Two or Three Things I Know For Sure by Dorothy Allison and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cigneros are similar in certain ways. Like in both stories Esperanza and Dorothy love story telling and begin by talking about their childhood. They are both “working-class” and both have fantasies and/or dreams that they want to happen. Such as Esperanza dreaming to move in to a house she can call her own and be proud of it while Dorothy fantasized about going to places she barely heard of, doing things that no one she knew had ever done. These two stories also have differences such as setting, race, and values. Two or Three Things I Know For sure takes places in the country area and The House on Mango Street takes place in the city. If I had to take a guess I’d say Dorothy is white and Esperanza is spanish. As far as value goes Esperanza is pridful and values her house and does not want to be considered “Poor” while Dorothy does not seem to care about wealth or looking good.
Professor Laura Westengard
Email: lwestengard@citytech.cuny.edu
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Great work, Brandon! Your comparison and contrast is quite accurate and insightful.
I completely agree with your compare and contrast of the two novels. I think Esperanza and Allison are both strong minded and determined to be more than just the “status quo”. Your contrast of the settings is spot on, and I think there similarities in their character is interesting conidering their background. I also want to point out the similarities in their culture, because the girls are all seen as sexual objects who are looked down upon if they get pregnant.