Cultural Values of The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros' strong cultural values greatly influence The House on Mango Street. Esperanza's life is the medium that Cisneros uses to bring the Latino community to his audience. The novel deals with the Catholic Church and its position in the Latin community. The deep family bond within the barrio also plays an important role in the novel. Esperanza's struggle to become part of the world outside of Mango Street represents the desire of many Chicanos to grow beyond their neighborhoods. Religion occupies a powerful position in the lives of Latin Americans. It provides a built-in censor of right and wrong in the form of extreme guilt (Aranda 150). The chapter "A Rice Sandwich" divulges how guilt is established. Here Esperanza wants to have lunch at the canteen, but the nuns simply insult her, and this makes her cry. He says they were "...pointing to a row of three ugly apartments, the one that ragged men are ashamed to enter. Yes...even though I knew it wasn't my house" (Cisneros 45). The fact that her victims were nuns made her even more embarrassed than she already was about where she lived. Family can be a foundation brick or a wrecking ball in the Chicano world. Cisneros says, “We are very family-centered, and that family extends throughout Raza” (Aranda 150). On Mango Street, Esperanza's family is a foundation brick. Esperanza's best friend is her sister. He also has fun at his aunt's expense and inherits his grandmother's name. This legacy symbolizes the strong family bond of Latinos in their effort to keep family names alive. Esperanza dreams of one day having a fulfilling life. She doesn't want her road to freedom to be erased by the birth of a child or the search for a husband. He does not want to fall into the trap of addiction. As the author writes: "His power is his. He will not give it up" (Cisneros 89).
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