The Significance of Language Adaptation in Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street Anonymous College

The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros is a novel which raises many issues worth mentioning. This essay, however, discusses the importance of adapting to the new surroundings, especially to the use of language. Throughout the book the protagonist Esperanza tries to distance herself from her Hispanic tradition; she wants to escape Mango Street, misery, poverty, and Chicano community which damages women beyond repair. She wants to accomplish the “American Dream” and have the house of her own “like the houses on T.V.” The Mexican house on Mango Street is not it; she yearns for an American one. In her pursuit of doing that, she must choose one culture over the other. The same goes for language; Esperanza has to separate herself from her Hispanic roots and Spanish tongue, so she can truly free herself from Mango Street.

Although Esperanza grew up in a Spanish-speaking community, she favors English language and voices a slight aversion to her culture. She implies this when she says, “In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting.” (Cisneros 10). The English meaning is positive and pleasant, whereas the Spanish one is gloomy and does not give her any hope....