The House On Mango Street as a Bildungsroman

The House On Mango Street is definitely a bildungsroman. It tells of a young girl’s struggles while growing up in an underprivileged neighborhood. Trapped in a society that has no expectations or ambitions for its’ young women, Esperanza sees the negative repercussions in her female neighbors. In addition to facing these harsh realities, Esperanza is at a transitional point in her life where she is caught between playing jump rope and becoming a young woman. Knowing that she does not want to end up like those women, Esperanza is determined to do better with her life. In the end, she learns that even if she find a way out, she will have to come back to help those that were unable to. I believe that this realization is critical in her growth and development. In a sense, Esperanza is like the man who leaves the cave and ascends the mountains in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. On the mountaintop, the man realizes that no good can come out of his newfound knowledge if he remains on the mountain. Therefore, like him, Esperanza must return to the cave to share the things that she has learned.