Abstract: The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros is very famous and has a great influence on the contemporary American literature. This study aims to find out the symbolic meanings of the house which is the core image in the book to have a clear mind of the book and the living conditions of the ethnic groups in American society. This essay will be divided into two main parts to analyze the symbolic meanings of the house: the house in reality and the house in the heroin’s dream, according to the three different social identities of the heroin Esperanza —— the poor from the lower class, the ethnic people and the female. It is expected to have a better understanding of the reason of the heroin’s pursuit of the house and the difficulty for those ethnic females’ surviving.

Key words: The House on Mango Street; the house; symbolic meanings

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

1.1 Introduction to Sandra Cisneros

1.2 Introduction to The House on Mango Street

2. The Symbolic Meanings of the House in The House on Mango Street 3

2.1 The Symbolic Meanings of the House in Reality

2.1.1 Racial Prejudice against the American Ethnic Groups

2.1.2 Male Supremacy Society

2.1.3 Social Class Structure

2.2 The Symbolic Meanings of the House in Esperanza’s Dream

2.2.1 Cultural Identity of Her Race

2.2.2 Females’ Freedom and Independence from Male Power

2.2.3 Social Equality for All People

3. Conclusion 9

Bibliography.11

Acknowledgements12