LESSON 11: FINAL BOOK TALK
Full Class Discussion/ Final Book Talk
"The Three Sisters"
In what way do the Sisters provide the decisive turning point for Esperanza? How does Esperanza’s community fit into her vision of her own future?
"Alicia & I Talking on Edna’s Steps"
What is the significance of the fact that the only lasting friendship Esperanza seems to have is with Alicia?
"A House of My Own"
How does Esperanza’s dream house in this story and in "Bums in the Attic" differ from Sally’s dream house in "Linoleum Roses"? How does Cisneros utilize the recurring image of a house as a metaphor to tie her stories together thematically and structurally? Is the house a positive or negative image? What does it alternatively preserve or imprison within its walls, and what does it keep out? How is Esperanza’s house on Mango Street alike or different from the other houses portrayed in the stories? [See, e.g., “Meme Ortiz”]
"Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes"
Why must Mango say goodbye to Esperanza, and not vice versa? Why is Mango Street personified as a "she"? Might Esperanza’s view of her own name have changed at this point, and, if so, how might she describe it?
"The Three Sisters"
In what way do the Sisters provide the decisive turning point for Esperanza? How does Esperanza’s community fit into her vision of her own future?
"Alicia & I Talking on Edna’s Steps"
What is the significance of the fact that the only lasting friendship Esperanza seems to have is with Alicia?
"A House of My Own"
How does Esperanza’s dream house in this story and in "Bums in the Attic" differ from Sally’s dream house in "Linoleum Roses"? How does Cisneros utilize the recurring image of a house as a metaphor to tie her stories together thematically and structurally? Is the house a positive or negative image? What does it alternatively preserve or imprison within its walls, and what does it keep out? How is Esperanza’s house on Mango Street alike or different from the other houses portrayed in the stories? [See, e.g., “Meme Ortiz”]
"Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes"
Why must Mango say goodbye to Esperanza, and not vice versa? Why is Mango Street personified as a "she"? Might Esperanza’s view of her own name have changed at this point, and, if so, how might she describe it?