The Open Question

The most influential characters are mainly displayed through the protagonists and/or antagonists of the novels, such as Esperanza was in the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza's character was designed to impact the reader either in a very positive manner or an extremely negative way. Personally, her character inspired me and forced me to be compassionate and concerned for her actions throughout the book. I was sensitive towards that character, mostly because of the way she was presented by the author to the audience. Sandra Cisneros used the techniques such as setting and tone to her advantage in convincing the readers of the character's admirable traits.

Esperanza's character was a confused, lost, innocent girl that was only trying to find her place in such a big world. Her actions spoke of desire and determination to become something greater than what the rest expected of her. She put in the most effort to not blend in with the normality in her neighborhood and instead stand out in the crowd. Esperanza was a likeable character because of the perseverance she had, even when she lived horrible situations that could mentally and emotionally destroy any average person. One of the hideous crimes that her character lived through was sexual assault, which only boosted my level of sympathy towards her. She managed to put that behind and continue on with her goal of leaving Mango Street showing her courage as a person.

Cisneros immediately received sympathy for Esperanza after describing the setting that she so much disliked.  All the sulking, depression, bad memories, pessimism was centered around Mango Street. The meaning of her lack of existence and the pain endured by Esperanza had been shaped and revolved around the street which she refused to call her home. I felt a need to protect this character from her own home because she despised it so much. I was drawn to this character by her background that came along with a story of sadness. I was impelled to know more about her because she had been through such a scarring beginning and even that didn't affect her kindness and tenacity.

Just as the setting was able to gain my attention in a positive manner, the tone did as well. The tones varied throughout the book as Esperanza described many of her past experiences. She was disappointed, hostile, fearful, etc. as her life got worse. Her mood changes described a true person, one that's not just a character in a book. I was able to connect with her character on a personal level and it interested me to see how even characters in a book have such conflicts troubling their minds.

The House on Mango Street contained such a realistic, eye-opening character that endured abuse and humiliation, yet she had the strength to carry on with her life. Her character was my favorite throughout the novel because she never thought of giving up only of pushing forward. She wanted to be successful and never achieved that goal. However, her story continued past the end of the novel because she ended still believing in herself.