Studying our Writing Models-- Assignment 2 House on Mango Street

1. Deliver Interesting information
• "But the house on Mango Street was not the way they told it at all.  It's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath." (Pg 4 Sandra Cisneros)
• The imagery above sets up the antagonist in the book-- poverty.  This imagery delivers the antagonist in a short and interesting way.  The main character is tired of having to live in a small run down apartment, was promised a big white house, and instead gets a small run down house.  The imagery above sets up the main issue of the book and shows the characters attitude towards it for the rest of the book.
2. Employ techniques of a narrative
• "Where do you live," she asked.  "There," I said, pointing up to the third floor.  "You live there?" (Pg 4 Sandra Cisneros)
• The author uses dialogue to show why the main character is so disappointing towards her living condition.  The dialogue shows in an interesting manner the main internal struggle of the main character-- disappointment and embarrassment of her families living condition-- and how that was set on.  The main character saw other people looking disappointingly at her home and therefore she thought her home was embarrassing.
3. They exhibit perceptivity
• "I knew I had to have a house...For the time being, Mama says.  Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go."(Pg 5 Sandra Cisneros)
• The main character exhibits perceptivity when her parents tell her that the house is temporary and she doesn't believe them. The author is writing the character as coming to terms with reality and not believing the dreamy words of her parents.  The main character is now starting to realize that her parents lie to her to make her feel like their situation is improving, only when it isn't.  The author shows that she knows parents will lie to their children to get them to stop worrying, but in the end, the children figure it out.