This section contains 1,105 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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Dreams of the Lower Class
Summary: Examines the attainability of the American Dream for members of the lower class in Sandra Cisnero's "House on Mango Street."
In "Bums in the Attic," a chapter from her novel The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros discusses the differences between groups in which the upper class ignores anyone not belonging to the same leisure status. Those belonging to the lower classes however, has had to work to gain success and cannot forget the past in which he struggled. In chasing the American dream, the lower class realizes that the only way to gain true happiness from monetary success, one cannot forget his past and must therefore redefine the traditional attitude of the upper class.
The upper class lives far above the poor, causing the lower class to feel shame which then stimulates the desire to achieve equality and happiness which the American dream promises. The narrator, Esperanza, admits that when looking at the homes on the hill, "I am ashamed--all of us staring out the window like...
This section contains 1,105 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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