Windows

In The House on Mango Street, Many symbols are used to show large concepts of life.  We already know shoes symbolize growing up and leaving childhood behind, but there is another large symbol is the book.  That symbol is windows.  Windows symbolize discrimination and being held back because of who you are, not what you have done.  The first example of this is on page 11.  Main character Esperanza writes “Until my great grandfather threw a sack over her head and carried her off.  Just like that, as if she were a fancy chandelier.”  Directly after this quote, windows are mentioned.  Judging by this writing, the theme of gender discrimination can be observed.  Obviously some of the men Esperanza knows have no respect for females at all and choose to be with them for only their needs.  Already I predict that the whole book is about how children can be influenced when growing up.  I believe that exposure to inequality defiantly can influence how someone can turn out as an adult by causing them to fear others, in this case men.  Gender inequality isn’t the only thing windows symbolize, they also appear when talking about being held back because of where someone comes from, this is very close to racial discrimination.  Esperanza says “…I believe she doesn’t come out because she is afraid to speak English, and maybe this is so since she only knows eight English words.”(77) Unlike he last example, this displays someone holding themselves back.  Even though it may seem not as bad it still has the same effect on someone’s life and future.  This woman came from Mexico, and now she feels she doesn’t fit in in America, not even with other Mexicans including her husband.  She has the option to go out and socialize, but chooses to stay inside and eat.  Discrimination appears once again; in this case, a woman is forced to stay inside because her husband is scared another man will take her if she leaves. 

“And then Rafael, 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 because she is too beautiful to look at.”(79)

This is another example of how a person can be held back because of things they can’t control.  The recurring theme of discrimination coincides with the theme of windows.