the house on mango street, a bildungsroman

The House on Mango Street is a bildungsroman. After the last few novels we have read this one was much easier to classify as such. Cisneros has Esperanza grow throughout the novel, and this growth can be broken into three stages. Esperanza begins the story moving into the world of Mango Street. She says that her family has moved several times, and this is the first time that her family has owned a house. At the start of the novel Esperanza is completely engrossed in this world, not knowing that anything exists outside of it or ever thinking she would leave it. As the novel continues Esperanza begins to be ashamed of her surroundings and situations. She resolves to escape from Mango Street and basically never look back. At this stage Esperanza makes some growth in seeing that she can rise above her surroundings. Finally, in the last stage of the novel, Esperanza comes to the realization that, yes she will escape from Mango Street, but also that she must never completely leave it behind. She realizes that Mango Street, and the lifestyle it represents, is a vital part of who she is and that she cannot come to complete maturation without it. In choosing to eventually come back to help others on Mango Street Esperanza fully comes-of-age and makes The House on Mango Street a bildungsroman.