2。1 General Introduction of Feminism 6

2。2 Contemporary Chicana Feminism 6

3。 The Development of Esperanza's Chicana Feminist Consciousness 8

3。1 The Sprout Period 8

3。1。1 Causes for Esperanza's Feminist Consciousness 8

3。1。2 Reflection of Esperanza 9

3。2 The Confused Period 10

3。2。1 The Confusions and the Reasons 10

3。2。2 The Way to Regain the Feminist Consciousness 11

3。3 The Strengthening Period 11

3。3。1 The Impetus of Strengthening the Consciousness 11

3。3。2 Accomplished Chicana Feminist Consciousness 13

4。 The Functions of Important Roles 14

4。1 As the Epitomes of the Author 14

4。2 Helping Esperanza to Make Clear and Firm up the Feminist Consciousness 14

4。3 Awakening More Women’s Feminist Consciousness 15

5。 Conclusion 16

References 17

1。 Introduction

The House on Mango Street was written by Sandra Cisneros, a Mexican- American writer, in 1984。 And the book won her the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation in 1985。 After the first release of the book, many critics were attracted by the protagonist Esperanza and made a large number of comments on the book。

1。1 The Author -- Sandra Cisneros来自优Q尔W论E文R网wWw.YouERw.com 加QQ75201.8766

On December 20, 1954, Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago, Illinois。 She is the third of seven children and also the only daughter。 Her great-grandfather had a rich background and was a pianist working for the Mexican president; however, he lost all his fortune because of gambling。 Her grandfather, a soldier of the Mexican Revolution, used all his savings to send Cisneros’s father, Alfredo Cisneros de Moral, to college。 Lacking interests in studying, Alfredo dropped out of school, and then escaped to the United States to avoid his father’s wrath。 And it was in Chicago with his brother that he met his wife Elvira Cordero Anguiano, who came from a much more humble but more admirable family。 To support his family, Alfredo worked as an upholsterer and led his family to a regular circular migration between Chicago and Mexican City。 It was this experience that turned into the routine pattern of Cisneros’s childhood。 What’s more, the people she met and the things happened around her became the materials she used in writing later。 Cisneros’s six brothers always paired themselves off and left her alone。 And her father always treated his children as “six sons and one daughter” rather than “seven children”。 The loneliness she felt in the family became the powerful dynamic to strengthen her preference for literature and writing。 Cisneros’s mother was an intellectual woman; however, restricted by the patriarchy society, she lost the opportunity to express herself。 Therefore, she put all her expectations on Cisneros, encouraging Cisneros to read books rather than do housework。