“In Sandra Cisneros’s novel The House on Mango Street, a young Latina girl, Esperanza, is telling the story of her experience growing up in a low-income neighborhood. As a teenager, she goes through some difficult times and learns about what it means to be an adult. She and her family move to a house located on Mango Street in Chicago. But this house is not what Esperanza really expected. It is not the type of house her parents had promised they would move to. Throughout the novel, Esperanza describes the tough lives of her friends, relatives, and other residents in short sketches that allow readers to explore their cultural backgrounds. These characters are affected either by exile, poverty, or the restrictions of predetermined gender roles. Esperanza draws attention fromFreedom in Novel The House on Mango Street the readers because she is portrayed as a simple human being, as a woman that is going through hard times, which is usual in this kind of neighborhood across the globe. Additionally, she is going through an awkward time of life called puberty, and her writings of distressed, sincere poetry, revealed through imagery and metaphors, help her get through the embarrassment and the discomfort of puberty. Through Cisneros’s usage of structure, narrative, tone, setting, and symbols, readers feel more connected to the novel’s central theme, as they are reminded that, in spite of all the embarrassing and painful experiences in life, they can overcome them, like Esperanza does.
Cisneros writes this fantastic novel in such a way that any person who attempts to read it finds it easy and accessible to understand. She structures the novel in a way that it does not seem like the reader is reading a novel. This novel seems to be like a collection of short, descriptive stories. Nevertheless, these short stories are connected to one another because Cisneros lets the characters develop and the events take shape as the novel progresses. Moreover, in her introduction, Cisneros writes that the stories create a kind of “beauty that is there to be admired by anyone, like a herd of clouds grazing overhead” (“Introduction” 15). As Cisneros makes her characters have their own short story, this helps readers understand and follow along better without getting lost and makes this novel an easy read for those who are not used to reading long novels. As a result, it becomes clear that even the structure of this novel is designed to reinforce the fact that Esperanza and the people she lives with are ordinary people like everybody else.
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The novel is written in a first-person narrative voice, which allows readers to see Esperanza’s point of view. Cisneros chose to represent that intimate developmental process with the first-person narration to mirror the overall theme of the novel. Esperanza is going through the period of puberty, which is an intimate moment of being a female or male. For instance, Cisneros uses figurative language to show the reader intimate moments, such as Esperanza’s feelings of loneliness, when she writes, “until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor” (House on Mango Street 34). Other intimate experiences, such as embarrassment, are also narrated, as shown when Esperanza’s cousin asks her to dance at a baptism party and she replies that she can not. She thinks her shoes are so ugly and old that do not go with her new dress, and she shows her feelings of embarrassment when she expresses “my feet growing bigger and bigger” (74). Despite this overall intimacy, Esperanza becomes more like a peripheral narrator for a few sections of the novel. This proves readers that Esperanza is not a self-centered narrator who is only concerned about telling her own story. She talks about her personal experiences, but she also talks about the experiences of her community members who do not or cannot speak for themselves. Esperanza’s tendency to sometimes become a peripheral narrator expresses the dynamic of how, as we come to better know ourselves, as we do in puberty, we must also situate ourselves in the world.
The name Esperanza means “hope” in English, and the tone of this novel has a sense of hope as well, at least in Esperanza’s life. She is surrounded by hard situations, like many immigrants are. For example, there is a sense of machismo portrayed in the stories of the women Esperanza talks about. This is seen in the situation of Minerva. She has two kids, and her husband keeps leaving her, but she keeps letting him back in. She shows up at Esperanza’s house all bruised up, asking her for advice. Men beating their daughters and wives is a social ill seen in this novel. Nevertheless, Esperanza decides to escape all these injustices and swears that when she grows up and has a house of her own, she will help her people. A great example of this desire to be different is when Esperanza reflects on her great-grandmother, who “looked out the window her whole life,” meaning that she was not happy with her husband, who had thrown a “sack over her head and carried her off” (34). Esperanza does not want to “inherit her [great-grandmother’s] place by the window” (35). The beginning of the story starts to be chaotic because of the problems that the community of that neighborhood is going through. Most of Esperanza’s neighbors live complicated and difficult lives. This community experiences poverty, apathy, and crime. Truly, all the difficult situations that occur around Esperanza impulse her to act towards making her community better. Esperanza’s dream is not just to better herself for her future, but also to help her friends and community when she says: “I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out” (145).
Bearing Esperanza’s desire to go away and come back in mind, readers see the importance of the setting of this novel, which takes place mainly in the neighborhood on Mango Street, as is mentioned in the title of the novel. In fact, the most part of the action happens around the house on Mango Street and little of it occurs in the house itself, which suggests that not just Esperanza’s house, but the other places surrounding the house help establish what is Mango Street for her, her home. Mango Street is located in a Latino, poor neighborhood in Chicago, Cisnero’s hometown. By a few contextual clues from the novel, like the song that Marin keeps singing “apples, peaches, pumpkin pah-ay” (49), the time period is established as the late 1960’s. Readers assume that the residents of Mango Street are poor and that there are class distinctions made by Esperanza. She emphasizes the distinctions of their social status when she says that “people who live on the hills sleep so close to the stars they forget those of us who live too much on earth” (119). Esperanza is referring to the people that live in the higher neighborhoods by the hills “with the gardens where [her] Papa works” (119), suggesting that Mango Street is not a nice part of the city because it is too much on earth.
Readers cannot avoid the fact that, of all the parts of the setting in Mango Street that are represented in the novel, houses are mentioned the most, from beginning to end. Clearly, Cisneros is using it to symbolize either women’s independence, imprisonment, or freedom. For example, in the case of Esperanza’s grandmother and her neighbors, Rafaela and Mamacita, the house means a prison, as they all lean on the window sills wishing to be free from the captivity of their domestic lives. It is Esperanza’s desire to get a house of her own with “big windows…that would swing open, [and] all the sky would come in”(115), “Not a man’s house. Not a daddy’s,”(142), which is her vision of independence and perfect happiness.
For Esperanza, beauty can be seen as a weapon that can fire back because beautiful women in the novel often suffer the most. For instance, Sally, Esperanza’s friend, is a very beautiful young woman whose father is very strict with her and does not let her go out at all. Her father’s religion prohibits her to dance. She likes to wear eye liner and dresses nice, which Esperanza likes and kind of envies. But being beautiful and dressing up nice are seen to be dangerous according to Sally’s father and Esperanza’s mother. Nevertheless, Esperanza looks for new forms that will enable her to maintain her independence, as she battles to define her own femininity in a society that places men above women, like in Minerva’s and Esperanza’s grandmother’s case. Women play a crucial role in The House on Mango Street. Nearly all the main characters are women, and much of the story is motivated by the protagonist’s understanding of her own femininity. By the end of the novel, Esperanza wishes to become a New Woman to obtain an unprecedented level of independence for women in earlier generations and have the confidence, education and means to exist in the world without needing to relate to men in a hierarchical sense. Though Esperanza battles to characterize her own womanliness in a general public that is regularly onerous to ladies, she searches for new types of female power, frames that will enable her to keep up her independence.
In conclusion, Sandra Cisneros exposes in this novel the story of Esperanza, a young Mexican American girl who goes through different situations in her life, with her family and her neighborhood. Esperanza is someone sincere, a person who lets the reader see her feelings and desires. She talks about who she is, but even more, she points beyond her and her neighbors’ situation when she talks about her dreams and desires, who she really wants to be. In reality, Esperanza is seeking for her own identity. She has the option of staying on Mango Street and being one of the most abused women because of her race and social status. For Esperanza, it is very important to achieve a better future. She wants to excel and become someone better so that she can also help her community above all. Overall, Esperanza is very clear that wherever she goes, her roots and culture will follow her.”
Racism In The Field Of Medicine
“In recent years, the debate surrounding racism has made a large resurgence. While the ‘new’ racism is partially fueled by the presidential election, the subsequent fight against it and the debate about it are both caused by the weight and power that racism holds over the world. One aspect that is often overlooked is racism in the medical field. Whether it be receiving good healthcare, diagnosing mental health, being prescribed the right medicine, or the treatment that minorities received in the past.
Over the past century, there have been life-changing advancements in the medical field. Vaccines, stem cell therapy, organ transplants, and the new understanding of how mental disorders work are all good examples. Also, there have been improvements in insurance, which allows people to afford the medicine and surgeries that they need. However, there is one thing that hasn’t changed: the treatment of people of color, namely African American women. A key example of this would be breast cancer. African American women have a 39% higher breast cancer mortality rate than white women even though the two groups are equally likely to get it in the first place (American Cancer Society). And it’s not just breast cancer; according to the American Cancer Society “African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial and ethnic group in the U.S. for most cancers”. Also, according to the American Psychiatric Association,“Death rate for African Americans is higher than whites for heart diseases, strokes, asthma, influenza, pneumonia, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.” One possible cause could be a lack of health insurance. A recent study determined that a lack of health insurance was the cause of 35% of the excess mortality risk for African American women. It makes sense; if someone does not have health insurance, then it’s almost impossible for them to pay for all of the necessary treatments that come with cancer, whether it be breast cancer or prostate cancer. But these statistics form another question: What is causing the lack of health care for these minorities?
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It’s likely that –unsurprisingly- race is part of the equation. Forbes reports that 35% of Latinos reported difficulties receiving the health care that they need. While no statistics were reported for African Americans in that study, many have turned to social media to share their stories. Often, they aren’t given access to the care they need, and programs like Medicaid and Medicare fail to cover the costs of their prescription medicines and any additional treatments that they may require. Also, they are less likely to even be offered any screenings that they might be searching for, or even completely denied (BreastCancer.org). Even when Medicaid does cover the costs, individuals complain of subpar care and frequent delays in necessary appointments. A similar story is told in the non-fiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, in which Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman who is more commonly known as HeLa, dies of cervical cancer due to improper care that she could barely afford. While a bias like that in healthcare may not affect everyday life, it can be life-ending if someone needs certain treatments. It is a serious issue that needs to be addressed within the racism debate. It is sad to say that, while medical advancements have been made since Henrietta’s life in the 1940s, the treatment of minorities is still severely lacking.
Although mental health is sometimes seen as less important when compared to physical health, both are equally important when it comes to staying healthy. When someone has a mental illness, it is necessary for them to receive proper treatment or else they will continue to have issues in their day to day lives. According to Mental Health America, mental illnesses affect about 16% of all African Americans, which is 6.8 million people. However, only ? of these people receive the care that they need. While many obstacles prevent proper treatment and rehabilitation, the most prominent obstacle would be a lack of proper care.“Rates of mental illnesses in African Americans are similar with those of the general population. However, disparities exist in regard to mental health care services. African Americans often receive poorer quality of care and lack access to culturally competent care” (American Psychiatric Association). If a doctor does not give the same level of care to an African American patient as they would to a white patient, then the African American patient will most likely suffer.
This discrepancy in care has an obvious solution: stop being racist! Of course, there are some problems that do not entirely fall on the doctor’s shoulder, such as a stigma around mental illnesses. According to author and director Hafeez Baoku,”In the black community, there is a negative stigma surrounding mental health. Instead of seeking professional help for conditions such as depression and anxiety, many in the community resort to self-medication or isolation in an attempt to solve their problems on their own. This issue of masking pain is especially prevalent amongst black men.” If one is unable to talk about their issues or even seek help, they will be affected even more. Stigma is a serious problem within the community and needs to be addressed in order to help those with mental illnesses. Often, black men feel like they can not express their emotions or talk about their problems, which can create even more problems. A lack of information is also a legitimate problem. If one is misinformed about what treatment options are available or even where to receive basic help for their mental illness, then they’ll have no way getting the help that they need. Overall, mental illness is a complicated issue for African Americans, and can’t be solved with just one solution.
Medicine is essential when it comes to regaining health. It is the foundation of all medical treatments. It is virtually impossible for one to get better if they do not have access to the proper medicines that they require. But according to a study by the Department of Family Medicine at University of Virginia African American patients are not receiving the same level of care as white patients. “Research shows that, relative to white patients, black patients are less likely to be given pain medications and, if given pain medications, they receive lower quantities. A study of nearly one million children diagnosed with appendicitis revealed that, relative to white patients, black patients were less likely to receive any pain medication for moderate pain and were less likely to receive opioids—the appropriate treatment—for severe pain.” The prejudice exhibited by doctors is preventing these patients from getting better. Sure, these patients will still recover, but if they are not receiving the same care with the same level of medications, their recovery will take longer and the pain they experience while they are recovering will be greater. It is especially ridiculous that doctors are wary about prescribing opioids since the rate of opioid overdose for African Americans (6.6%) is less than half of that for whites (13.9%). Christopher Ervin, an advisor to the Black Women’s Health Imperative Advocacy Group states that, “ There is a history of assuming black people are more likely to be addicts, so even if they receive adequate pain treatment in the emergency room, they may not receive a prescription for it once they are discharged.” Even though doctors are supposed to be unbiased and provide equal services to all, there is a serious issue within the medical community when it comes to racism. In January 2019, there was a controversy involving the DNA pioneer James Watson after he repeatedly made comments claiming that the genetics of African Americans proved that they had lower intelligence, even though evidence suggested otherwise. The stereotypes held by doctors are harmful to black patients and they need to be removed from both professional environments and the entire world.
There are many instance of past racism in medical research, the problem is that they often are swept under the rug. Of course, this is a general problem in racism, but since the focus of this essay is the medical field, the focus won’t be swayed. One example of this would be the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. In short, the U.S. Public Health Service wanted to see what would happen if syphilis went untreated. In 1932, they gathered a group of 600 black men, 399 of which had already contracted the disease, and told them that they would be treated for “bad blood”. None of the men were ever told they had syphilis, and none of them were given any medicine to help with the disease. Even after penicillin was discovered as an effective tool for fighting syphilis, none of the men were ever treated. Although the experiment lost funding, it still continued for 40 years. By the termination of the project in 1972, only 74 of the test subjects were still alive. And while Bill Clinton did apologize on behalf of the United States in 1977, the experiments have barely been mentioned ever since. The topic is barely, if at all, mentioned in school textbooks, and while it is known of, the experiments and their lasting consequences are rarely discussed. Another example of black people being used for medical research without consent would be the slaves that were experimented on by James Sims. Also known as the ‘Father of Modern Gynecology’, Sims perfected his surgery techniques on slaves that his friends ‘loaned’ him. He never used anesthesia due to his belief that African Americans didn’t experience pain like white people did.
One of the slaves, Anarcha, was operated on 13 times. His experiments were condemned in the early 20th century, but today some people claim that he didn’t do anything wrong, since he was technically following the medical rules of his time period. Some even say that the women consented to it, using ‘evidence’ from Sims’ journal, where he wrote that the women “clamoured” to be performed on. In 2018, a statue honoring Sims and his research was removed from Central Park. Still, the debate continues. Last but not least, there is Henrietta Lacks. As mentioned in the first paragraph, Henrietta was a poor black woman living in Maryland. And when she felt a lump inside of her, Henrietta had only one place to turn for serious medical help: John Hopkins Hospital. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer, but during the check-up doctors took a sample of her cells without any consent. Henrietta eventually died of cervical cancer after receiving supar medical care due to the fact that she was African American. Her cells, however, lived on. They became the first immortal cells.
Her cells, sold by the vial, helped pioneer some of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. Everything from the polio vaccine to gene therapy was made possible because of Henrietta’s cells. Yet no fame or fortune came to her or her impoverished family. The only identifier on the original vial of cells was the first two letters of her first and last name: HeLa. And that’s what she became known as. For a long time, no one knew her name. It was only recently, with the publishing of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, that her story was told. Her family, to this day, remains destitute, although her cells now sell for $250 at the cheapest. She too, was swept under the rug. It’s ways like this that racism takes hold of so many lives. All of these experiments were about using what was viewed as ‘inferior’. Taking advantage of the vulnerable had no costs. It may not directly affect people now, but the desperate attempts to hide these events sure do. It proves the idea that people don’t want to acknowledge the past; they’d rather believe that racism hasn’t existed in a long, long time. But that’s what keeps racism alive.
Racism is still a serious problem. It is still visible within the medical community, and that’s something that needs to change. Eliminating racism from medicine is obviously not going to make healthcare better for white people. But that’s not the point. The purpose of eliminating racism is making things better for those that are affected by racism. There shouldn’t have to be an incentive to make the world better; just do it.”
