Analysis of Setting in 'The House on Mango Street' and 'A Clean, Well-lighted Place'

In Sandra Cisneros' “The House on Mango Street” and Ernest Hemingway's “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” the authors display their feelings towards the setting in strikingly similar ways. In Cisneros' short story, the narrator, Esperanza, discusses the many places her family has lived in her lifetime. In Hemingway's short story, two waiters at a café are discussing their contrasting views on life, as well as the differences in their own lives. Although the actual settings of the two short stories are very different, feelings of disappointment and despair can be drawn from both.

The House on Mango Street

In “The House on Mango Street,” Esperanza explains her family’s constantly changing living situation. Her family was always having to move out of the house that they were renting, but then they bought a little house on Mango Street. Although the house was actually theirs, it was very small and run-down. She says, “Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in. There is no front yard...” (Cisneros, 1984, p. 4). The narrator goes on to say that there is only one bedroom and one bathroom, so all six family members have to share. Although their new house is a large improvement compared to their previous places, it did not feel like home to Esperanza at all. She had imagined something much bigger and more impressive. She was expecting the real house that her, “Papa talked about when he held a lottery ticket” and that, “Mama dreamed up in the stories she told us before we went to bed.” Their fantasy home would have, “real stairs, not ordinary hallway stairs, but stairs like the houses on T.V… and at least three washrooms… and a big yard with grass growing without a fence” (Cisneros, 1984, p. 4). It is safe to say that the house on Mango Street fell far short of what the narrator dreamt of. The contrast between Esperanza's expectations and reality creates a sense of disappointment, because she keeps hoping for a beautiful home like she sees on T.V. but is never able to get it. This persistent longing emphasizes the broader theme of aspiration versus reality.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

In “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” there is a deaf old man who is a regular at a café. The old man comes to the cafe at night to drink and avoid his sad life. The old man finds comfort in the clean, well-lit cafe. A younger waiter and an older waiter watch the old man, as he is known to get drunk and leave without paying. It was very late, and the old man, “...sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light.” He liked to come at night, because, “...the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet, and he felt the difference” (Hemingway, 1933, p. 1). As time passed, the younger waiter grew impatient and wanted to go home. He said, “I wish he would go home. I never get to bed before three o'clock” (Hemingway, 1933, p. 3). The older waiter insisted that they keep the cafe open, because he knows the deaf man needs it to escape the nothingness of life. He relates to the old man in the sense that he too feels that life is a meaningless nothing. As the two waiters talk, the younger one finds it absurd that anyone would want to stay out so late rather than be home with their family. The older waiter tries to explain that he too had a family to go home to once, but now that he is lonely, he needs a clean, well-lit place like the cafe to seek comfort. It is very clear that the younger waiter sees the cafe as nothing but a place of employment, whereas the older one sees it as a place for people to escape the nothingness of life. This dichotomy between the two waiters underscores the existential themes present in Hemingway's narrative.

Symbols of Home and Solace

The narrator of “The House on Mango Street,” Esperanza, does not feel that she has a true home. She seeks a place to call home. The house on Mango Street symbolizes her coming to the realization that she wants more in life. Towards the end of the story she says, “I knew then I had to have a real house. A real house. One that I could point to. But this isn’t it. The house on Mango Street isn’t it” (Cisneros, 1984, p. 5). The older waiter in “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” implies that all he has is the cafe. Therefore, the cafe symbolizes a home to him. He did not want to leave the cafe, because just like the old man, it was his place of solace. He recognizes the important role that the clean, well-lit cafe plays in the lives of those looking to escape the “nothing” of the world.

Shared Aspirations and Disappointments

The older waiter and Esperanza are alike in the sense that they both aspire to something better in life. The old man and the older waiter prefer the calm, clean, well-lit cafe over a bar. It allows him to be alone while at the same time avoiding loneliness and sorrow. The light is needed to chase off the dark shadows of nothingness. However, the cafe eventually closed, and the older waiter is forced to go to a bar. Although it is well-lit, it is not as clean as he would prefer. Similarly, Esperanza swears that she will one day have a real home. She wants to be proud of her big, extravagant house rather than be embarrassed. Her family’s new house on Mango Street is theirs, however it is not exactly what she dreamed it up to be. Regardless of their aspirations for betterment in their lives, the characters both fall short of satisfaction. Both Esperanza and the older waiter are left with nothing but a feeling of disappointment. Their shared yearning for a place that truly feels like home reflects a universal human desire for belonging and fulfillment.

References

1. Cisneros, S. (1984). The House on Mango Street. Vintage.

2. Hemingway, E. (1933). A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. Scribner.