The House on Mango Street

In the novel “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza narrates important events in her life that have changed her views. She does this through many symbols, and one of them is trees. Trees are constantly seen throughout the book as being forced to stay in one spot.

“The kids bend trees and bounce between cars and dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum vases u can’t replace. They think it’s funny. They are without respect for all things living, including themselves” (Page 29)

This quote shows how the Vargases are bad kids and break the rules. They do not follow the enforced rules, and do whatever they want, including bending trees. Bending trees in this case symbolize breaking free from the rules that have been set. These kids do not care what society says.

“Four skinny trees... who do not belong here but are here. Four raggedy excuses planted by the city” (Page 74).

This is another quote that directly exemplifies that trees represent being stuck in one spot. Esperanza compares herself to a tree by saying that she was planted in Chicago. This furthermore proves how trees represents being suppressed. Esperanza thinks that she is forced into Chicago, and is being restricted from leaving even though she doesn’t feel like she belongs there.

“And then I don’t know why but I had to run away. I had to hide myself at the other end of the garden, in the jungle part, under a tree that wouldn’t mind if I lay down and cried a long time” (Page 97).

This quote continues to demonstrate that trees are used when a character feels trapped. Esperanza felt left out, but still felt the need to stay in the monkey garden. She felt that she didn’t belong in Chicago, but can’t leave because she is binded there. She does not feel like she belongs in Chicago because she acts completely different from the people there. She is sad and confused at the same time, so all she can do is cry to herself.