Analysis of the Vignette "Those Who Don't" in the House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Prompt Two- Read the passage and then write an essay analyzing the rhetorical techniques the author uses to convey his or her intended effect on the reader.
Social discrimination is evident all over the world. Society makes it seem as though those who live in poverty are the same – atrocious and horrible. In areas like these, they call it the “ghetto”, a dangerous and unsafe area that is resented by almost everyone. In ignorance, poor people in this world today are thought to be dangerous or unruly beings. In this society, one who is at a lower rank, whether caused by the lack of money or by racial superiority, alludes to a series of hazardous events. Even though poverty is experienced by all types of people, rather than just dangerous, Sandra Cisneros draws attention to racial segregation and social discrimination in the vignette “Those Who Don’t” through rhetorical devices such as tone and sentence structure.
In her writing, Sandra Cisneros gives off a tone of annoyance through Esperanza’s character due to the ignorance of others in their conclusions drawn based on the looks of her neighborhood. In the vignette, Esperanza says, “Those who don’t know any better come into our neighborhood scared.” Esperanza emphasizes “those who don’t know any better” to prove her understanding of the pure obliviousness of everyone else. Those who do not know her personally or are not residents of Mango Street cannot seem to grasp that the image posed by the neighborhood is not by choice, but by necessity. Esperanza continues, “They think we’re dangerous.” Others do not acknowledge or even notice that the area is only poor. They automatically become fearful of their safety because society’s version of a safe neighborhood does not look as torn apart or as battered as Mango Street. The appearance of their neighborhood is chained to the appearance of one that screams danger because it looks so similar. Social discrimination is evident throughout this vignette because her social
Social discrimination is evident all over the world. Society makes it seem as though those who live in poverty are the same – atrocious and horrible. In areas like these, they call it the “ghetto”, a dangerous and unsafe area that is resented by almost everyone. In ignorance, poor people in this world today are thought to be dangerous or unruly beings. In this society, one who is at a lower rank, whether caused by the lack of money or by racial superiority, alludes to a series of hazardous events. Even though poverty is experienced by all types of people, rather than just dangerous, Sandra Cisneros draws attention to racial segregation and social discrimination in the vignette “Those Who Don’t” through rhetorical devices such as tone and sentence structure.
In her writing, Sandra Cisneros gives off a tone of annoyance through Esperanza’s character due to the ignorance of others in their conclusions drawn based on the looks of her neighborhood. In the vignette, Esperanza says, “Those who don’t know any better come into our neighborhood scared.” Esperanza emphasizes “those who don’t know any better” to prove her understanding of the pure obliviousness of everyone else. Those who do not know her personally or are not residents of Mango Street cannot seem to grasp that the image posed by the neighborhood is not by choice, but by necessity. Esperanza continues, “They think we’re dangerous.” Others do not acknowledge or even notice that the area is only poor. They automatically become fearful of their safety because society’s version of a safe neighborhood does not look as torn apart or as battered as Mango Street. The appearance of their neighborhood is chained to the appearance of one that screams danger because it looks so similar. Social discrimination is evident throughout this vignette because her social