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Chapter 21
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The House on Mango Street, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Language and Names
Gender and Sexuality
Foreigness and Society
Identity and Autonomy
Dreams and Beauty
Summary
Analysis
One morning Esperanza’s father tells her that her abuelito (grandfather) has died, and he cries, which is shocking for Esperanza. Her father has to fly to Mexico for the funeral, and Esperanza will have to tell her younger siblings the news, and explain that they must be quiet and not play today. Esperanza imagines what it would be like if her father died, and she describes him waking up in the dark each morning and leaves for work. Esperanza holds him in her arms.
This section shows Esperanza empathizing with her father, which is the first time she has explicitly tried to look at the world through someone else’s eyes—a sign of maturity and growing artistic ability. Esperanza must also act like a parent while her father is gone, as she has to keep her younger siblings quiet. The two places of the family’s identity – Chicago and Mexico – are also emphasized here.
Themes
