How could the text be read and interpreted differently by two different readers?

Outline

Text: The House on Mango Street

Question chosen: "How could the text be read and interpreted differently by two different readers?"

Thesis statement: We can all read The House on Mango Street and know that it is tackles the topic of women's rights, who are repressed by the male figure in their lives. But this text would be interpreted differently if read by a female reader from France or a female reader from Mexico, for there is a big cultural difference between the two countries. While Mexico taught women that men are superior, French women learned to fight for their rights no matter what.

Key point 1: We can learn from the book that Mexican women are accustomed to this kind of treatment coming from men, the natural way in which they accept being repressed by men is only a proof of it. That's why if a woman, back in the 80s, read The House on Mango Street she wouldn't be able to improve her situation because the events of the book happened to her daily. After all, Sandra Cisneros said that she got inspired by the lives of women that surrounded her.

Example 1: "... I ran up three flights of stairs to where Tito lived. His mother was ironing shirts. She was sprinkling water on them from an empty pop bottle and smoking a cigarette.

Your son and his friends stole Sally's keys and now they won't give them back unless she kisses them and right now they're making her kiss them. I said all out of breath from the three flights of stairs.

Those kids, she said, not looking up from her ironing.

That's all?".

Key point 2: On the other hand, if a French woman, back in the 80s, had read the story life of Esperanza she would have reacted in defense of what she represented (the hope of the repressed women in Mexico). French women were accustomed to an environment that let them be able to express freely who they were with no one thinking of it as wrong.

Example 2: "On the day when it will be possible for woman to lovenot in weakness but in strength, not to escape herself but to find herself, notto abase herself but to assert herself – on that day love will become for her,as for man, a source of life and not of mortal danger. In the meantime, loverepresents in its most touching form the curse that lies heavily upon womanconfined in the feminine universe, woman mutilated, insufficient untoherself*" a quote from Simone de Beauvoir. She was a great French novelistthat dedicated huge part of her life to defend the female sex with her strongwords, I chose her because of that and for the wisdom in her words.

Key point 3: Although it is safe to say that no matter where a woman is from, she would always want to be herself. The difference is that society molds them to see this as right or wrong. But some have the strength to break from the judgmental eyes of the others and be themselves.

Example 3: "They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out".

525 WORDS.

  * http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/09/simone-de-beauvoir-google-doodle-quotes