The House on Mango Street-The Elephant Man
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and The Elephant Man by Christine Sparks are novels in which the main characters are both searching for their identity in a society where they are not accepted. In The House on Mango Street, a young girl names Esparanza is self-conscious about her home, her appearance, and her name. Throughout her childhood, she observes many of life’s realities while meeting her neighbors on Mango Street . She searches for her childhood identity only wishing to become a writer. Esperanza, in many ways can be compared to the protagonist in The Elephant Man, John Merrick. He is a bright, sensitive man who is imprisoned in a distorted body where he only wishes to be treated as an equal. When a generous man named Treves chooses to help and take care of John Merrick, he finally begins to come out of his shell and reveal his true self. He also uses writing as an outlet in helping him deal with a society that doesn’t choose to accept him.The House On Mango Street is a novel which traces Esperanza Cordero’s childhood through a series of stories about her family, neighborhood, and secret dreams. Throughout the short stories, Esperanza deals wit
This quote reveals Esperanza’s belief that writing is an outlet and when she puts her thoughts down on paper, it makes her feel better. I believe that John Merrick also feels this way since he wishes to be a poet. In both novels, the main characters finally escape once they achieve their goal. Esperanza finally finds her identity and plans her life so she that can leave Mango Street. Although John Merrick passes away at the end of the story, he dies a happy man because he finally achieves his main goal in life: acceptance. In The Elephant Man, John Merrick is a kind, warm, and gentle man who is shunned by society. His monstrous awkward appearance makes people scared to look at him and causes the Elephant Man’s depression. Until one day, a generous man named Treves decides to do some research on him to figure out his illness. Expecting a silent creature, he finds an extraordinary man living inside this enormous shell. “I wish I could sleep like normal people” (200). John Merrick learns to live for the small pleasures of human kindness and his spirit changes the lives of those around him. Just like Esperanza, he also wishes to be a writer. Unfortunately, at
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Approximate Word count = 799
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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