My Name

                                         

                      My Name- blog Analysis    

In Sandra Cineros "My Name" from "The House On Mango Street". Esperanza talks about the weight your name can have on you. Showing readers that though a family name can help connect you with the people in your family, helping you feel closer and part of something bigger. It can also keep you bound, having your name feel like a bad omen and a reminder of the mistakes your family has made in the past.

Throughout the story the Esperanza sounds torn, constantly questioning the meaning of her name. Asking herself if it really represents her and what she stands for . In the beginning When she says " In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters, it means sadness, it means waiting. It is like the number nine. A muddy color." she shows the audience that she understands the importance of her name but feels like its bitter sweet. Where its "her" name but doesn't truly encapsulate who she is . later she talks about her grandmother and how she felt the same way. She says "My great- grandmother. I would've killed to have known her, a wild horse of a woman, so wild she wouldn't marry. until my great grandfather threw a sack over her head and carried off." Her grandmother was trapped by her last name and I believe she's trying to tell the audience that she's scared of being trapped to. Because she relates a lot to her great-grandmother. For example she says "I have inherited her name , but I don't want to inherit her place by the window." Showing that if she keeps her name she'll feel like she'll be trapped not being able to do what she wants in life. I also feel that Esperanza doesn't want a last name that connected to what her great grandfather did. Because it's completely goes against what she wants or stands for.

Its also really interesting to see how she talks about her father, great grandfather, and Chinese men when it comes to family. In the passage she says " But I think this is a Chinese lie because the Chinese, like the Mexicans don't like their women strong." She's showing that throughout her culture and family women are supposed to marry and sit by that window. Giving Esperanza another reason to want to change it. Towards the end we see that she does just that saying "I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees. Esperanza as Lisandra or Maritza or Zeze the X. Yes. Something like Zeze the X will do." We see that her tone shifts towards the end feeling almost excited to not be trapped by her name. Being able to give herself meaning while not being defined by her family name.

Throughout the story the Author uses emotion, allusion and tone in there writing to really show how deeply Esperanza has being feeling about her name. Showing us that even when she was in school she was questioning her identity. As well as comparing her name to one of the sad songs her dad listen's to in the morning. Showing that what she was going through wasn't see as a big thing. Instead seeming normal. Like she is the sad song and her dad is completely missing the point. It's also interesting to see the shift in tone throughout the story where we can see she's struggling at first but slowly but surely starts to becoming happier as she's picking her name. Finally the theme that only you define who you are really shines through the text. Allowing readers who might be dealing with a similar situation to not feel trapped by the window.

At first this passage might seem like a small story about a person who just wants to change their name, but it is much more than that. It shows how a person struggling with identity affects them and there outlook on life. Teaching the reader that their in control of their life, and have the power to pick their own identity. Overall this reading offers so much insight not only its theme's but how its written. Showing how emotion can help shape writing and how it gets meaning across. Thank you so much for reading see you next month!