Mango Street 1-75 Study Guide

Question 1

Bazaar

Answer 1

a sale of miscellany; often for charity

Question 2

Marimbas

Answer 2

a deep-toned xylophone of African origin.

Question 3

Acculturation

Answer 3

assimilation to a different culture, typically the dominant one

Question 4

Dexterous

Answer 4

showing or having skill, especially with the hands.

Question 5

Scrupulous

Answer 5

(of a person or process) diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details.

Question 6

Unequivocal

Answer 6

Leaving no doubt

Question 7

Resonance

Answer 7

the quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating.

Question 8

Personify

Answer 8

represent (a quality or concept) by a figure in human form.

Question 9

Relegate

Answer 9

Assign to a lower position

Question 10

Vignette

Answer 10

A brief literary description

Question 11

Autonomy

Answer 11

the right or condition of self-government.

Question 12

Fleck

Answer 12

A small contrasting part of something

Question 13

Descend

Answer 13

Move downward and lower, but not all the way

Question 14

Strut

Answer 14

Walk in a proud, confident way

Question 15

Totter

Answer 15

Move without being stable

Question 16

Lucy & Rachel

Answer 16

They are sisters. Esperanza’s childhood friends

Question 17

Esperanza

Answer 17

The main character

Question 18

Nenny

Answer 18

Esperanza’s younger sister

Question 19

Alicia

Answer 19

Esperanza’s friend who lost her mother, so she takes over to care for her family, she goes to university, and is scared of nothing but mice.

Question 20

Marin

Answer 20

Louie’s cousin, she takes care of her cousins and works for money. She thinks about boys a lot.

Question 21

Ruthie

Answer 21

Edna’s daughter, who likes to play games and who is weird

Question 22

Sire

Answer 22

Esperanza’s crush. A punk. Talks to lots of neighborhood girls

Question 23

Papa

Answer 23

Esperanza’s father.

Question 24

Aunt Lupe

Answer 24

Esperanza’s aunt who dies and before dying she tells Esperanza to keep writing.

Question 25

Conforming/Rebelling to Gender Norms

Answer 25

Esperanza observed her father cry for the first time ever when her grandfather passed away. Men are portrayed as being rough, protective, and unfeeling in traditional gender stereotypes. “I have never seen my Papa cry and don’t know what to do” (Cisneros 56).

Question 26

External Conflict

Answer 26

Stereotypes of hispanics / bad neighborhood = bad life

Question 27

Internal Conflict

Answer 27

Esperanza is insecure

Question 28

Recurring themes

Answer 28

• The desire to be free
• Hardships of living in a lower economic status as a POC
  -Feeling trapped in your body and head and cannot express oneself
• sexism and sexualizing of women.