The House on Mango Street

Esperanza wants to give herself a new name because she _____.

• envies her sister for having a nickname

• wants a name that reflects the real her

• disapproves of the way others say her name

• dislikes having her great-grandmother’s name

You can make an inference that Esperanza creates stories about her life to _____.

• free herself from her environment

• be like her story-telling mother

• show her neighbors how smart she is

• remember the streets on which she has lived

Read the following excerpt from the selection. “One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever.” What do the lines suggest about the author’s perspective on the strength of women?

• Mothers have to be strong to keep their daughters at home.

• Women are strong enough to break free from sad childhood memories.

• Strong houses are needed to keep strong women at home.

• Strong women have to learn how to keep a house sooner or later.

Based on Esperanza’s feelings, what is the author’s perspective on owning a home?

• The only good houses have two levels.

• Owning any house is better than renting a house.

• Having a pleasant house can make you proud.

• Only large houses are worth owning.

Read the following excerpt from the selection. “For the time being, Mama says. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how these things go.” What inference can you make about Esperanza?

• She misunderstands her parents.

• She tries to be a know-it-all.

• She can predict the future.

• She thinks things will not change.

Esperanza plans to be different from her great-grandmother by _____.

• staying single

• following her dreams

• being strong

• forgiving others

You can make an inference that Esperanza writes stories to _____.

• forget about her surroundings

• be like her story-telling mother

• show her friends that she is smart

• remember the places she has lived

One day, Esperanza will finally _____.

• move into a nice house

• visit her friends on Mango Street

• say goodbye to Mango Street

• show her house to the nun

Esperanza plans to remember Mango Street in ______.

• her new name

• a Mexican song

• her stories

• a letter

Think. Use the book pages 60-70. You have 2 minutes to respond. The end of the story says, "They will not know that I have gone away [from Mango Street] to come back [to Mango Street]." Use details from the selection (textual evidence/clues) to infer: Where is she going?

• She mentions wanting a place for her writing, books, and paper on the previous pages when she describes her dream house. This might be a clue that she wants to "go away" to a place with books, like college, to get a better education and good job.

• She mentions wanting to draw and create mechanical airplanes on the previous pages when she describes her dream house. This might be a clue that she wants to "go away" to flight school or maybe to "go away" to study engineering in college.

• She wants to go to college.

• She wants to get out of Mango Street.