What Esperanza mom is really saying is how she used to be really smart. But because she had the obstacles of being poor she dropped out of school and she now regrets it

Beautiful and Cruel Esperanza is the speaker. She’s talking about how nobody cares about her/loves, and how she feels like a man, because of what she’s doing, because of how she’s treated. This is when Ezperanza is more mature and older then she was before. At home. Poetic Devices: Symbolism: “ But I have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain.” This is, because the “ball and chain” symbolizes a connection or marriage, a bond meant to not be broken.

 Deeper meaning for “Beautiful but Cruel,” is that ezperanza is depressed.  She feels unloved by her family, yet her mom is doing everything that she can to support the family.  She is maturing slowly to abide for herself.

 “Bums in The Attic” main ideas is to be realilistic, and to work hard go to school and never be greedy  “Beautiful and Cruel” main idea is that Espironza is feeling lost and lonely so she tries to find her own way since she is maturing  “A Smart Cookie” main idea is to stay in school and get a good education

 They all talk about staying in school and getting a good education  Not being greedy or selfish and to not forget about the poor people in the world

What does Espironza’s mother regret? Why does Espironza want to live on the Hills? What mood is Espironza going through?

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