The Autobiography of Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago on 20th December in 1954, the only daughter of six siblings. She is born of Elvira Cordero Anguiano and Alfredo Cisneros de Moral who are Mexicans and immigrated to the united states and lived feeling odd among the other siblings of the family. Although the family lived in Chicago, they often crossed into Mexico City to visit their relatives (Warrick 23). The family settled in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago, where Cisneros would later claim that she never made connections with the neighborhood. This autobiography will focus on the life of Sandra Cisneros, one of the prolific Mexican-American authors, exploring her personal life, how it influenced her authorship, her literary styles and themes in her works and her achievements as writer .
Sandra Cisneros is an American poet, novelist, essayist and short story writer and has been lauded as one of the pioneer Mexican Americans to have success in commercial authorship. Many of the scholars of literature reason that she exerted herself to express the plight of the Chicana people in her works (Warrick 23). Most, notably, her persistence of addressing feminism and women sexuality in mainstream feminism. She describes her early childhood as having inspired her to write in her most famous works. The family moved across into the Mexico City be near their paternal grandfather, who much impact to the coming of Cisneros father into the United States. Growing up in the barrios of Chicago, she describes observing how women gave in or gave up their lives, and take lives of second-class citizens, second to Priests, husbands, or brothers (Cisneros 14). However, she describes as using writing to escape the fate which has engulfed the other women in Chicago neighborhood.
Sandra Cisneros in an interview in 1991 with the Publishers Weekly describes as having her childhood challenge with constant movements from one place to other. This is not until the family settled in Humboldt Park, where father bought a home. Therefore, her elementary education was erratic, with her parents facing challenges of finding schools for them whenever they relocated (Cisneros 45). She attended the Josephinum academy which was an all-girls Catholic school and there she developed her interest in writing. Her interests in literature were recognized by the teachers who inspired her to develop more interest in writing. At the high school, she developed the interest in poetry where she authored poems about the Vietnam war. Her commitment to writing poetry made her recognized as a poet throughout her high school years, which earned her as the editor of the school magazine editor.
She began her creative writing in college in 1974 and considers it as the turning point which she rejected and developed her own writing styles a theme. She describes her point of awakening being in a seminar while pursuing her MFA where she resolved to go against the conventional means of having a writing character of other traditional writers (Cisneros 47). She, therefore, immersed herself in exploring areas which other women in the seminar room would not dare venture in, something which made her become a recognizable American Hispanic writer in recent times. In 1976 she got her Bachelor of Arts degree at the Loyola University, she proceeded to the University of Iowa where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1978 (Cisneros 219). It is during this period when she resolved to develop her unique literary style and reject into conforming to any conventional literary styles preached in American canons.
After she was awarded her MFA degree, she took into a new job of teaching high school dropouts in Chicago in the Chicano barrios. Later after, she gained access to other jobs in universities in the United States. This is after the publication of the 1984 House on the Mango street became a success. She taught creative writing in Berkeley, the University of Michigan and the University of California (Cisneros 219). At our Lady of the Lake University in Texas, Cisneros became a resident writer. she has also worked as an arts administrator and a college recruiter.
Sandra Cisneros began her writing career at the age of ten when she wrote her first poem. Her parents were very supportive and insisted her to take more time in books. She describes as feeling the odd one out in the family of boys and decided to escape and bury her loneliness in books and other studies. At the university, she developed her own unique writing style which was because of rebelling against the normal cannons of American literature (Rivera 34). She has been described by critics as incorporating multiculturalism and bilingualism especially in Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories. One of her works, she interchangeably uses Spanish and English words to where each word or phrase fits best. She does, however, ensure that the reader understands any word which might be confusing without having to alter the flow or context of her work (Rivera 34). Therefore, Cisneros fashions her work to become a hybrid of English and Spanish languages to enrich her content and make the readers captivated by her stories.
Also, she explores multiculturalism in her works where she integrates several places and settings of her characters and storylines. she uses alternative narrative proses between the third person, first person and self-conscious narrative modes. She used the behavior of those people around her and her own experience to blend in multiculturalism to address the issues which were affecting the Chicana people (Rivera 34). Many of the literary critics have termed her works as simple at a glance but very deceptive on the interpretation of meanings and context. This technique ensures that the readers must read between the lines to analyze the character and background of those involved and their psyches. At the end of it all, the audience with complex content presented bilingually in simple situations and characters.
Sandra Cisneros literary themes have been lauded by critics as de-generalizing and emancipating those who have been bound by social, and political aspects of the society. one of the dominant theme which is evident in most of her works is on the part of human sexuality and feminity (Iftekharrudin 66). Cisneros describes as resolving to indulge into this area of the society because she saw how women gave in or gave up their lives and take positions inferior to their religion, husbands, and brothers. She terms her own experience in a family of the six brothers as having inspired her to indulge in writing about feminism and women sexuality. The aspect and behavior of women around her and the issue of female sexuality also led her to rebel against the conventional standards of the society and address the anomaly (Iftekharrudin 66). To rebel, here she describes as having that ability to talk about the areas which women in the society were supposed to be afraid of, which created a gaping hole to Mexican American writers in that time.
Feminism in Cisneros works is evident in the House on the Mango Street where Cordero Esperanza takes in the traditional role of women to be at home, be wives and mothers. However, that does not constraint her from seeking opportunities outside what the culture dictates. It is her mother who argues her to take in her education, circumvent the dictates of the society and exploit the opportunities around her. Some critics argue that Cisneros is the protagonist in the House on the Mango Street as her life is like that of Esperanza. She was encouraged by her mother to study and exploit the opportunities around her (Lewis 71). Also, Esperanza was the only daughter with two brothers just as Cisneros was the only daughter among six brothers. In this case, many argue that Cisneros attempted to write her biography in the work and revealed some of her aspects in a more realistic way.
To address the issue of feminist resistance, Cisneros usually presents three dimensions of the Chicana woman in her works. One of them is the mother, the woman who cries for her children, the virgin who becomes a wife and then a mother and then saintly virgin of Guadalupe. The depiction of women as sex symbols and subordinate of men who take traditional roles in the society. this aspect of the society has made Cisneros take another approach on how she charts her life and has rebelled against the conventional aspects of womanhood. In many of her interviews, she is quick to remind the interviewer that she is nobody’s wife and no one’s mother and considers writing as her real passion (Lewis 72). She has taken not to raise a family because she believes it will distract her from what she loves most and lives far from her relatives. She considers being alone as the only ways in which she can concentrate on her writing, by having peace of mind and essential creativity. Each of the models of women in the works of Cisneros carries a unique notion of autonomy, female sexuality, and motherhood.
The other theme which is prominent in Cisneros works is the individuality and cultural traditions. As a result of the heavy inclination of having feminism and female sexuality as her centerpieces in her works, Cisneros has developed a theme of the conflict of familial and cultural conflicts in traditions. Most of the characters in the works of Cisneros struggle with a potent force of conflict of being pushed into marriage, being someone’s wife and coming out of her father’s protection (Nolde 8). In addressing this issue, she details in the realistic way of showing how those who have agreed to this formality suffer in their lives. For example, Esperanza’s mother to the extent that she cannot exploit her gifts for her benefit, to those women who are in abusive marriages such as Minerva, Cleorfilas, and Sally. To those who have managed to struggle against these patriarchal enclaves live free but still unhappy because they have to constantly engage in the struggle for their independence. For example, in the Eyes of Zapata, Iens left her father to be with Zapata but has remained unhappy because she is alienated from her roots and cultural aspects (Nolde 8).
The other theme which is prominent in her works in displacement and alienation of the Chicana people and how it affects their lives. This is in the aspect of the settings and place of the situations and characters in her works. Many critics argue that Cisneros used her Work House on the Mango Street to indicate her displeasure and displacement into living in Chicago, while her roots are in Mexico City. Esperanza constantly laments that she wishes that she was from somewhere else, despite her previous desire to live in the house on the Mango Street (Lewis 79). In the Woman Hollering Creek, Tristan is completely alienated in his life to the extent that he creates a new identity for himself. The others include the stories of the “Tepeyac” and the “Mericans”. Many would argue that this kind of displacement and alienation is caused by the constant border crossing in the United States and Mexico (Nolde 5). In more salient aspects, Cisneros explores the effect of conflict between two cultures and language in terms of American culture and the Mexican one.
Over the years, Cisneros has had several achievements and awards due to her contributions to the Hispanic American literature. Her first awards were in 1982 and 1985 for National Endowment for the Arts after the successful publication of her works. In 1985, she was awarded by the Before Columbus Foundation on The American Book Award. In 1986, she was awarded the Paisano Dobie Fellowship. She was awarded in 1993 an honorary doctorate by the New York State University and in 1995, she was awarded the McArthur Fellowship. In 2016, awarded Doctor of Letters by the University of North Carolina and then awarded a 2015 National Medal of Arts in 2016. She has gained recognition not only on the American continent but globally, where she is seen as a pioneer campaigner of marginalization and gender inequalities of cultural minority.
Work Cited Annotated Bibliography
Cisneros, Sandra. A House of My Own: Stories from My Life, Vintage International Series. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2016: 8-321. Print.
This is an autobiography by Cisneros, where she uses images, essays and other works not published in memory which spans over 30 years. she explores from Mexico to Chicago, the places which she has lived to share her intellectual and artistic influences on her fans. In A House of my Own, Cisneros celebrates her life, which she has lived to the fullest, exhibited in the way she exposes her inspirational and transformative works in the book.
Warrick, Karen Clemens. Sandra Cisneros. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2010: 5-93. Print.
This is a book which delves into the life of the Latina writer, Sandra Cisneros, which includes her Childhood time in Chicago, how she became one of the most prolific writers and her contribution to the community. It follows through Cisneros journey in developing her unique writing styles, providing useful information to aspiring writers and young adults. The author expresses the works of Cisneros, providing detailed insights into the writings and life of the author.
Rivera, Carmen Haydée. Border Crossings and Beyond. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 2009: 11-119. Print.
This is a book whose author traces the life of Cisneros personal art, influence, and history on how it is intertwined. Here, the author reveals the multiple aspects of Cisneros as a Mexican-American, woman, and author. The author offers thoughtful and comprehensive engagements on the writings of Cisneros, which includes her tremendous challenges and significant successes in life. it is an exceptional reading for those people who would wish to understand the contribution of Latin literature to the world of literature.
Nolde, Bettina. The Depiction of Women in Sandra Cisneros Novel "The House On Mango Street". München: GRIN Verlag GmbH, 2012: 1-13. Web. 20, March. 2018
This a seminar paper which delves into the depiction of women in the works of Cisneros, especially in her famous work “The House on A Mango Street”. Nolde employs several vignettes to describe Cisneros growing up as an Esperanza girl in Chicago and how she reflects on her naïve youthfulness. She characterizes the women who were close to Cisneros, especially women and girls, on the living conditions Chicago in general. The author uses Cisneros as a reflection of the depiction of women in Mexican American literature and culture.
Lewis, L. M. “Ethnic and Gender Identity: Parallel Growth in Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek.” Short Story 2.2 (Fall 1994): 69-78. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Joseph Palmisano. Vol. 72. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. web. 20. March 2018.
This is a critical article which delves into the works of Cisneros. This paper explores the position and the challenges of Spanish-American youths in terms of socio-cultural environments. This paper focusses more on the characters which Cisneros employs in her works, to bring the themes of problems facing the youths.
Iftekharrudin, Farhat. The Postmodern Short Story. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003: 65-77. Print.
The book explores the postmodern characteristic themes and forms by giving an analysis of several short stories by different authors, especially Sandra Cisneros. In this case, the short stories employ the postmodern narrative which includes gender profiling, nonfictional fictions and the image of death. It explores the imaginative essays and the thin between nonfiction and fiction in the short stories. Also, it explores the role of women in the short stories.
Comments