Discuss these questions after you read each story and post a comment for your reading group.
"Hips"
1. What are the girls doing as they talk about hips? What are hips good for? What does their conversation tell you about their ages?
"The First Job"
Why does this story have a misleading title? What happens to Esperanza on her first day at work? What does this episode tell you about her family and their expectations?
"Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark"
Why does Esperanza's father cry? How does his crying make her feel?
"Born Bad"
What happens to Aunt Lupe? Why does Esperanza believe she deserves to go to hell? What special relationship did Esperanza have with her aunt?
Focus on Themes, Mood, Setting, and Conflict. How will your stories connect and convey theme, mood, setting and conflict?
Major Themes
Maturity
The main theme of the book is Esperanza’s increasing maturity. It is in evidence throughout the book, as Esperanza talks to older female characters, trying to determine who her role models will be, or as she overcomes her insecurities and learns about her own strengths and weaknesses.
Home and Identity
Throughout the book, Esperanza attaches meaning to where she lives: she takes it personally as an extension of herself. Thus, the fact that she is unhappy and ashamed at her Mango Street house is a major point of contention in the book, and her dreams of another home parallel her dreams of becoming who she wants to be.
Minor Theme Love
Though it is not discussed directly in the book, love of different kinds, between different characters, holds many relationships together. Family love is contrasted with romantic love, and mistaken ideas about what love is (particularly as concern Marin and Sally) are prominent in the book.
MOOD
The mood of the story is highly influenced by Esperanza’s own mood, and the mood of the story is uneven to reflect Esperanza’s uneven moods. When she is happy, as in "Our Good Day," the mood is joyous, relaxed, and untroubled. When she is frightened or hurt, as in "Red Clowns," the mood reflects that. Esperanza has a complex personality, so the mood ranges from childish temper tantrums to solemn thoughtfulness. In general, this indicates Esperanza’s place in the world: intelligent, but not yet fully grown up. The mood is childish and adult by turns.
SETTING
The setting of the story is a poor Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago.
Judging from the cars people drive, it is probably the 1960’s. The neighborhood
is very close-knit, full of immigrants who do not speak English well and
rarely leave the neighborhood.Conflict
Protagonist / Antagonist
Esperanza, the protagonist, has no real antagonist except, perhaps,
herself. The story concerns her journey to maturity. Conflicts in the
story often arise because of Esperanza’s misunderstanding of herself.
For example, she makes fun of her sick aunt, then realizes how much she
values her aunt’s friendship, and feels terrible about what she has done.
Her shyness is another aspect of her immaturity that forces conflict upon
her: she wants to be like bolder girls she knows, who have secret meetings
with boys, but does not have the courage. Additionally, Esperanza must
mature enough to discover her own identity, and understand how the Mango
Street she hates so much fits into her life. Period 4
Continue working on your own stories.
Cameron, Rashid, Robert, Olivia
ReplyDelete1. The girls are jump roping as they talk about hips, which are good for boys and having babies and carrying babies. This conversation tells us that they were at an age where they were starting to notice that they were female, and maturing. Around the age of eleven or twelve.
2. They title is misleading because the main point of the chapter had nothing to do with her first job at all. On her first day of work she is kissed by this old, creepy guy who also works at the paper company. This tells us that Esperanza's family had high expectations and she and her parents want her to do well in school.
3. Esperanza's father is crying because his father has just died. This makes Esperanza appreciate her father more, and think about how lucky she is to have him and how much she loves him.
4. Aunt Lupe dies. Esperanza thinks that she should go to hell because she was making fun of her aunt and then her aunt died. Her Aunt Lupe was the only one who listened to Esperanza's stories, and she praised them. This was the special relationship that she and her aunt had.
Hips
ReplyDelete1.They are jumping ropes. they say that the hips are good for caring a baby. it tells you that they are teens.
the first job
1.it was telling you what was going on on the first day of the job. what had happend was a oriental man grabbed esperanza faced and kissed her
papa who wakes up tired in the dark
1.her grandpa died and it makes her feel odd cause she never seen her father cry
born bad
1.aunt lupe dies. she thinks she should go to hell because she was making fun of the death
Nandi,Kami,Avana,Kadeja
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJanelys, Jasmina, Jahde' and Reyenne
ReplyDelete1. The girls are double dutching. And they are talking about their hips saying that hips are for dancing. They are saying about their age that Nenny is the youngest one while the others are older.
2. This title is misleading because her first job didn't go quite as she expected. On her first day one Esperanza's co-workers kissed her because it was his birthday.
3. Her dad is crying because his father died. Making her feel sad, and imagine how's the funeral going to be like.
4. Aunt Lupe died. Esperanza believes she deserves to go to hell because her mother told her she was born in a bad day and also for making fun of her aunt even though they had a special relationship since her aunt was the one who always listened to her stories.
1. The girls were playing double Dutch while talking about hips. Hips are good for giving birth. It tells that the girls are around their teens.
ReplyDelete2. On her first day an older Asian man kissed her. Its shows that to work early and save money.
3. Her father is crying because his father died and has to go to Mexico. It made Esperanza sad.
4. Aunt Lupe dies. She believes that she should go to hell because her friends are imitating her sickness. She reads her aunt poem besides her.
1. The girls were playing with jump ropes while talking about hips. The girls said that he hip were good to hold up a baby while cooking in front of the stove. This conversations shows that the girls were probably about my age or younger, because of how childish the songs sound.
ReplyDelete2. An older man kissed esperanza while they were having lunch. This episode shows how her parents expect her to do as she was told to get the things she wanted.
3.her father cried because his own father had died. Because she cried, she was all flustered and didn't know what to do. She feels sad for him.
4. Aunt lupe dies. She believes she deserves to go to hell because they had just recently finished making fun of her in a game. she would read poems to her aunt.