the house on mango street
... of the house will not associate with Esperanza. Her sister, Nenny, is too young to be her friend or even a good sister. Esperanza realizes that she must search for a friend that will be able to share herself and her goals with, but “Until then [she is] a red balloon, a red balloon tied to an anchor,” (Cisneros, 9). This represents the fact that she stands out all by herself and is stuck in one place. Her loneliness has not yet evolved into independence and she is still hunting for a friend. Esperanza becomes more independent as she thinks about her life later on when she will own a house of her own. Unlike her friends, she is not looking to find a man to marry who will have a big house and all the things they are looking for. What Esperanza is looking for is the chance to make this happen on her own. “I have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain,” (88). She knows that she can’t depend on someone else to make her dreams come true. By the end of the story, Esperanza herself realizes her power and independence. She recognizes that she is different from everyone around her in her appearance, her actions, and her strength and she is proud of it. Esperanza compares herself to the “beautiful and cruel” woman in the movies. “Her power is her own. She will not give it away.”...