The House on Mango Street - Opinions

[RodrigoCC]

My favorite vignette was "the Family of Little Feet" because it reminds you of the classic "best day of my life." It brought me back memories to those days that just seem to never end and that you never even want to end. It is a text that gave me goosebumps remembering certain events in my life that I had previously forgotten.

I previously read this book in the 7th grade and I thought it was very dumb even for that age, but as I read it a second time, I saw new meanings and deeper messages that can't really get into the mind of a 12 year old. This book takes on social issues and culture as well as putting you in the shoes of someone that you never imagined you could possibly relate to. This book was interesting because as Esperanza grew, you grew along with her. This book definitely deserves AP credit although that I might only be saying this because I know that it is on the AP exam. I cannot fight my superego any longer so this is the conclusion to my reply.

[J tanner wade]

my favorite vignette was "Our Good Days". I loved how sicneros described the kids as all riding on the bike at the same time. I liked how they set rules for the bike and they each got it every certain day.

i think this book is appropriate because it is filled with so many types of metaphors and great allusions.

[cjkb90]

1. My favorite vignette was "Red Clowns". This is because there is a very twisted and sick meaning behind it, which is rape, and I'm not so sure that the untrained mind can see it. The deepness of this vignette is unparalleled by any other in the story.

2. Regarding what Mr. Kennedy said, I believe that he is a true master of his domain. His domain being AP Lit, of course, don't interpret it in any other way. He is a brilliant man, and as such, his comments can not be underestimated. At the time, Mr. Kennedy had not yet finished reading the novel I believe, and so he wishes to rephrase his comment. The House on Mango Street is well written and has underlying meanings which can not be easily perceived. However, it is a tad too simple in its writing. Therefore, Mr. Kennedy's comment has morphed into the following:

"The House on Mango Street, while being written in a child-like and simplistic manner, can be attributed to having an abundance of esoteric themes which can only be perceived through thorough analysis, such as racial, social and economic problems in the American 60's. Therefore, it is worthy of an AP Lit class as long as only a moderate amount of time is spent on it"

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 14, 2007 12:43 AM: Message edited by: Chris Kennedy ]</font>

[mariaceleste]

My favorite vignette is Four Skinny Trees because I like the idea of something that is seemingly weak having this unseen and secret strength. I like the line ?four [trees] who despise concrete.? That line reminds me of the flowers or trees that crack the sidewalk?s pavement.
I do think this is a good book. And it does have literary merit. There are, however, so many other books more rich in metaphors, in content, in ideas and I think that those books would be more suitable for this class. But I still enjoyed re-reading the House of Mango Street.

[dainkelly]

i really liked the vignette called sire, in which esperanza describes how sh wants to feel, how she wants to be with guys, and begin dating, because it really brought up emotions in me. I think that it was the only vignette that actually made me feel things instead of having to imagine the situation.
I dont think that there is a need to make the book seem less than it was, but it lacked some things, and had too much of other things. There was no sense of plot, so we got too much of the main character, and almost no other characters. This was very effective to bring up about what life was like for new latino immigrants in the united states, but i think that this is too specific to cannonize, since it only applies to a limited amount of people