Comparison of 'The House on Mango Street' and 'A Raisin in the Sun'

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In the novella The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, a young girl Esperanza, tells the story of her Hispanic family living in conditions she doesn’t like. In the play “A Raisin in The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, an African American family lives in poverty but have a strong will to move forward in life. In both pieces of literature the theme of desire to move up in life is evident. In The House on Mango Street, the main character, Esperanza dreams of becoming someone greater, with a better future and home. “One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away” (Cisnereos 110). Esperanza is tired of living in such poverty. She wants to have a life she can be proud of. She knows when she gets older she will have a nice place to belong to and not be ashamed of. In “A Raisin in the Sun” the family lives in a small and crowded apartment. They know they’re all sick of living there, but don’t have the economic resources to move out. “She went out and she bought you a house! You glad about the house? It’s going to be yours when you get to be a man” (Hansberry 489). With the insurance money that Lena receives she goes out and buys a new house. She wants to improve the family’s life and let Travis have a better future. In both pieces of literature the families strive for an improved future. They have an honest life, but that is not enough. They live day to day worthily, but remain with a strong desire to move forward in

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