Lit210_Comparative_Essay

The two works that I chose to write my comparative essay on are The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Two Kinds by Amy Tan. The reason I chose these two pieces is because I feel that I they are similar in the sense that they both talk about expectations. The House on Mango Street In this story, the narrator, whose name is Esperanza Cordero, speaks of a house that her parents described to her and her siblings. She and her family have moved several times and this last house they moved from was probably the worst of all. The pipes were broken and the landlord would not fix them because the house was too old. The move to the house on Mango Street was not what she had expected. When her parents told her and her siblings that they would be moving to a house that would be their own there were a lot of expectations. This house was supposed to be white, two stories, and have a big unfenced yard. The house on Mango Street is nothing like she had imagined. Two Kinds In this story Jing-mei is dealing with the expectations of her mother that she become a child star. (enotes, 2009). Jing-mei does not want to disappoint her mother, but feels that she needs to be her own person. When her mother takes her to get her hair cut and curled to look like Shirley Temple and it does not turn out right, her mother tries to blame it on her. Her mother watches the Ed Sullivan show and sees a little Chinese girl who bore much resemblance to Jing-mei playing the piano. Later that week her mother tells her that she will be starting piano lessons. Jing-mei is upset with her mother for making her take the lessons. She says to her mother “Why don’t you like me the way I am'” She realizes that nothing she ever did would satisfy her mother’s expectations. Similarities Both Two Kinds and The House on Mango Street are alike in that they both deal with expectations. In Two Kinds, the narrator, Jing-mei, is dealing with the fact that her mother expects her to become a child prodigy. After their emigration to the United States, Jing-mei’s mother is obsessed with the fact that in America you can become rich no matter where you came from. Jing-mei’s mother begins to read magazines about child stars and books such as Ripley’s Believe it or Not and tries to force Jing-mei to become a star. In the house on Mango Street, the expectations stem from a picture that was described to Esperanza and her siblings of a house that would be their home. They have lived their lives moving from house to house and one day the opportunity arises for them to purchase a home. The house was not at all like she had pictured. Her expectations were very high and she was greatly disappointed to find that the House on Mango Street was the house from her imagination. Another similarity between these two works is that there are parallel to the lives of their authors. Sandra Cisneros is a Mexican American who grew up in the poor side of Chicago. (Sparksnotes.com). The character in the story, Esperanza, is also a Latina and lives on the poor side of town. In Two Kinds, Amy Tan writes about a Chinese girl whose mother wants to compete with other Chinese families to see whose child is more successful. Amy Tan also a Chinese immigrant. The two main characters in the stories deal with disappointment similarly as well. Esperanza decides that she has to make something of herself. She desires to live in a house that she can be proud of and makes the decision to make it on her own. In Two Kinds, Jing-mei knows that her mother will never be satisfied with her. She decides to become her own person. Do what makes her happy and be successful in her own way so that she can show her mother that she is capable of being successful, but has to do it her own way. Conclusion I really enjoyed reading both of these stories. I felt that I could relate to the characters because they are both females dealing with how they can make an impact in their worlds. They desire and know that they are capable of being much more than the typical female role. I see many similarities between the authors and the characters. They have dealt with many disappointments in their lives, but have had the ability to overcome and be successful in their own right. As a female, I would encourage all young women to read both these stories. They are truly inspiring and I believe they can make a big impact on young ladies who aspire to be great. References Enotes. (2009). Two Kinds: Introduction. Retrieved January 15, 2009, from http://www.enotes.com/two-kinds/introduction.html Grade Saver. (2009). The House on Mango Street: Short Summary. Retrieved January 15, 2009, from http://www.gradesaver.com/house-on-mango-street/study-guide/short-summary.html Spark Notes. (2009). The House on Mango Street: Analysis of Major Characters. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mangostreet/canalysis.html