10.10 Unit Test: The House on Mango Street
Why is Esperanza's dream house significant to The House on Mango Street?

Select Yes or No for each statement.

Yes No
She wants to be able to buy a house on Mango Street so she can live close to her parents.
Yes – She wants to be able to buy a house on Mango Street so she can live close to her parents.
No – She wants to be able to buy a house on Mango Street so she can live close to her parents.
It represents Esperanza’s desire to get out of Mango Street and live a life without struggle.
Yes – It represents Esperanza’s desire to get out of Mango Street and live a life without struggle.
No – It represents Esperanza’s desire to get out of Mango Street and live a life without struggle.
Esperanza wants to fulfill her father’s dream of a large white house where the whole family can live together.
Yes – Esperanza wants to fulfill her father’s dream of a large white house where the whole family can live together.
No – Esperanza wants to fulfill her father’s dream of a large white house where the whole family can live together.
It represents Esperanza’s desire to be in control of her life, without a man telling her what she can do.
Yes – It represents Esperanza’s desire to be in control of her life, without a man telling her what she can do.
No – It represents Esperanza’s desire to be in control of her life, without a man telling her what she can do.
It will be a quiet space for Esperanza to live in by herself and write her stories.
Yes – It will be a quiet space for Esperanza to live in by herself and write her stories.
2.
Read the excerpt from the chapter “Beautiful & Cruel” from The House on Mango Street.

My mother says when I get older my dusty hair will settle and my blouse will learn to stay clean, but I have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain.

Why does Cisneros use the word tame instead of words like submissive or subdued?

It has a more negative connotation, indicating that she is wild and will not be controlled.

It has a stronger connotation to indicate that she is rude and disrespectful.

It has a positive connotation and conveys a feeling of independence.

It has a weaker connotation to emphasize her individuality.
3.
In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza describes some characters whose struggle with the English language holds them back from communicating and connecting with others.

Which details support this statement?

Select the three correct answers.


"Meme has a dog with gray eyes, a sheepdog with two names, one in English and one in Spanish."

"She has lived in this city her whole life. She can speak two languages. She can sing an opera. She knows how to fix a T.V. But she doesn’t know which subway train to take to get downtown."

"¡Ay, caray! We are home. This is home. Here I am and here I stay. Speak English. Speak English. Christ!"

"…I believe she doesn’t come out because she is afraid to speak English, and maybe this is so since she only knows eight words."

"My father says when he came to this country he ate hamandeggs for three months. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hamandeggs. That was the only word he knew. He doesn’t eat hamandeggs anymore."
4.
Part A

What is a theme of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros?


Anger about things that cannot be changed can lead to regret.

Dreams are only fantasies, while life dwells in reality.

No matter the distance, home is always close to one’s heart.

Mistakes often result in powerful lessons.
Question 2
Part B

Which detail from the novella best develops the theme identified in Part A?


“And then Rafaela, who is still young but getting old from leaning out the window so much, gets locked indoors because her husband is afraid Rafael will run away since she is too beautiful to look at.”

“She sits all day by the window and plays the Spanish radio show and sings all the homesick songs about her country in a voice that sounds like a seagull.”

“But the house on Mango Street is not the way they told it at all. It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath.”

"Marin, under the streetlight, dancing by herself, is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life."