Esperanza- The unreliable narrator

     Throughout "The House on Mango Street" Esperanza speaks of her many adventures and difficulties while growing up. She speaks of these events through her young, naive eyes. Some of the time Esperanza does not even realize what is going on, therefore making her an unreliable narrator. For example, in the vignette about Louie's cousin, Esperanza describes the event as an adventure instead of a bad thing. She mentions that Louie's cousin gets carried away in handcuffs but does not realize that he has just been arrested. She is too young to realize that the car is stolen and they have just taken it for a joy ride. Esperanza's naivety also causes her to say ironic things such as “Meme won. And broke both arms.” Although her stories are very interesting and descriptive, Esperanza fails to see the big picture and realize what truly is going on.

~Ingrid <3