Men... can't live with em.. can't live without em

There are many instances where Esperanza is attempting to go against the gender roles that are so prominent on Mango Street. Some of the instances that struck me most were when Esperanza was walking down the street and she kept staring back at Sire almost like a challenge. She was not content on crossing the street or looking down when he stared like the other girls did, she wanted to show him that she wasn’t intimidated. Esperanza was fighting back against the gender roles that were previously formed. Like a man, she left the table before others and didn’t clean up her plate and she will not grow up tame. Although Esperanza fights the social norms placed on women, she still has that drive to be apart of it. She idealizes Sally, she wonders when someone will hold her and kiss her in the dark alley, and she describes herself as the ugly sister. The fight is like the boat described in the Great Gatsby, working hard against the current but is slowly pushed back towards the island.