Chanclas

BySandra Cisneros

Sandra cisnerosSandra was born in Chicago in 1954, the third child and only surviving daughter in a family of seven children. She considered herself the “odd set” in a family of men. Her education included studying at Loyola University of Chicago (B.A. English 1976) and the University of Iowa (M.F.A. Creative Writing 1978).She worked as a teacher and counselor to high-school dropouts and as an artist-in-the schools where she taught creative writing at every level except first grade and pre-school.

The House on Mango Street, first published in 1984, won the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award in 1985, and is required reading in middle schools, high schools, and universities across the country. It has sold over two million copies since its initial publication and is still selling strongly. 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of The House on Mango Street in the United States, and Sandra traveled to 20 cities to celebrate with her readers.

Cisneros cares about giving back to the community and taking action for just causes. She is a philanthropist [a person who gives their time, talent and/or treasure for the common good]. She is the president and founder of the Macondo Foundation, an association of socially engaged writers working to advance creativity, foster generosity, and honor communities; and the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation, a grant-giving institution serving Texas writers.

“My house is no longer violet because the sun faded it from violet to blue after a few years. We painted it Mexican-pink so it can fade into pink, then built my office in the backyard and painted it Mexican-marigold. The colors make me happy.I live with many creatures little and large in San Antonio, Texas.”

How was Cisneros Infl uenced to write the themes we see in the

stories she writes?

Chanclas

Eleven

Salvador Late or Early

Her paternal grandfather was a veteran of the Mexican Revolution and used what money he had saved to give her father, Alfredo Cisneros de Moral, the opportunity to go to college. However, after failing classes due to what Cisneros called his "lack of interest" in studying, Alfredo ran away to the United States to escape his father's anger. While roaming the southern United States with his brother, Alfredo visited Chicago where he met Elvira Cordero Anguiano, who would later become Sandra's mother. After getting married, the pair settled in one of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods.

Taking work as an upholsterer to support his family, Cisneros's father began "a compulsive circular migration between Chicago and Mexico City that became the dominating pattern of Cisneros's childhood.“ Constantly moving between the two countries necessitated finding new places to live and schools for the children, and eventually the instability caused Cisneros's six brothers to pair off in twos, leaving her to define herself as the isolated one. Her feelings of exclusion from the family were exacerbated by her father, who referred to his “seis hijos y una hija”("six sons and one daughter") rather than his "siete hijos" ("seven children"). Ganz, her biographer, stated that Cisneros's childhood loneliness was instrumental in shaping her later passion for writing. Cisneros’s one strong female influence was her mother, Elvira, who was a voracious reader and more enlightened and socially conscious than her father. According to Ganz, although Elvira was too dependent on her husband and too restricted in her opportunities to fulfill her own potential, she ensured her daughter would not suffer from the same disadvantages.

Saddle shoes The saddle shoe is a low-heeled casual Oxford shoe, characterized by a plain toe and distinctive, saddle-shaped decorative panel placed mid foot. Saddle shoes are typically constructed of leather and are most frequently white with a black saddle, although any color combination is possible.

baptism A ceremony in which a person is cleansed of sin and becomes a member of a Christian church

Time forCelebration

Families gatherfor a time ofcelebration.

First CommunionChildren of similar age

often receive their first

communion as a group.

The writer’s cousin by first

communion is someone who was in the same age group

when she had her first

communion.

Reading Skillsto remember:

Imagery – Descriptive words and phrases that re-create sensory experiences for the reader. Imagery usually appeals to one or more of the five senses- sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch – to help thereader imagine exactly what is being described.

I say feed me.She serves me red prickly pear on a spiked cactus.

I say tease me.She sprinkles raindrops in my face on a sunny day.

-Pat Mora, “Mi Madre”

Reading Skillsto remember:

Theme – A message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. You may need to infer what the writer’s message is.One way to figure out the theme is to watch for the lessons learned by the main characters to people in real life.

Help in finding the THEME!

SIGNPOSTS TO NOTICE AND NOTE!!USE THESE STRATEGIES!

“AGAIN AND AGAIN”When you notice a word, phrase, or situation mentioned over and over, STOP and ask yourself, “Why does this keephappening again and again?” The answer will tell you about the THEME and CONFLICT, or will foreshadow what might happen later in the story.

Help in finding the THEME!

SIGNPOSTS TO NOTICE AND NOTE!!USE THESE STRATEGIES!

AHA MOMENTWhen a character realizes, understands, or finally figures out something, STOP and ask yourself, “How might this change things?” If it is about a problem, it tells you something about the CONFLICT; if it is a life lesson, it tells you something about the THEME.

Reading Skillsto remember:

Summarizing – To summarize is to briefly retell the main ideas of a piece of writing in one’s own words.

Somebodywanted but soCharacters Plot Conflict Resolution

Get ready to read!

Chanclas by Sandra Cisneros

Describe a situation where you once felt really out of place or uncomfortable. Why did you feel this way?