Delmi Rodriguez December 5, 2010 Period 3 The House on Mango Street As a kid I always wanted to grow older and

become an adult. I used to try my moms heels and dresses and wanted to be old. Now I wish I could turn back time. Ive learned a lot of lessons, some the hard way. Although I did appreciate my childhood, Esperanza Cordero in Sandra Cisneross novel The House on Mango Street didnt enjoy her childhood and she learned some very hard lessons. Esperanza experiences puberty, then she starts to feel beautiful while wearing high heels and in the end she losses all her innocence when she gets raped. In the beginning Esperanza hits puberty. Esperanza starts to hit puberty when she notices that she has nice legs. Skinny and spotted with satin scars where scabs were picked, but legs, all our own, good to look at, and long (Cisneros 40). This quote is significant because it shows that Esperanza notices that her legs are spotted with satin scars which resembles that she is a little kid who falls a lot. Also when it says where scabs were picked at, it shows that Esperanza is still little and likes to pick on her scabs. When she says good to luck at it portrays that Esperanza is looking at her legs in a more sexual way. Furthermore, her legs are long which represents that she is not only growing physically but also she is growing up to fast. This is why Esperanza has scars on her legs because it shows the reader that she is still small and is trying to be an adult but she is not ready. Esperanza hits puberty and she is losing her innocence.

Esperanza starts to feel beautiful while wearing high heels. While wearing high heels Esperanza starts to acknowledge her body and feels very pretty. We are tired of being beautiful" (42). This quote is significant because Esperanza doesnt mean that she is literally tired of being beautiful, but she is scared of all the concentration that is on her. It also shows how she is losing her innocence by wearing high heels while she is still a kid and she feels really pretty in them. It also teaches her a lesson that the attention she got while wearing high heels was dangerous because men were thinking that she was much older and they would probably try to do something to her. Esperanza starts to lose her innocence while wearing high heels and she learns the peril that comes with it. Furthermore, Esperanza loses all her innocence when she gets raped. When Esperanza went to a carnival with Sally, Esperanza got raped by a clown. Only his dirty finger-nails against my skin, only his sour smell again (100). This quote is significant because it shows that Esperanza is very vulnerable. When she says His dirty finger nails my skin, it shows that the clown wasnt dirty as in filthy but as in dirty minded because he raped a little girl. Also it shows that Esperanza loses all of her innocence because she lost her virginity to someone she didnt know and that this experience was going to change her perspective about men. This shows the important lesson that Esperanza learned which was to be careful while you are out or else something bad could happen. Esperanza faces the worst, getting raped and losing all of her innocence. Esperanza learns very important life lessons when she loses her innocence when she hits puberty, feels beautiful while wearing high heels and gets raped. Enjoy your childhood while you still can, appreciate how easy life is when you are a kid because those happy times you had as a child slip right through your hands like grains of sand.

Life becomes a challenge and you have to be able to handle it. Cisneros uses Esperanza to show readers that if you try to grow up fast you sometimes witness your heart die and you learn hard lessons that will have a huge impact on you for the rest of your life