Esperanza's Own Home

I like how the final chapter kind of feels like the first chapter at the beginning when she says, "I am going to tell you a story about a girl who didn't want to belong." This is why this chapter feels like the beginning of the book, but at the same time, it is the beginning of her new view on belonging. She goes through all of these things throughout the stories, the feeling of belonging and not belonging, the feeling of wanting a home of her own, the feeling of loss as she goes through the troubled times with Sally. But in the end her main goal is to want to feel like she belongs and she actually accomplishes this through her writing. I really like where she says, "[...] Mango Street, sad red house, the house I belong but do not belong to. I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much. I write it down and Mango says goodbye sometimes. She does not hold me with both arms. She sets me free." The only way that she feels like she belongs is when she writes about it and lets the house go, therefore the house lets her go. Her dream is to go away from Mango Street for good and have the house she has always dreamed about having.  I think through her writing she accomplishes the feeling of belonging and all her feelings come out that were making her so sad throughout the book.  I really enjoyed this book and there are so many different themes that  I feel it's so hard to choose just one.  I also wanted to talk about the "rape" scene because I'm not sure whether it was really rape or the guys were just touching her and kissing her.  But she kept saying that Sally was a liar and that all the books and magazines told everything wrong and "it" wasn't the same as she had expected it to be.  I think this gives it away that maybe "it" was rape and she struggles with those emotions as well.

What do you think about the chapter, "Red Clowns" and how did it come across for you? Do you agree with me that Esperanza was finally freed through her writing?