Chapters summaries

The  House  on  Mango  Street  Chapter  Summaries:    1.  The  House  on  Mango  Street:  A  girl  starts  telling  her  story  and  how  she  is  a  part  of  a  big  family,  she  tells  how  her  family  and  herself  have  moved  to  many  places  and  they  had  always  dreamed  of  a  big   house,   finally   they  moved   to  Mango   street,   but   it  wasn´t   the   house   they   had  dreamed  of.  

 2.  Hairs:  She   talks   about   the   hair   of   each   integrant   of   the   family,   but   specially   she   talks  about  her  mom´s  hair,  which  is  curly  because  she  wears  curling  pins  all  day  long,  she  says  that  she  feels  secure  when  she  is  with  her  mom  and  the  smell  of  her  hair  is  special.  

   3.  Boys  &  Girls:  She   says   that   boys   and   girls   are   really   different   and   how   her   brothers   are   best  friend,   her   brothers   to   her  when   they   are   home   but   outside   is   like   if   she   didn´t  existed.  She  talks  about  her  relationship  with  Nenny,  which  is  not  good.  

 4.  My  Name:  The  girl   talks  about   the  roots  of  her  name,  Mexican  roots  and  how  she   is  named  after  her  great-­‐grandmother,  she  says  that  at  that  time  women  were  repressed,  she  says  she  does  not  like  her  name  “Esperanza”  and  that  instead  she  would  like  to  be  told  Zeze  the  X.  

   5.  Cathy  the  Queen  of  Cats:  She  talks  about  her  neighbors,  about  Joe  the  baby-­‐grabber,  Benny  and  Blanca  who  owned   the   corner   store   and   especially   about   Cathy   who   owned   many   cats,   she  offered  her  to  be  her  friend  but  she  would  move  soon  because  the  neighborhood  was  getting  bad.  

   6.  Our  Good  Day:  Esperanza  was  hanging  around  with  Cathy  and  saw  two  girls  who  offered  her   to  share  a  bike  with  them  if  she  gave  them  5  dollars,  Cathy  told  her  not  to  talked  to  them,  but  she  didn´t  care,    

 7.  Laughter:  Esperanza   says   that   she   and   Nenny   do   not   look   alike   like   Rachel   and   Lucy,   nor  laugh  the  same,   they  were  going  through  a  house  and  she  said  that   it   looked  like  Mexico,  Rachel  and  Lucy  were  about  to  laugh  when  Nenny  said  that  it  really  does.  

 8.  Gil’s  furniture  bought  and  sold:  Nanny  and  Esperanza  entered  to  a  store  owned  by  a  black  man  who  didn´t  turned  the  lights  on,  it  was  old  stuff,  probably  it  didn´t  even  worked,  nanny  asked  a  lot  of  things  and  seem  really  interested,  I  never  talked  to  the  guy.  

   9.  Meme  Ortiz:  Meme  moved  into  Cathy´s  house  after  she  moved,  his  real  name  was  Juan,  but  only  her  mom  called  him  that,  he  owned  a  dog  who  had  two  names  and  they  ran  together  all  the  time,  he  won  the  Tarzan  contest  and  broke  his  arms.  

   10.  Louie,  His  Cousin  &  His  other  Cousin:  Meme  rented  his  basement  to  a  Puerto  Rican  family,  Louie  was  the  oldest  of  three  girls,  he  had  a  cousin,  Marin,  who  liked  to  use  a  lot  of  makeup  and  he  had  another  cousin,  he  was  older  and  he  owned  a  yellow  Cadillac.  

 11.  Marin:  Marin  has  a  boyfriend  in  Puerto  Rico,  but  she  wishes  to  marry  a  rich  man  so  she  can  get  out  of  the  barrio,  she  teaches  Esperanza  and  her  friend  girly  stuff.  She  likes  boys.  She  likes  to  dance  and  smokes  cigarettes.  

 12.  The  who  don’t:  Esperanza   says   that  people  who  enter   to   their  neighborhood  are   scared  because  they  don’t  know  the  people,  while  she  knows  everyone  on  the  neighborhood  and  she  isn’t  scared  at  all.  

 13.  There  was  an  old  woman  she  had  so  many  children  she  didn’t  know  what  to  do:  Esperanza  talks  about  the  Vargas  family,  the  woman  was  left  by  the  man  with  no  reason   and   left   her   no  money,   the   children   are   too  many   and   really  misbehave;  Esperanza  says  they  have  no  respect  for  anything  or  anyone.  

 14.  Alicia  who  sees  mice:  She   talks   about   Alicia,   who   is   a   girl   who   inherited   her   mom’s   role   of   making  tortilla;  she  goes  to  the  university  because  she  doesn’t  want  to  work  in  a  factory.  She  is  really  smart  and  really  afraid  of  four-­‐legged  fur.  

 15.  Darius  and  the  Clouds:  Darius  is  a  boy  who  doesn’t  like  to  study,  he  teases  girls,  he  talks  about  how  the  sky  is   beautiful   and   enough.   One   day,   Darius   pointed   at   a   big   cloud   in   the   sky   and  showed  it  to  everyone,  he  said  it  was  god.  

 16.  And  some  more:  They  started  talking  about  the  different  names  that  the  snow  has,  then  they  talked  about  cloud’s  names,  Rachel  and  Lucy  insulted  Esperanza  and  her  mother,  she  got  angry  and  Nenny  didn’t  know  what  side  to  choose.  

   17.  The  family  of  little  feet:  In  the  neighborhood  there  was  a  family  of  very  little  feet,  one  day  the  mother  gave  Rachel,   Esperanza   and   Lucy   a   pair,   they  were   so   happy   because   the   shoes  were  beautiful,  so  they  put  them  on  and  walked  down  the  street.  

     18.  A  Rice  Sandwich:  Esperanza  wants   to  eat  at   the  canteen  at   school   like   the  other  kids,  but   she   isn’t  allowed  because  she  lives  near  school  and  has  to  go  home  to  eat.  One  day  her  mom  sends  her  a  rice  sandwich,  everyone  makes   fun  of  her,  and  she  gets   to  eat  at   the  canteen  but  doesn’t  enjoy  it.  

 19.  Chanclas:  For  Esperanza’s   cousin’s   baptism,   her  mom  buys   her   a   new  outfit   but   forgets   to  buy  her  shoes.  At  the  party  she  doesn’t  want  to  dance  because  the  shoes  embarrass  her,  but  his  uncle  insists,  so  she  dances  and  a  boy  was  looking  at  her,  she  felt  good.  

 20.  Hips:  Esperanza,   Nenny,   Rachel   and   Lucy   are   jumping   the   rope   and   discussing   the  meaning  or   the   function  of   the  hips,   they   come  up  with  many  different   theories,  such  as,   for  dancing,   for  holding  a  baby  or  because  without   them  we  would   look  like  men.  

 21.  The  first  job:  Esperanza   wants   to   look   for   a   new   job   to   pay   for   her   high   school,   her   aunt  recommends  her  a  job  she  used  to  work  in  at  the  peter  pan  photo  booth,  she  gets  the  job.  She  talks  to  a  guy  during  her  break  and  he  ends  up  kissing  her.  

 22.  Papa  who  wakes  up  tired  in  the  dark:  Esperanza’s  grandfather  died,  her   father  came   into  her  room  in   the  morning  and  sat   on   her   bed,   she   talks   about   how   it   is   her   responsibility   to   tell   her   younger  brothers  because  she  was  the  oldest  and  thought  of  how  the  funeral  would  be  back  in  Mexico.  

 23.  Born  Bad:  Esperanza  Rachel  and  Lucy  played  a  game  that  consisted  on  imitating  people,  one  day  they  chose  to  imitate  Esperanza’s  aunt  Lupe,  who  was  really  sick,  the  next  day  Lupe  passed  away,  Esperanza  felt  so  bad  and  now  prays  because  she  thinks  she’s  going  to  hell.  

 24.  Elenita,  cards,  palm,  water  Esperanza  goes  to  a  neighbor’s  house  named  Elenita,  which  was  a  witch,  Esperanza  wanted  her  to  read  if  she  would  have  a  house  on  the  future,  but  Elenita  only  sees  jealousy,  sorrow  and  luxury,  she  pays  5  dollars  and  leaves  disappointed.  

 25.  Geraldo  no  last  name:  Marin  met  Geraldo  at  a  dance;  she  didn’t  know  anything  about  him,  she  only  new  that   his   name   was   Geraldo.   Esperanza   talks   about   how   Marin   goes   to   a   lot   of  dances  and  knows  how  to  dance  salsa  and  even  rancheros.  No  one  heard  Geraldo  again  because  he  was  in  an  accident.    

26.  Edna’s  Ruthie:  Edna   is   a   woman   that   owns   the   building   across   the   street,   she   has   a   daughter  named   Ruthie,   she   is   a   good   whistler,   and   became   friends   with   Esperanza;   She  never  goes  to  the  dentist.  

 27.  The  earl  of  Tennessee:    Earl  is  another  neighbor  of  Esperanza,  he  is  a  repairman  and  only  works  at  night,  he  only  comes  out  to  say  to  be  quiet  to  the  children  who  sit  or  play  near  his  house.  Many  say  he  has  a  wife,  but  everyone  describes  her  differently,  so  it  is  a  mystery.  

 28.  Sire:  Sire  is  a  neighborhood  boy  who  sometimes  stares  at  Esperanza;  she  has  a  crush  on  him  but  her  parents  tell  her  not  to  talk  to  him  because  he  is  a  punk  and  besides  he  already  has  a  girlfriend  named  Lois  who  takes  walks  with  him  and  rides  his  bike.  

 29.  Four  Skinny  Trees:    Esperanza   talks   about   four   trees   that   she   can   see   through   his   window,   she  compares  herself  to  them  because  they  are  so  skinny  and  they  don’t  belong  there  but  they  are  still  there,  she  says  they  are  the  only  ones  who  understand  her.  

 30.  No  speak  English:  Mamacita  is  the  big  mama  of  a  guy  who  lives  across  the  street,  but  she  never  comes  out  of  her  house,  some  say  because  she  is  to  fat  and  some  say  because  there  are  too  many   stairs,   I   think   that   she   is   afraid   to   speak   English   because   she   only   knows  eight  words.  

 31.  Rafaela  who  drinks  coconut  and  papaya  juice  on  Tuesdays:  Rafaela  is  a  beautiful  woman  who’s  husband  does  not   let  her  go  out  on  Tuesdays  because  he  arrives  late,  so  he  asks  the  kids  to  watch  her  and  go  buy  her  a  coconut  and  papaya  juice.  

 32.  Sally:  Sally  is  a  beautiful  girl  who  wears  make  up  and  short  skirts,  all  the  boys  stair  at  her  when  she  leans  in  the  school’s  fence,  Esperanza  would  like  her  to  be  her  new  best  friend  but  Sally’s  father  doesn’t  let  her  go  out  because  he  says  it  is  dangerous.  

 33.  Minerva  writes  on  poems:  Minerva   is   two  years  older   than  Esperanza,  but   she   is   already  married  with   two  children,  his  husband  is  usually  not  home  but  sometimes  come  back.  When  she  is  alone   she   writes   poems   and   shares   them   with   Esperanza   she   also   asks   her   for  advice.  

 34.  Bums  in  the  Attic:  Esperanza  says  that  one  day  she  will  have  a  house  like  the  one  his  father  works  in;  she  says  that  she  won’t  forget  were  she  comes  from  and  receive  people  who  don’t  have  a  home  because  the  people  of  the  hills  never  look  down  at  them.  

 35.  Beautiful  &  Cruel:  Esperanza  says  that  Nenny  doesn’t  want  to  wait  home  for  a  man  to  come  for  her  but  doesn’t  want  to   leave  home  with  a  baby,  Esperanza  says  it  would  be  easy  for  her  because  she  has  nice  eyes  and  is  easy  to  talk  to.  

   36.  A  Smart  Cookie:  Esperanza’s  mother  regrets  not  going  to  school  because  she  had  no  money.  She  is  really  smart  and  knows  how  to  do  a  lot  of  stuff,  but  she  constantly  tells  Esperanza  that  she  could’ve  been  something  else.  

 37.  What  Sally  said?  Sally   always   comes   to   school  with  bruises   and   says   that   she   fell,   but   I   know  she  didn’t,   I   know   that   her  dad  went   crazy   and  heat   her,   she  never   says  what   really  happened  and  says  that  he  never  hits  her  hard.    

 38.  The  monkey  garden:  A   family   with   a   pet   monkey   move   out   of   the   neighborhood   and   their   backyard  becomes  a  dump  for  old  cars  and  kids  like  to  go  to  play  there,  one  day  Esperanza  and  Sally  go  and  some  boys  try  to  take  advantage  of  Sally  and  Esperanza  tries  to  save  her.  

 39.  Red  Clowns:  Esperanza  was  waiting  for  Sally  by  the  red  clowns  because  she  went  away  with  a  boy,  but  she  didn’t  come  back,  one  boy  started  to  grab  Esperanza,  she  tried  to  run  away  but  couldn’t  and  he  violated  her.  

 40.  Linoleum  Roses:  Sally  got  married,  she  met  her  husband  at  a  bazar,  and  she  says  she  is  in  love,  but  Esperanza  says  she   just  got  married  to  escape  and  that  she   is  happy  because  she  can  now  buy  her  own  stuff.  Her  husband  doesn’t  give  her  almost  any  permission.  

 41.  The  three  sisters:  Lucy  and  Rachel’s  sister  die  so  everyone  in  the  neighborhood  gather  in  their  house  to  see  the  baby  before  they  burry  her,  in  the  house  there  are  three  aunts  who  call  Esperanza  to  talk  to  her  and  guess  her  wish  of  moving  away  from  Mango  street.  

 42.  Alicia  and  I  talking  on  Edna’s  steps:  Esperanza  likes  Alicia  because  one  day  she  gave  her  a  purse.  Alicia   is   listening  to  Esperanza  who  is  really  sad  because  she  doesn’t  have  a  house,  Alicia  tells  her  that  she  does  and  one  day   she’ll   come  back   to  Mango  Street  and  Esperanza   says   that  she  is  not  coming  back  and  that  she  doesn’t  belong  there.  

 43.  A  house  of  my  own:  Esperanza  talks  about  how  she  wants  a  house  of  her  own,  not  her   father’s  house  but  her   own  where   she   can   go   and  be  by  her   own  and  not  be  bothered   at   all.   A  place  where  she  can  have  her  books  and  stories.  

 44.  Mango  says  goodbye  sometimes:  Esperanza   likes   to   tell   stories   in  her  head,  one  day   she  wrote  on  a  paper  Mango  says  goodbye  sometimes  and  she  made  a  story  that  she   left  Mango  Street  and  all  the  neighbors  will   ask   for  her.   She   says   she  will   come  back   for   the  ones   she   left  behind.