Under Gaze: Pursuit of Women Identity in The House on Mango Street

Abstract

Growing up in a Mexican-American community, Santra Cisneros, through the character of Esperanza, reveals the struggle of women for pursuing their identity in such a culture-mixed environment which features traditional patriarchal Mexican culture, the new and melted American culture, as well as consuming culture. Esperanza’s special identity determines that she cannot choose which side to be on, but act as a medium helping the communication between her own Mexican culture and the intruding American culture via writing. Gaze and consuming culture cast a profound influence upon the forming of women’s subjective identity.