What Sally Said

Sally hides the fact that her father beats her. She says she just fell down the stairs. Everyone knows thats not true. He's afraid sally will run away, so he beats her to prevent it. One day Sally asks if sh can come over to stay. Then she packs her stuff and goes over to Esperanza's house. But then her dad came when it got dark and asked if she can come home. She did, and they didn't have to worry. Not until he found Sally talking to a boy. He went crazy, and Sally never back came to school.

A Smart Cookie

Her mother regrets quiting school. She says she was smart but didn't have nice clothes. She knows now that that was really stupid. She wanted to change that, so she tells Esperanza to stay in school no matter what.

Beautiful & Cruel

Esperanza states she has started a "war". She wants to be free in her own way. She wants to be like the women in movies who are beautiful and cruel. She wants to control her own life.

Bums inthe Attic

Esperanza shows some feelings in this chapter. She says"One day I'll own my own house, and passing bums will ask if they can stay. I offer them the attic, because I know how it is to be without a house." She feels like she doesn't have a house, a real house.

Minerva Writes Poems

Minerva is having problems with her husband. He keeps leaving her to deal with their kids. It seams like he doesnt care about Minerva. One day she cant take any more and kicks him out. The next day he comes back and throughs a rock through the window and she lets him in.

Sally

Some say she's sad,
Some think she is lonely and bad,
But I know she is not,
She just tripped over a knot.


She stands there day after day,
Wondering  what they will say,
When say walks fast home,
When she wanted to roam?

Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays

Today she thinks of life,
Of dancing with the songs,
But instead she has no strife,
Just sorrow and wrong.

"Four Skinny Trees" and "No Speak English" from The House on Mango Street

These chapters show how Esperanza feels the most. In "Four Skinny Trees", it talks about how the trees cling to keeping. Esperanza looks toward the trees when she can no longer take it and she finds hope.  When she sees these trees, she doesn't see four knobbly, poor kept trees. She sees herself. In the chapter "No Speak English", it talks about a Hispanic man working hard to bring his wife to America. When that happens, she doesn't like it there. She misses her home country. Esperanza can see a bit of herself in that women who sits by the window all day, wishing she can go back to where her real home is.