Culture in The House on Mango Street and Breathe, Eyes, and Memory Essay

Cultures are a set of goals, values and beliefs. Everyone lives their life through cultures. Cultures create a basic lifestyle for everyone to live in. Cisneros shows us many cultures in House on Mango Street. These cultures represent a Hispanic culture and show us how characters in House on Mango Street live their life on Mango Street. Not only is culture apparent in House on Mango Street, but in Breathe, Eyes Memory, culture controlled the lives of Sophie and her mother. Cultures define the lives of people because culture sets a standard of living for everyone to live in and is able to change the lives.

Cisneros depicts Esperanzas culture through education. There were many cases in the story Cisneros uses education to explain someones standard of living. For example, Esperanza, you go to school and study hard, was a quote said by Esperanzas mother knowing that education can create a high level quality of life style. Esperanzas mother shows us how education is valued in Hispanic culture. This is a prime example of how culture defines the lives of people because the culture caused Esperanza to stay in school and try to get an education.

There were many individuals who were inevitably stuck on Mango Street because they are unable to get an education. For example Marin depended on men to save her from her poor culture. Marin was stuck on Mango Street because her culture did not permit her to be able to leave Mango Street. Marin believed that waiting for a man to save her can allow her to escape Mango Street. Unlike Marin, Alicia worked hard in school and because she did not want to stay behind rolling pins like her mother, she was able to escape Mango Street. Alicia believed that working hard in her universities will bring a brighter future for her. This shows us how two different individuals live different lives because they do not believe in the same cultures as each other.

In Breathe, Eyes, and Memory culture played a big role in Sophie and her mothers lives. Haitian culture disregards the liberty of women and testing are done on Sophie and her mother. Both Sophie and Martina found the testing to be a horrible experience. These testing led Sophie into sexual phobias, and led Martina into questioning her motherhood. This shows us how culture changes the lives of Sophie and Martina and how culture defined both Sophie and Martina because they were tested on their purity as women.

Culture defined people not only in stories and novels but it is also apparent in my own life. My Asian culture, like Esperanzas mom valued education. My mom and dad sought opportunity in America knowing that education was available for me in America. Culture defined me because I was able to create a different lifestyle because of my culture.

Cultures create a basic for individual to live in and because it is a persons goals, values and beliefs, cultures have the ability to define the lives of people. This is shown through many stances of The House on Mango Street where Cisneros depiction of Hispanic culture is portrayed through education. Culture defining people is also shown in Breathe, Eyes, and Memory because of how the traditional Haitian testing changed Sophie and Martinas lives. I also was defined by culture because of how my culture brought me to America where I was able integrate into American society. Cultures have the ability to change lives and because they have the ability to change lives culture defines the lives of people.