The House on Mango Street

I think that windows in “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros represent the escape to freedom.

“She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got...”(Page 11). 

This quote shows evidence to how windows symbolize a free way of life. This is because of how she looks out of her window her whole life. This also means that she followed her dreams her whole life, which is also proved when Esperanza says that she got the most of what she could get. Also, it proves that her grandma was a free and independent woman that did whatever she wanted to do.

“She sits all day by the window and plays the Spanish radio show and sings all the homesick songs about her country...”(Page 77). 

This quote also exemplifies how the window symbolizes a door to being independent while looking through it means experiencing independence first hand. This is because of how she is sad and longing something she misses, but even though she misses it a lot, she is stuck living inside her house.

“And then Rafaela, who is still young but getting old from leaning out the window so much, gets locked indoors because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at”(Page 79). 

This quote shows how the window is a doorway to freedom. Rafaela leans out too much of it, which means that she abuses her freedom too much. This is seen when Esperanza says that Rafaela’s husband is scared she will run away because she is leaning out of the window too much. He is also locking Rafaela because she is leaning out of the window all the time, which also helps explain how the window is her gateway to freedom. Plus, this quote says that Rafaela is growing old because of leaning out of the window so much. This means that Rafaela is growing up and maturing more when she explores the outside world.