Journal Prompts for The House on Mango Street
Assignments for High Schoolers Reading Sandra Cisneros' Novella
Jun 28, 2009
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros [Vintage, 1991] is frequently assigned reading in high school English and literature classes. The novella may be used as a part of several different units including units on:
- Diversity and Multiculturalism
- Coming of Age
- Structure of Fiction
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Women Writers
Students can increase their understanding of The House on Mango Street by exploring the characters, settings, themes and structure of the novella through journal writing and other writing exercises.
Writing Assignment: Exploring Character & Setting
Have the students read the vignette “Those Who Don’t” beginning on page 28. Ask the students to write a short one to two page paper in response to this vignette and include answers to the following questions:
- Why do the people who are lost and end up in Esperanza’s neighborhood afraid?
- What are they scared of?
- Who is the “us” in the following sentence: “But watch us drive into a neighborhood of another color and our knees go shakity-shake and our car windows get rolled up tight and our eyes look straight.”
- Why do they react this way?
- What are they reacting to?
- Are they behaving in a different manner or in the same manner as those who land in Esperanza’s neighborhood lost?
Before or after completing this short one to two page paper, students may then complete a journal response to "Those Who Don't" by reflecting and exploring if they have ever been in a similar situation to those who find themselves lost in Esperanza's neighborhood. If students cannot recall being in a similar situation they may reflect on a time where they witnessed people coming into their neighborhoods and what the reactions of those people were.
Journal Prompt: Creating a Personal Connection to the Story
Have the students read the vignette “My Name” on pages 10 and 11. Ask the students to write a journal response to this vignette that includes some of their own thoughts, some family history and some research including:
- What is your name?
- Ask family members why you were given that specific name and research any family history related to it.
- Does your name have a specific meaning in English or another language?
- Can it be found in a dictionary?
- Are there any prominent figures in history who share your name?
Some students may be comfortable sharing their family history and some may not be. Depending on the comfort level of the students and how thoroughly they would like to research their names, this journal prompt and writing exercise may need to be continued as homework outside of the classroom.
Examining Structure: What Is a Vignette?
Sandra Cisnero's novella The House on Mango Street is not organized into chapters like the many other works of fiction high schoolers study. This writing assignment will have students exploring and examining the structure of the work.
Ask students to research what a “vignette” is (The Bedford Glossary of Literary and Critical Terms is a good place to start.) and then respond in writing to the following questions:
- How is House on Mango Street organized?
- Is this organization effective in sharing Esperanza’s story?
- Why or why not?
To help ensure that students have fully read and understood The House on Mango Street, this writing exercise may be expanded to include the following instructions: "Find examples of three literary devices in the book and explore what meaning they add to the story. Please be sure to use quotes and specific examples from the book. Always be sure to cite authors and page numbers when quoting."
Other Ways to Explore The House on Mango Street
There are many ways to engage students in the exploration of Sandra Cisneros' novella. During class discussions, students may relate the story to episodes of TV shows or movies they have recently seen. During a group activity, students could attempt to rewrite the story from a different cultural perspective or from a boy's perspective.
Journal prompts, writing exercises and traditional paper assignments are not the only way to grade a student on his or her understanding of The House on Mango Street, but journal prompts and writing exercises can be useful in helping students to connect with the story and go deeper than just a cursory reading of the book.
