“‘Texts explore, support or subvert notions of identity.’
Discuss this statement making detailed reference to the excerpt from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.”

• The except “The Three Sisters” is chapter 41 from the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros published in 1984.
• The chapter starts of by talking about three sisters, aunts, and they are las comadres and that is a Spanish term given to Godmother, ‘one with laughter like tin and on with eyes of a cat and one with hands like porcelain’. This gave a thought of maybe witches and further research of the novel/chapter reveals that they are representations of the “three fates” of ancient mythology and these are women who decide, death, birth and lengths of lives.
• Lucy and Rachel’s baby sister died, and there was wake or a viewing that happened in their home, ‘anybody who had ever wondered what color the walls were came and came to look at that little thumb of a human in a box like candy’.
• Esperanza then makes a wishes and the sister who had ‘marble hands’ called her over to tell her something. o “When you leave you must remember to come back for the others. A circle, understand? You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can’t erase what you know. You can’t forget who you are. … You must remember to come back. For the ones who cannot leave as easily as you.”
• “The story approaches the fantastical here (in Esperanza’s point of view), as the sisters seem to read Esperanza’s mind and predict her future. They recognize that Esperanza is already strong enough to leave Mango Street, but they remind her of what she thought in “Bums in the Attic,” that she cannot forget where she came from, or abandon those left behind.” (LitCharts, pg. 1).
• Three branches: o Individual identity
• Her name, Esperanza, means ‘hope’ in Spanish
• Could be the literal hope for herself and her family o Community identity
• Religious
• “Then Jesus came and took the baby with him far away.”
• Cultural
• Spanish o Superstitions
• “One night a dog cried, and the next day a yellow bird flew in through an open window.” A sign that something bad will happen
• ‘Las comadres’ means god mother, suggests a fairy god mother
• American o Obligations to community
• Coming back for her family
• Identity o Cultural o Religion o Race o Gender

Notions: the conception, belief, and characteristics of something
Explore: examine in detail
Support: give assistance, reinforce
Subvert: challenge, undermine the power and authority

Bibliography

Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). The House on Mango Street Chapter 41 Summary. Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://www.shmoop.com/house-on-mango-street/chapter-41-summary.html

The House on Mango Street: Chapter 41: The Three Sisters Summary & Analysis. (2015). Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-house-on-mango-street/chapter-41-the-three-sisters

“‘Texts explore, support or subvert notions of identity.’
Discuss this statement making detailed reference to the excerpt from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.”

Many texts are constructed in different ways to explore, reinforce or challenge characteristics of identity. “The Three Sisters” an excerpt from The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros, explores, subverts and supports the characteristics of identity.

The lines “you will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street,” reinforces that the roots of someone will always be a part of their individual and community and/or cultural identity. The notion that we come from, where we are born and grow up is demonstrated in the “The Three Sisters” as Esperanza comes from Mango Street, and is told that is what she will always be. Her name, Esperanza, means ‘hope’ in Spanish, and this can suggest that she is the literal hope for herself and her family as she wants to leave. When the godmothers, las comadres, have overseeing powers like the ancient mythology of the ‘three fates’ (death, birth, and length of lives) tell Esperanza that she has “a good name”, and it refers to it meaning hope. This also suggests again that she is the literal hope for herself and her family. This is the individual identity and reinforces the idea that our name is what contributes to making us, us. For her to come back for the others again relates to her name meaning hope, being able to leave already and her having enough strength to come back to help.

The influences that you have as a child will affect who you are as an adult and the person that you grow to be. Traumatic situations and events will influence/govern who you are, is also suggested in the text from the lines, “you can’t erase what you know. You can’t forget who you are.” As Esperanza made a wish to leave this place, the godmothers also tell her that she must come back for the others, as they are obviously not as strong as Esperanza or do not have the will power to leave. This is a cultural scene too, as Spanish families are known for their tight family bonds and close sense of community. Leaving would be seen as forbidden or as a sin (connects to the religious identity) as their values would be to stay together as a family regardless of what has happened or is happening. The obligations Esperanza has to her family are to come back to save them too, and to give them hope in the future and somewhere else to get away from the awful event. Religious identity is also reinforced, “then Jesus came and took the baby with him far away”. This suggests a multicultural family or community, and also old fashioned as a funeral/wake was held in their home. The close sense of community is also portrayed as it is said that many people came to look at the baby that had passed. Esperanza community identity shows that she takes an active part in it, but initially wanted no part in it whatsoever.

Religion in Esperanza’s life, or the excerpt “The Three Sisters” is evident again as the three sisters themselves stand for the three fates of births, deaths and lengths of lives. It is ancient Greek mythology, which was a part of their religion. “They had the power” then suggests that they are a higher power; just like in the Catholic religion God is the higher power. As the three sisters read Esperanza’s palm, she knows that they know her desire to leave Mango Street. Religious identity contributes to the Esperanza’s identity as before mentioned, she is suggested to be multi-religious and have different beliefs from each religion.

The notions of identity are supported well in the excerpt “The Three Sisters” from the novel The House On Mango Street. Individual, cultural and religious identity does contribute to our own identity, and Esperanza the protagonist in the excerpt.