Point of View and Figurative Language Analysis on
The House on Mango Street

        The point of view employed in Sandra Cisneros's story The House on Mango Street is not a mere condition that is set for the fun of the story or the writer. The story itself is more than just about home or everyday living. But it also represents the themes of poverty and maturity through the use of figurative language. As the narrator, Esperanza reveals personal experience by showing her views of life, how she views herself,  how poverty affects her view of life, her view of her future, and so on. The success of Sandra Cisneros' in performing her story is achieved through her proper choice of characterization, her simple but dynamic figurative diction, and her excellent imaginative ability.

        The first person point of view gives the reader a more realistic experience toward. Esperanza starts 'her story' by explaining her setting background. Although the story doesn't mention how old Esperanza is, but we can infer that she is still young because her friend Sallly hasn't finished her eight grade.

        "She [Sally] met a marshmallow salesman at a school bazaar and she married him in another state where it's legal to get married before eighth grade."

        Young people tend to use simple and spontaneous words to describe something and Espereanza's way of speaking confirm it. In the first chapter she uses a straightforward language which is suitable to her logical thinking. For example:

        "It's small and red with tight steps and the windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath. Bricks are crumbling in places, ,and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in."

        Youngsters have a unique sensibility with colors and shapes, and their memory, until certain age when they develop a habit of reasonable way of thinking, depends on those two categories. Youngsters use imagery to recollect something in their memory and sometimes the imagery overlaps with other that has similar characteristics. That's why Esperanza describes the windows as "holding their breath" when she wants to stress their smallness. A youngster/teenager's point of view enables the creditability of the story. The reader can assume that all of the description made by Esperanza is somewhat true and reliable. This conclusion is again validated by the style of narrating which jumps from one topic to another (example in Boys and Girls,  Esperanza first talks about the different world between the two sexes, then jumps her opinion toward her sister, and then finally ends with her hope of future friend). This jumping reflects the disturbed emotions and inexperienced control of thoughts that are common in teenagers.

        The brilliant decision in using Esperanza's point of view also brings the chance for Cisnero to build another layer of the story. While the reader reads Esperanza's imaginative words as a result of her childhood,  at the same time the reader also read Cisnero's figurative style, which add more awareness to the character  of Esperanza.

        Cisnero uses a lot of symbolism in his work, even in the very first chapter. The physical issue there can act as metaphors for future expectation of the narrator. The imagery of the house refers to the woman waiting to flourish inside Esperanza. So the allusion Esperanza is "so swollen you have to push hard to get in" actually refers to her virginity and awakening sexual curiosity. In Boys and Girls, "They've got plenty to say to me and Nenny inside the  house. But outside they can't be seen talking to girls" serves as an irony that made the reader more understand the bitterness of Esperanza's life. A metaphor is visible when Esperanza says that she is "a red balloon tied to an anchor", where the anchor is Nenny and she becomes he constraint for Esperanza to expand her friendship life. The simile part can be found in Hairs: "My Papa's hair is like a broom, all up in the air." Another simile which is presented in humorous style appears in Meme Ortiz, "like a man dressed in dog suit". The example of personification in Four Skinny Trees, "Their arms around each other", at the same time acts as a symbol of community. Almost in every chapter of the book the reader can find a good usage of figurative language.

        To bring a conclusion, the usage of figurative language in this novel is appropriate with the selection of point of view. Through the hand of Cisnero, Esperanza --a very young and naive girl-- can narrate the story with a very convincing voice and also carry the influential effect of the figurative language.

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