The House on Mango Street

Nenny is Esperanza’s younger sister. She embodies pure innocence, which is often frustrating for Esperanza. Although they are kind to each other, Nenny doesn’t feel like a friend to Esperanza because Nenny doesn’t understand the world of older girls. She does, however, understand their shared cultural identity, which provides Esperanza with great comfort. When her white friends don’t understand the ups and downs of being the child of immigrants, Nenny understands Esperanza perfectly. 

Marin opens Esperanza’s eyes to sexuality and the experience of becoming a young woman. Esperanza observes the way boys react to Marin’s beauty and learns that there is a whole world of making oneself beautiful in order to attract a man. As fascinating as Marin is, she also serves as a cautionary tale for Esperanza. Marin’s behavior gets her kicked out of her aunt’s home, teaching Esperanza that although boys may like Marin, conservative adults do not. 

Sally is Esperanza’s classmate. She is described as a very beautiful girl with long dark hair. Esperanza admires her beauty and watches her in the playground, wondering what Sally thinks about. Esperanza learns that Sally is just as desperate to leave Mango Street as she is, but for different reasons. Sally is physically and emotionally abused by her father because he is so worried that her beauty will get her into trouble. Sally ends up marrying a young man when she is in seventh grade just to escape her father’s cruelty.  

Esperanza’s mother is a kind, caring, and supportive woman. She is dissatisfied with her life on Mango Street but resigned to her fate. She encourages Esperanza to pursue her education so that she can avoid getting stuck like her. She is not envious of Esperanza’s talents, instead she encourages her to develop in any way possible. She often tells Esperanza that she is lucky to be so smart, to be a good writer, and to get a good education. Esperanza strives to impress her mother, who wants her to have the kind of independence and financial success that she never could.

Esperanza’s father is a hard-working man who immigrated to America to give his children a better life. He is warm and loving. Esperanza feels safe with him and wants to please him, but they don’t always agree. He would like her to lead a traditional life: get married young and have children. Esperanza respects her father but often struggles to feel accepted in his home, as she aspires for so much more than he can provide or understand. Their relationship is sometimes strained because he comes from a different culture than the one his children belong to.