The House on Mango Street and the Style of Sandra CisnerosClearly, Sandra Cisneros' writing style is representative of a minority voice. Her astonishing style allows her readers to take an active part in the minority experience. For this reason, I believe Cisneros has had a lot of influence and success in the status of minority writers, especially in the canon of what is read and taught in schools today. But more than anything, Cisneros showed that liberation can come through creativity and literature, and not just a geographical excursion. The House on Mango Street by Cisneros is a novel about the importance of not forgetting where you come from. Esperanza, a young Latino girl and the main character of the story, wishes to adopt a different name and move away from Mango Street. Esperanza wants to move away from the neighborhood surrounding Mango Street and play a larger role in a new society. But at the same time, she knows that “we cannot forget who we are” (Cisneros 105). Because of this statement, and others like it, The House on Mango Street is all about maintaining a sense of identity. These themes are also present in some of Cisneros' short stories, such as "Never Marry a Mexican", "Barbie-Q", and "Only Daughter". It’s because of the success of stories like these that have helped Cisneros’ audiences share the minority experience. The House on Mango Street illustrates how Esperanza wants to leave Mango Street, but at the same time she knows that at the moment she cannot. The young girl understands that even if one day she will “say goodbye to Mango”, it is a place that was and will always be a part of her and who she is. (Cisneros 110). As critic Julian Olivares noted, "o...... middle of paper ......ollering Creek and Other Stories. New York: Random House, 1991:68-83. Cisneros, Sandra." Only Girl," Mascaras. Ed. Lucha Corpi. Berkeley, CA: Third Woman, 1997: 120-23. Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1991. McKracken, Ellen. "The House of Sandra Cisneros on Mango Street: Community-Driven Introspection and the Debunking of Patriarchal Violence," Breaking Boundaries: Latina Writing and Critical Readings. Eds. Delgado Horne et al. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1989: 62-71. Olivares, Julian. “Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street and the Poetics of Space,” Chicana Creativity and Criticism: New Frontiers in American Literature. Ed. Helena Viramontes: University of New Mexico Press, 1996: 233-44. Sagel, Jim. “Sandra Cisneros,” Publishers Weekly Walk. 29, 1991: 74-75.