Violence in The House on Mango Street

In the novel The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros reveals how violence affects women on Mango Street. The women in Mango Street have abusive husbands and fathers. They don’t do anything about it because they seem to be used to being abused. Esperanza tries to deal with the violence in her neighborhood by trying to protect her friend Sally from some boys but it turns out being a failure for her. Esperanza finds it important to try and protect her friend Sally from kissing some boys. She goes to tell the boy’s mother what happen and the mother said was â€Å"That’s all? What do you want me to do she said, call the cops? † (97) The mother of the boy clearly didn’t care about what was happening, she probably thought they were just playing a game. Esperanza seemed disappointed and angry because all she wanted was for her friend to be back with her. Not the boys who made her kiss them or who knows what else they might have made her do to get her keys back. Sally didn’t really seem to be bothered from what Esperanza told. She just wanted to protect her friend, but she clearly couldn’t do anything about it. The chapter â€Å"Red Clowns† depicts how Esperanza had to deal with sexual violence by some boys who touched her at the carnival. Esperanza didn’t realize what had happened to her because she didn’t know anything about sex. She expected sex to be like in the movies she watched, so she believed everyone had lied to her about it. Girls like Esperanza see things about sex in media and believe it has to be like in the movies, shows, and in novellas. In fact, teens report that their main source of information about sex, dating and sexual health comes from what they see and hear in the media. † (Sexual Behavior. What Teens Learn From Media). It basically says that media is a high influence on the way kids see sex. This is clearly what happened to Esperanza since she said it wasn’t what she saw in the movies. It was a big let down for her even though she didnâ€⠄¢t want to be touched by the boys. â€Å"Linoleum Roses† is another chapter that depicts how Esperanza’s friend married an older man who brings violence to her life. Sally married an older man to get away from the violence she got at home from her father, who would beat her so she wouldn’t bring shame to his family. Sally ended up getting married with an older man who now beats her. Sally’s husband doesn’t allow her to go out or to communicate with her friends because he believes she belongs to him and finds the need to control her to keep her with him. â€Å"He also won’t appreciate the younger women being close to family and friends. † (Advice Women Need When Dating Older Men). This is what is happening to Sally she just doesn’t really mind because to her he is only violent once in awhile not all the time. She needs help and Esperanza notices that but she can’t really do anything about it but continue being her friend. Violence is a big part in the life of Esperanza’s best friend who she thought she had to protect because she truly cared for her. Esperanza just wanted her friend Sally back for them to be young and reckless. In the end Esperanza got past the violence in her neighborhood and what had happened to her because she wanted to live in her dream home alone.