Symbolism & The House on Mango Street

True or False?

Sandra Cisneros included symbols in The House on Mango Street on purpose.

• True

• False

Symbols are not just metaphors. A symbol must appear in a story’s...

• plot

• motif

• simile

• introduction

Which of the following best describes a motif?

• a direct comparison found in a text

• a message about life found in a text

• an image that repeats throughout a text

• the driving force behind a character’s actions

True or False?

Anything in a story can be a symbol.

• True

• False

In the book, what does the house on Mango Street symbolize?

• happiness

• laughter

• unfulfilled dreams

• fulfilled dreams

In "A House of My Own," Esperanza says the shoes will be placed by her bed. In this context, the shoes symbolize: ​ (a)  

• independence

• grief

• love

• pride

What does the narrator mean when she says, “Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor?

• She is saying that she, unlike her brothers, has a lot of responsibilities. She is not as free and independent as Carlos and Kiki, at least until Nenny is old enough to be mature. 

• She believes that she is made of rubber and can be filled with helium and float into the sky.

• Here, she is implying that her parents hate her because she is a girl and they won’t let her do anything like Carlos and Kiki. 

Esperanza’s house symbolizes poverty and...

• greed

• hard work

• unfulfilled dreams

• neighborhood history

Symbols aren’t always obvious. In many cases, you have to look ________ to uncover a hidden theme.

• in the contents

• across chapters

• in a different text

• beneath the surface

Symbols are not just metaphors. A symbol must appear in a story's

• motif

• simile

• introduction

• plot