Representations of Identity on Mango Street - Literature Essay Samples

Cisneros acclaimed work The House on Mango Street explores a variety of themes in her photographic stories which capture everything from the seemingly banal triumphs of a small child to the tragedies suffered at the hands of cultural and social prescripts and finally to the mature introspections of a confused but wildly talented young woman. The short novel is essentially a coming-of-age story, one that depicts landmark events of Esperanzas life in the heavily stylistic vignettes that form the novel all while retaining a regular chronology that divides her juvenile and mature life into sections. The tale begins with a snapshot of Esperanzas home on Mango Street; the home which is viewed under the critical gaze of the perceptive child who struggles with the home as a representation of several failures. First is the failure of her parents to provide the idyllic future that they promised, the future that was to unfold in the white-picket-fence suburban dream-house they described as they moved from apartment to apartment. However, the house is more frequently seen as symbolic of the potential failure of never escaping Mango Street and not being able to realize the dream through her own agency. If her parents incapacity to fulfill the fantasy was disappointing, Esperanza understands the degree of disappointment that awaits her if she is to take responsibility for her own happiness and fall short. Thus begins the narrators battle to define herself and align her sense of self with the socially dictated identity appropriated to her. Cisneros choice to open with this piece effectively impresses the moment of Esperanzas disillusionment and sets into motion the story of her understanding the issues and eventually resolving them. Esperanzas identity crisis is multi-faceted, making it even more difficult for her to settle both her internal and external conflicts. One of the many faces of the crisis is her confusion surrounding her cultural role as a female. She p aints the picture of the stereotypical Mexican woman as physically submissive yet psychic powerhouses of patience and more importantly, resilience. For example, she recounts the story of her grandparents union in which her grandmother was literally dragged off into marriage and punished her husband by never conforming to be happy in a matrimony that was never based on egalitarian standards or even a reciprocated affection. Esperanza learns of the subtlety of a womans strength and resolves not to repeat her grandmothers mistakes. Another episode that deals with this role is in her memories of Sally coming to school with the faded purple and blue evidence of her fathers physical abuse. The girls beatings are explained away by her fathers supposed concern and desire to protect the girl from danger and dishonor; however, they are the exact representation of the patriarchal realities that are prevalent in Esperanzas culture. Nevertheless, the tale is punctuated with an undertone of hope, albeit completely symbolic-Sallys enduring beauty that is not hidden behind the marks of abuse. The role of the female is further complicated as Esperanza becomes increasingly aware of female sexuality in her culture and the power dynamic that is embodied and perpetuated in sexual interactions. Again, Sallys character depicts this notion best-for instance, in the chapter where Esperanza describes the old lot that was her childhood playground and the locus of inspiration for her fantastical ruminations. The afternoon that Sally is pressured into kissing all the boys in order to regain her possessions (without any real resistance from Sally or objection to the undoubtedly sexual game on the part of the mothers of the boys) Esperanza experiences the crucial moment in coming-of-age-novels: the loss of innocence. The playground is no longer seen as a magical escape; rather, it becomes another place from which she must battle to escape. From this point on she sees sex as a pu nishable act for the women around her, one that entraps them in bad relationships and unplanned pregnancies. Take the case of Sally, who uses her sexual agency to achieve a temporary relief from her troubles at home. She moves away from her abusive father and into the arms of an abusive husband, one who is just as jealous and preoccupied the danger of the womans beauty. Lastly, her assumed role as a woman is that of a domestic goddess, circumscribing education, especially one that will teach her to question and dismiss the norms that define her quotidian life. Esperanza is first exposed to an educated woman (and the reactions to an educated woman) through her encounters with Alicia. Esperanza initially describes Alicia as conceited because of her university experience, but later views Alicia as a source of advice and encouragement for her own collegiate aspirations. The menace of an intelligent woman to the patriarchal society is perfectly encompassed in Esperanzas commentary , The Chinese, like the Mexicans, do not like their women strong, because the intellectual female is empowered, aware and able without the support of the male. Her divergence from the culture of Mango Street is a result of several factors and as she grows older, the sentiment of exclusion becomes more pronounced. However, what was in her youth an unfortunate and painful truth of being the other later becomes the realization that her niche is to be an outsider, a perennially external personality to the reality of her peers and neighbors. She does not use this position, however, as an excuse to escape Mango Street, but as a vehicle for providing perspective for those around her. Therefore, she finds function in fault and takes from her experiences the tools needed to improve herself (and henceforth to improve the lives of people like her.) Esperanzas primary conflict is that of identity, an intricate network of clashes between her perceptions of what she would like to be and that which is expected from her because of her sex and ethnic background. Throughout the story, she learns about female strength and weakness and finds that her home is exactly where the curandera said it was: in her heart. Furthermore, at the end of the novel, the house on Mango Street is no longer a representation of failure but of Esperanza (Hope).

2014 Three-year Top Performing Direct Plans Q3

Savingforcollege.com ranks the performance of direct-sold 529 plans. Direct-sold plans are those that consumers can enroll in without using a broker. We have prepared both one-year, three-year, five-year and ten-year performance tables. To prepare this ranking, we compared a subset of portfolios from each 529 savings plan. We selected portfolios based on their mix of stocks, bonds and money market funds, which allows for an apples-to-apples comparison in seven asset-allocation categories. The lower the "percentile," the better the ranking. This ranking could be a useful tool for you when selecting which direct 529 plan might be right for you. Here are our 529 performance rankings as of September 30, 2014 for Direct-sold 529 plans. Three-year performance ranking (click here for one-year performance table, five-year performance table, and ten-year performance table): Rank State Plan Percentile 1 Alaska University of Alaska College Savings Plan 25.43 Plan Details 2 West Virginia SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan 25.49 Plan Details 3 Alaska T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan 27.23 4 District of Columbia DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) 28.24 Enroll Now 5 New York New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan 31.18 6 Maine NextGen College Investing Plan -- Client Direct Series 35.17 Enroll Now 7 South Carolina Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 35.76 Enroll Now 8 Maryland College Savings Plans of Maryland -- College Investment Plan 36.92 Plan Details 9 Utah Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) 38.14 Plan Details 10 Michigan Michigan Education Savings Program 38.95 Plan Details 11 Florida Florida 529 Savings Plan 42.02 Plan Details 12 New Jersey NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan 44.62 13 Oklahoma Oklahoma College Savings Plan 44.93 Plan Details 14 Colorado Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan 45.56 Enroll Now 15 Ohio Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan 46.28 Enroll Now 16 Illinois Bright Start College Savings Program -- Direct-sold Plan 46.30 Enroll Now 17 Louisiana START Saving Program 46.45 Plan Details 18 Nevada The Vanguard 529 Savings Plan 46.55 Plan Details 19 South Dakota CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) 46.63 Plan Details 20 New Mexico The Education Plan's College Savings Program 46.89 Enroll Now 21 Hawaii Hawaii's College Savings Program 47.85 Enroll Now 22 Iowa College Savings Iowa 49.63 Enroll Now 23 Virginia Virginia529 inVEST 50.84 Enroll Now 24 Indiana CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan 51.12 Enroll Now 25 Oregon Oregon College Savings Plan 51.33 Plan Details 26 West Virginia SMART529 Select 51.84 Plan Details 27 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan 52.07 Plan Details 28 Nebraska Nebraska Education Savings Trust - Direct College Savings Plan 52.52 Enroll Now 29 Nebraska TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan 53.03 Plan Details 30 Kansas Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold) 53.07 Plan Details 31 Missouri MOST - Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 53.07 32 Minnesota Minnesota College Savings Plan 57.46 Plan Details 33 Vermont Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan 59.35 Plan Details 34 Nevada USAA 529 College Savings Plan 59.36 Plan Details 35 Kansas Schwab 529 College Savings Plan 61.42 Plan Details 36 Connecticut Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) 61.77 Plan Details 37 Massachusetts U.Fund College Investing Plan 62.28 Enroll Now 38 Delaware Delaware College Investment Plan 62.46 Enroll Now 39 Kentucky Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust 62.62 Plan Details 40 Alabama CollegeCounts 529 Fund 62.65 Enroll Now 41 New Hampshire UNIQUE College Investing Plan 62.74 Enroll Now 42 North Dakota College SAVE 63.16 Enroll Now 43 Arizona Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan 63.24 Enroll Now 44 Idaho Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal) 63.47 Enroll Now 45 Arkansas GIFT College Investing Plan 63.53 Plan Details 46 Montana Montana Family Education Savings Program -- Investment Plan 64.67 Plan Details 47 Texas Texas College Savings Plan 66.04 Enroll Now 48 Rhode Island CollegeBoundfund (Direct-sold, Alternative RI) 70.29 Enroll Now - California The ScholarShare College Savings Plan NA Plan Details - Georgia Path2College 529 Plan NA Enroll Now - Mississippi Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program NA Plan Details - Nevada SSgA Upromise 529 Plan NA Plan Details - North Carolina National College Savings Program NA Enroll Now - Tennessee TNStars College Savings 529 Program NA Plan Details - Wisconsin Edvest NA Plan Details NA = Not Applicable = Program does not have at least one portfolio with sufficiently-long performance in a minimum of four asset allocation categories under our ranking model. The Savingforcollege.com plan composite rankings are derived using the plans' relevant portfolio performance in seven unique asset allocation categories. The asset-allocation categories used are: 100 percent equity, 80 percent equity, 60 percent equity, 40 percent equity, 20 percent equity, 100 percent fixed and 100 percent short term. The plan composite ranking is determined by the average of its percentile ranking in the seven categories. The performance data underlying these rankings represent past performance and are not a guarantee of future performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data used. A plan portfolio's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares or units when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Investors should carefully consider plan investment goals, risks, charges and expenses by obtaining and reading the plan's official program description before investing. Investors should also consider whether their beneficiary's home state offers any tax or other benefits that are available for investments only in such state's 529 plan. Brokers, please note: For internal use only and not for use with or to be shown to the investing public. Disclaimer: Saving For College, LLC. shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in this report. Users should rely on official program disclosures. For broker-sold plan rankings, click here. Savingforcollege.com ranks the performance of direct-sold 529 plans. Direct-sold plans are those that consumers can enroll in without using a broker. We have prepared both one-year, three-year, five-year and ten-year performance tables. To prepare this ranking, we compared a subset of portfolios from each 529 savings plan. We selected portfolios based on their mix of stocks, bonds and money market funds, which allows for an apples-to-apples comparison in seven asset-allocation categories. The lower the "percentile," the better the ranking. This ranking could be a useful tool for you when selecting which direct 529 plan might be right for you. Here are our 529 performance rankings as of September 30, 2014 for Direct-sold 529 plans. Three-year performance ranking (click here for one-year performance table, five-year performance table, and ten-year performance table): Rank State Plan Percentile 1 Alaska University of Alaska College Savings Plan 25.43 Plan Details 2 West Virginia SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan 25.49 Plan Details 3 Alaska T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan 27.23 4 District of Columbia DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) 28.24 Enroll Now 5 New York New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan 31.18 6 Maine NextGen College Investing Plan -- Client Direct Series 35.17 Enroll Now 7 South Carolina Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 35.76 Enroll Now 8 Maryland College Savings Plans of Maryland -- College Investment Plan 36.92 Plan Details 9 Utah Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) 38.14 Plan Details 10 Michigan Michigan Education Savings Program 38.95 Plan Details 11 Florida Florida 529 Savings Plan 42.02 Plan Details 12 New Jersey NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan 44.62 13 Oklahoma Oklahoma College Savings Plan 44.93 Plan Details 14 Colorado Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan 45.56 Enroll Now 15 Ohio Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan 46.28 Enroll Now 16 Illinois Bright Start College Savings Program -- Direct-sold Plan 46.30 Enroll Now 17 Louisiana START Saving Program 46.45 Plan Details 18 Nevada The Vanguard 529 Savings Plan 46.55 Plan Details 19 South Dakota CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) 46.63 Plan Details 20 New Mexico The Education Plan's College Savings Program 46.89 Enroll Now 21 Hawaii Hawaii's College Savings Program 47.85 Enroll Now 22 Iowa College Savings Iowa 49.63 Enroll Now 23 Virginia Virginia529 inVEST 50.84 Enroll Now 24 Indiana CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan 51.12 Enroll Now 25 Oregon Oregon College Savings Plan 51.33 Plan Details 26 West Virginia SMART529 Select 51.84 Plan Details 27 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan 52.07 Plan Details 28 Nebraska Nebraska Education Savings Trust - Direct College Savings Plan 52.52 Enroll Now 29 Nebraska TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan 53.03 Plan Details 30 Kansas Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold) 53.07 Plan Details 31 Missouri MOST - Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 53.07 32 Minnesota Minnesota College Savings Plan 57.46 Plan Details 33 Vermont Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan 59.35 Plan Details 34 Nevada USAA 529 College Savings Plan 59.36 Plan Details 35 Kansas Schwab 529 College Savings Plan 61.42 Plan Details 36 Connecticut Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) 61.77 Plan Details 37 Massachusetts U.Fund College Investing Plan 62.28 Enroll Now 38 Delaware Delaware College Investment Plan 62.46 Enroll Now 39 Kentucky Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust 62.62 Plan Details 40 Alabama CollegeCounts 529 Fund 62.65 Enroll Now 41 New Hampshire UNIQUE College Investing Plan 62.74 Enroll Now 42 North Dakota College SAVE 63.16 Enroll Now 43 Arizona Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan 63.24 Enroll Now 44 Idaho Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal) 63.47 Enroll Now 45 Arkansas GIFT College Investing Plan 63.53 Plan Details 46 Montana Montana Family Education Savings Program -- Investment Plan 64.67 Plan Details 47 Texas Texas College Savings Plan 66.04 Enroll Now 48 Rhode Island CollegeBoundfund (Direct-sold, Alternative RI) 70.29 Enroll Now - California The ScholarShare College Savings Plan NA Plan Details - Georgia Path2College 529 Plan NA Enroll Now - Mississippi Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program NA Plan Details - Nevada SSgA Upromise 529 Plan NA Plan Details - North Carolina National College Savings Program NA Enroll Now - Tennessee TNStars College Savings 529 Program NA Plan Details - Wisconsin Edvest NA Plan Details NA = Not Applicable = Program does not have at least one portfolio with sufficiently-long performance in a minimum of four asset allocation categories under our ranking model. The Savingforcollege.com plan composite rankings are derived using the plans' relevant portfolio performance in seven unique asset allocation categories. The asset-allocation categories used are: 100 percent equity, 80 percent equity, 60 percent equity, 40 percent equity, 20 percent equity, 100 percent fixed and 100 percent short term. The plan composite ranking is determined by the average of its percentile ranking in the seven categories. The performance data underlying these rankings represent past performance and are not a guarantee of future performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data used. A plan portfolio's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares or units when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Investors should carefully consider plan investment goals, risks, charges and expenses by obtaining and reading the plan's official program description before investing. Investors should also consider whether their beneficiary's home state offers any tax or other benefits that are available for investments only in such state's 529 plan. Brokers, please note: For internal use only and not for use with or to be shown to the investing public. Disclaimer: Saving For College, LLC. shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in this report. Users should rely on official program disclosures. For broker-sold plan rankings, click here.