RED

In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza is forced to be in many situations that she doesn’t want to be in because of other people’s decisions, not her own.  This is symbolized by the color red.  The first time readers can see this symbol is right away on page four.  Esperanza says when talking about her house “It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath.”  The symbol red is in this quote because her house is red.  She of course doesn’t like her house.  It doesn’t fit her personality or her dreams and because of this it holds her back.  It wasn’t as if it was her decision to move there, it was her parents, it is because of them that she doesn’t have the house that she wants.  This symbol is shown again.  “Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor.” (9) This is a very obvious example of the meaning of the symbol red.  The balloon is of course red and it wants to fly away and be free, but it is held back by a rope tied to an anchor.  Just like Esperanza is “tied” to her house.  So far these are very similar to the symbol of windows.  Windows symbolized being forced into a life you don’t want.  The difference between these two symbols is displayed of page 99 when Esperanza is forcibly kissed (possibly more).  This happens at a carnival by a picture of a red clown.  It is almost an untimely leap in maturity that she was not at all prepared for.  This is also like the symbol of shoes, which represented sexuality and growing up, but the difference is that the shoes represented what is normal for everyone.  It isn’t uncommon to witness someone get hit on by a bum, or be asked to dance, or to have a friend let someone take advantage of them, but it is uncommon for someone to take advantage of you against your will.  Going back to what I said earlier, there is a difference between red and windows and that difference is that windows hold you back from a dream, while red holds you back from reality and what your life could and should actually be like.