The House on Mango Street—Figurative Language Exercise
One of my favorite elements in this novel is the way Sandra Cisneros will describe some of the most daily rituals using the most extraordinary images. Her strategies range from similes and metaphors to the use of a simple sentence. In reading this book, I find MYSELF wondering about the qualities of my name, the sounds of my neighborhood, and the people I meet. As Cisneros innocently describes the elements of her street and childhood, we slowly begin to realize that these observations are unmasking the fears and ambitions of a young woman who’s confronting the inevitability of her reality. While Esperanza is a fighter, she has every reason to quit. Even though we may not relate to all of the ethnic and urban descriptions, we can transfer the basic points to our rural-suburban-mainstream lives and still appreciate the dynamics of our coming of age.
Assignment:
Find TEN examples of Figurative Language from The House on Mango Street. Write out the example, and describe what is being compared. THEN, come up with your own original and dynamic comparison.
Example: (pg. 9) “Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor.”
--In this quote, Esperanza is feeling lonely because she doesn’t have a best friend. However, she has said that she will just have to wait until that time happens. By comparing herself to a “red balloon,” she’s suggesting that she is colorful and bright and is able to fly…of course…not literally, but in terms of all of her positive qualities. Unfortunately, she’s tied to an anchor, weighting her down. This anchor could be the lacking of a best friend or the fact that she lives on Mango Street. Either way, it’s suggested that at some point, she’ll be cut free from the anchor and allowed to soar.
--Since this quote is dealing with the need to be patient before we can get what we want, I would have to say that…”Until then I am a fierce tornado blowing around with tremendous energy, picking up objects and setting them down in other areas. I will consume anything in my path. I will only stop when I feel like it.”
While my metaphor isn’t as quick and easy as Esperanza’s, it suggests that I am a force to be reckoned with. I have a path that I’m on, and I will continue to forge forward with force and determination.