House on Mango Street ; Gender Difference?

          After reading The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, I find that the author is trying to tell reader that teenage girls and teenage boys should be raised differently. In order to say that teenage girls and teenage boys should be raised differently, she implies it into her vignettes.

Esperanza in the story was raised properly by her parents where she would know the right things that she should do.

“ And since she comes right after me, she is my responsibility” (pg 8).

 Esperanza knew that in her life, she must take care of her little siblings because she learned how to do things that her little siblings might can not do. She was taught by his parents to take responsibility. Those responsibilities would help her future where when she have to develop her own family and she have to take care of the whole family herself. The responsibilities she learned would be passed on to her future to her little kids. Being able to take responsibility is what something that sisters needs to do.

In this book, teenage girls seem to have to take care of the family more.

“Alicia, whose mama died, is sorry there is no one older to rise and make the lunchbox tortillas” (pg 31).

Alicia’s mom died so then she had to replace her mom’s spot for her family. She wishes that there is an older sibling or her mom to stay alive to look after the family instead of her. She misses her mom and the lunchbox tortillas that her mom makes it. If her mom is still alive, she would not have to take all those responsibilities. Why didn’t her dad take responsibility after her mom passed away?
       
    Esperanza’s mom knows what a girl should do when they grow up.
             “My mother says when i get older my dusty hair will settle and my blouse will learn to stay clean, but i have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain” ( pg 88).
Her mom believes as a girl grows up, they would be mature. Esperanza does not want to feel trap means that she does not want to take care of a family. The ball and chain symbolize her being trap. Her mother believes that girls should be raise to become a mature girls that can take care of a family. Being mature means holding all the responsibilities. It was never said that guys have to lay back like what the girls have to do. Esperanza does not want to be trap which is a view from the author that although girls want freedom, they would need to be mature and take responsibilities.