Journal Five Tammy Guo

Part One:

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, an award-winning author, and feminist has written this novel in a unique poet way to reveal her past and identity. She tells each story in the novel in short sections that shows characters and events. In this novel, the most meaningful chapter in this book for me was the Bums in the Attic because it revealed her dreams of wanting a house on her own and remember who she is. Esperanza is tired of her parents talking about getting a better home when she knows it will not happen. The more her family and her looks at those expensive houses, the more ashamed as her family and her, "staring out the window like the hungry" (Beah 86). Esperanza feels that it's pointless, and she, "tired of looking at what we can't have" (Beah 86). It reveals that she is tired of the same life, and things are never going to change and that she is stuck on Mango Street forever. Esperanza feels that she doesn't belong there and is trapped. The only thing Esperanza can do is to hold onto her hopes and dreams, and that one day she will, "own my own house, but I won't forget who I am or where I came from. Passing bums will ask… I'll offer them the attic… I know how it is to be without a house" (Beah 87). I thought the language was at its best there because it reveals show Esperanza's identity, that she has empathy for others, and is a kind soul and willing to offer the homeless a place to stay because she knows how that feels. Esperanza will always carry her past with her because it forms who she is through her experiences and the people she has met, and she will never forget where she came from.

Part Two:

A person who has a substantial influence on me when I was an adolescent was my best friend, Caitlyn Henry. We became in sixth grade, and to this day, we are still best friends. I am very grateful for her because when I first met her, I was shy and didn’t talk much, but as time went on, that changed. I can open up to her and trust her with anything. She is the most caring, thoughtful, and beautiful person, I know. Through our friendship, we have been there for each other and have never let one another down. Since middle school until now, my friend group has changed a lot, people have left, but Caitlyn, she has stayed all the way. I can be myself around her, say and do weird things, and have fun. Her positive influence of always encouraging me and believing in me has helped me do things that I thought I wasn’t capable of. That has pushed me to open up and take the opportunity to do things. For example, I have a passion for fashion, and during our senior year, she pushed me to run a fashion club with her. I never thought I could run a club, and I was terrified. I hate public speaking and speaking in front of others because I get nervous, but she believed in me and helped me face my fears. From there, speaking in front of people has gotten better, but I wasn’t as afraid anymore. I have become more confident, and this friendship has helped me find out who I am. Overall, Caitlyn Henry has a substantial influence on me and has been a significant impact on my life. I wouldn’t know what to do without her because she has made my experience so much better.

This is Caitlyn and I at Senior Year Winter Formal