1. The House on Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street

2. Discussion and Writing

3. The House on Mango Street
1-Where did the narrator live before she moved to The House on Mango Street?
2-How were her previous homes different?
3-In what kind of house would she like to live?
4-Does she like her new house? Why not?

4. Hairs 5- Who are the members of Esperanza’s family?
6- How are Papa and Mama’s hairs different?

5. Boys and Girls
7- Why do Esperanza’s brothers talk to her at home but not in public?
8- Why does Esperanza feel that Nenny is her responsibility?

6. My Name 9- After whom was Esperanza named?
10- According to Esperanza, what does her namesake’s story tell you about the status of women in Mexican society?
11- Why does Esperanza say, “I don’t want to inherit her place by the window”?

7. Cathy Queen of Cats
12. Why is Cathy’s family about to move?

8. Our Good Day 13. How does Esperanza make friends with Lucy and Rachel?
14. What makes them better friends than Cathy?

9. Laughter
15. How are Esperanza and Nenny alike?

10. Gil’s Furniture Bought and Sold
16. When does the black owner turn on the lights?
17. What did Esperanza’s family buy in the store before?
18. What does Nenny want to buy at the store?
19. Describe the store.

11. Meme Ortiz 20. What is Meme’s real name?
21. Who lived in the house before Meme moved in? Who built it?

12. Louie, His Cousin and His Other Cousin
22. Where does Louie’s family live? Where are they from?
23. What does Marin usually wear? What is her job in the house?
24. What kind of car does Louie’s cousin drive? Where does he take the neighborhood kids?
25. What happens to Louie’s cousin at the end of the chapter and why?

13. Marin 26. Who is Marin? 27. Why is she unable to leave her house?
28. How does she plan to change her situation?
29. Why do Esperanza and her friends admire her?

14. Those Who Don’t 30. How do outsiders see Esperanza’s neighborhood?
31. How does Esperanza feel when she visits other neighborhoods?

15. There was an Old Woman She had So Many Children She didn’t Know What to Do
32. Why does Rosa Vargas cry every day?
33. Why do her children misbehave?
34. What happens to her son Angel?

16. Alicia Who Sees Mice
35. How does Alicia’s father treat her efforts to get an education?
36. How does Alicia go to the university?
37. Why does she want to become a professional?

17. Darius and the Clouds
38. What kind of boy is Darius? 39. Who does he see in a cloud?

18. And Some More
40. Why does the conversation about clouds between Esperanza, Nenny, and Rachel turn into a fight?

19. The Family of Little Feet
41. What happens to Esperanza when she and her friends are given some cast-off shoes?
42. How do the shoes change them?
43. What effect do they have on the men in the neighborhood?

20. A Rice Sandwich
44. Why does Esperanza want to eat in the canteen? 45. What does she tell her mother to do so she can eat in the canteen? 46. How does Sister Superior make Esperanza feel embarrassed?

21. Chanclas 47. What does Esperanza’s mother forget to buy?
48. What are they going to celebrate?
49. How does she feel and why?
50. Who invites Esperanza to dance? How does he convince her to do it?

22. Hips
51. What does Esperanza mean when she says, “One day you wake up and they are there”?
52. According to Esperanza, what can women do with their hips?
53. What does Nenny say about hips?
54. What happens to women’s bones if they have many children according to Esperanza?
55. Why do Lucy and Rachel get mad at Nenny?

23. The First Job
56. Who helps Esperanza find her first job? 57. Why does Esperanza have to lie about her age? 58. What is her job all about? Describe it. 59. Describe what happens to Esperanza when she takes her break in the coatroom. Give as many details as possible.

24. Papa who wakes up Tired in the Dark
60. Why is Esperanza’s father crying? How does she react?
61. Why does Esperanza feel that it’s her responsibility to tell the others about abuelito’s dead?
62. What are the traditions in the Latino culture when somebody in the family is dead?

25. Born Bad
63. What happened to Aunt Lupe? 64. What did she use to do before getting sick? 65. Why does Esperanza feel she is going to hell?

26. Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water
66. Who is Elenita and what does she do for a living? 67. Why does Elenita ask Esperanza to fill up a glass with water? 68. What does Esperanza ask Elenita to find in the glass of water? What does Elenita tell Esperanza instead?

27. Geraldo No Last Name
69. Where did Marin meet Geraldo? How was he dressed? 70. What happened to him? 71. What are Esperanza’s thoughts about Geraldo’s family back in Mexico?

28. Sire
72. Who is Sire? 73. Sire is Esperanza’s first real crush. Give examples of Esperanza’s feelings towards Sire.

29. No Speak English
74. Why doesn’t Mamacita leave her house? 75. What happened to Esperanza’s father when he did not know to speak English?

30. Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya
76. Why does Rafaela get locked in her apartment? 77. What would she like to do instead of being in her apartment? 78. How does she get coconut & papaya juice?

31. Sally
79. Why does Sally’s father think that to be beautiful is trouble? 80. Why does Esperanza want to be Sally’s friend? 81. Why does Esperanza assume Sally does not want to go back home?

32. Minerva Writes Poems
82. How old is Minerva? How many children does she have? 83. What happened to Minerva’s husband? 84. What do Minerva and Esperanza have in common?

33. Beautiful & Cruel
85. What is Esperanza’s concern in this chapter? 86. How does Esperanza expect to be a different woman?

34. A Smart Cookie
87. What are Esperanza’s mother skills, especially around the house? 88. Why does she tell Esperanza to study hard? Why does she feel ashamed?

35. What Sally Said
89. Why does Sally’s father beat her up so often? 90. Why does Sally’s father visit Esperanza’s house? 91. Why does Sally’s father beat her up one more time?

36. Linoleum Roses
92. Who did Sally get married to? 93. Why did she move to another state? 94. How does her husband treat her? Explain.

37. The Three Sisters
95. What happened to Lucy and Rachel’s sister? 96. What is Esperanza’s wish? 97. What does one of the three sisters tell Esperanza about her wish?

38. Alicia & I Talking on Edna’s Steps
98. Why is Esperanza jealous of Alicia? Why does Alicia tell Esperanza, “Like it or not you are Mango Street, and one day you’ll come back to”?

39. A House of My Own
99. Describe Esperanza’s ideal house.

40. Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes
100. Why does at the end of the book Esperanza decide to come back to Mango Street? What is the message in this chapter?