The Esperanza Tree

The Esperanza Tree

In Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street, you meet a character by the name of Esperanza. Esperanza is a very unique young girl who is still trying to discover the many secrets of the world she is living in. She is also trying to find herself and figure out what she is suppose to be doing with her life. She goes through many changes, hardships, and struggles a lot, but one thing Esperanza has going for her is her will to never give up. For Esperanza, “seeing the four skinny trees increases her desire to leave Mango Street and lay new roots somewhere else” (House, par.60). Esperanza feels physically, emotionally, and mentally like the trees on her street.

Esperanza compares herself to the four skinny trees outside her house because of the amazing similarities she sees when she looks at them, and then takes a look at her own life. She sees the trees as something other than just a plain old tree. She sees them as people, people who are just like her.

They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them. Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not belong here but are here. Four raggedy excuses planted by the city. (Cisneros 74)

Besides the fact that Esperanza feels like the trees she also admirers them and wishes she could one day have the strength that they are gaining everyday. “Their strength is secret. They send ferocious roots beneath the ground. They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger” (Cisneros 74). Esperanza knows that she needs to work hard to obtain the strength she needs to achieve what she wants and what is important to her. “Esperanza discovers that she can not have anything for nothing” (Fantasy par. 2). This makes her want to work harder and never give up like the trees.

Like the trees that are trapped in concrete, Esperanza too is