Mango Street 1-75 Study Guide Flashcards
Bazaar
a sale of miscellany; often for charity
Marimbas
a deep-toned xylophone of African origin.
Acculturation
assimilation to a different culture, typically the dominant one
Dexterous
showing or having skill, especially with the hands.
Scrupulous
(of a person or process) diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details.
Unequivocal
Leaving no doubt
Resonance
the quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating.
Personify
represent (a quality or concept) by a figure in human form.
Relegate
Assign to a lower position
Vignette
A brief literary description
Autonomy
the right or condition of self-government.
Fleck
A small contrasting part of something
Descend
Move downward and lower, but not all the way
Strut
Walk in a proud, confident way
Totter
Move without being stable
Lucy & Rachel
They are sisters. Esperanza’s childhood friends
Esperanza
The main character
Nenny
Esperanza’s younger sister
Alicia
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.
Marin
Louie’s cousin, she takes care of her cousins and works for money. She thinks about boys a lot.
Ruthie
Edna’s daughter, who likes to play games and who is weird
Sire
Esperanza’s crush. A punk. Talks to lots of neighborhood girls
Papa
Esperanza’s father.
Aunt Lupe
Esperanza’s aunt who dies and before dying she tells Esperanza to keep writing.
Conforming/Rebelling to Gender Norms
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).
External Conflict
Stereotypes of hispanics / bad neighborhood = bad life
Internal Conflict
Esperanza is insecure
Recurring themes
- 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.