What Students Think About The House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street is in the top 100 books recommended by middle school teachers around the country. My students and I are a little more than halfway through the book. We have had some interesting discussions about women's roles in the protagonist's life. There are some tough situations she and other women in the story have to deal with. Esperanza wants to break out of the opression and sexism. She wants a house of her own; she wants to be free.

This coincides perfectly with the Women's March that will happen tomorrow across the country. Women and men will march together in solidarity to support women's rights and equality. I've invited all my students to meet me downtown tomorrow with their families and mine.

This photo was taken at the
Women's March in Chico last year. 
Photo from Chico ER

Since some of the topics in the book (as in life) can be uncomfortable, I asked my students if they thought The House on Mango Street should be taught to eigth graders. Did they think they were ready for it?

80% of my students thought it was a good book for all 8th graders to read. Some of the students who did not want to read the book were concerned about the structure of the vignettes and the overall lack of a clear plot line. A few of them thought middle schoolers were too immature for the sensitive topics.

Below are some quotes from my 8th graders about The House On Mango Street:

I think that the House On Mango street should not be taught in middle school. I don't think it should be taught in middle school because there are many situations that are serious and that people could take as a joke. Many students might not be mature enough to listen and really understand what challenges women go through and how it is serious.- Alyssa A

Its okay that its taught in middle school because it has some good stories but it is also not that good to be taught in middle school; Mainly because it is stereotyping all men and making all men look like we are all bad people. Yeah the guys are bad in the stories, but that's not what all men are like.- AJ

The House On Mango Street should be taught to middle school student because it shows us how it was back then or how us women feel in our normal society. As Esperanza a 12 or 13 year old she doesn't understand how society actually is, she sees society as rainbows and flowers when in reality it not. Most of the women in this book are sexually harassed or working like a prostitute/sex object, basically telling us that a woman's life isn't all great.- Nataly D

I think that it should be taught in middle school because it shows how women deserve more respect and that they should be aware of strangers that just want to abuse them. It would also teach men how women feel if they are or have been abused.- Eddie C

I guess it should be taught because it teaches you some things that happens in real life. Some parts of the can teach you life lesson like what to avoid or what are good things to do.- Romeo

I think that The House On Mango Street should be taught in middle school because they are showing real-life situations and all of us need to be aware of all of this. If the students are aware of the stuff that are happening then they will know to watch out and be careful.- Guadalupe M

House On Mango Street should be taught in middle schools. To begin with middle schools aren't full of little kids we should know whats going on in communities and House On Mango Street is a great way to teach us what happens. We are growing up to a point where we shouldn't be protected and shielded from what's going on in the world. We are at the age that we don't need over protection.That is why I believe that we should read House On Mango Street in middle school.- Javier Q-G

I think that The House on Mango Street is a good book and it should be taught to in middle school. It teaches about how not everyone lives in a home they like and are proud of it. The book also teaches how young girls get raped or abused by their dads because their moms aren't around. The girls also have to replace their mom in many ways, they have to do everything their moms did, good and bad things. And they sell things and try to make money so they can go live on their own so they don't have to suffer and do that anymore with no way out.- Lilliana V

In the House On Mango Street, we read vignettes of Esperanza and those who surround her. Esperanza describes living in a small and not very high quality house. She describes the lifestyles of her friends and family, and the things that happen to them. In some vignettes, the sense of great admiration for the bravery, ambition, and confidence someone has come from Esperanza. Though the plot is absent, there are still morals and deeper meanings behind each vignette. Esperanza tells stories of deeper events with more real and true emotion unlike other stories. It gives us stories in the point of view of a female. A female of color not living the most wealthy life. Esperanza doesn't get the shortcuts or the easy ways. She lives her life struggling and dealing with emotional pain and thinking deeper into things. We get taught stories from a different perspective with more realistic events that some of us may end up dealing with in the future if not already.- Aniyah

I do not think anything in the book is vulgar or crude, but i do think it mentions sensitive topics. Although, 8th grade is one year away from high school and maturity should be present. House on Mango Street brings awareness to rape and societies impacts on young women. Therefore, yes i do think House on Mango Street should be read in junior high, people are becoming more and more aware each day and that should continue to happen.- Aliyah B

I believe this book should be taught in 8th grade. We are young adults who are maturing and we are wise enough to take this book seriously. It identifies some cases in the real world that certain people experience. This book is safe enough for us to be reading, and should still be read to future 8th grade classes.- Nick W

House on mango street should be taught in middle school because it's about a girl turning into a young adult and finding herself, most middle school students are going through similar things.- Macy S

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GUEST BLOGGER
Two Truths and a Lie

1. I have done wrestling for nearly two years. This year is my second year of wrestling. I joined in 7th grade, and have continued to participate in the sport every year since then. 
2. I am a huge Star Trek fan. I have watched every season of the original series from the 1960’s, every season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and every episode of Star Trek: Voyager. My personal favorite of these television shows is Star Trek: The Next Generation. The reason for this is that the original series and Star Trek: Voyager have such simplistic, cardboard characters, whereas Star Trek: The Next Generation has much more complex characters who actually express human emotion. 
3. My favorite book is Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. It is the story of a boy named Ender Wiggin who gets sent to a military school in the future United States. There, they train the students to fight against an alien threat that nearly wiped out Earth, and has now come back for a second chance to win the war. I like it because it never stops surprising you. It is a great science fiction novel.

Asher C.