An Essay on "A Smart Cookie" From "The House on Mango Street"

Success in life comes in various ways, depending on the aspirations of what an individual wants to become in life. Acquisition of education is the common ways in which people succeed in life. Parents are ever encouraging their children to work hard in school to become successful people in life. Though some parents did not have the opportunity to get to a higher level of education, they desire their children to achieve their academic goals successfully. The short story entitled, "A Smart Cookie" from Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street" depicts a scenario when a mother is advising the daughter to work hard in her studies and not be ashamed because of poverty. Esperanza's mother recalls how she dropped out of school because she was ashamed of being a poor girl, though she had brains, this depicts pride and downfall as the main theme of the story. In spite of challenges, students from low-class backgrounds ought to work hard in their studies because education is the foundation for a successful life.

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Education is essential in making an individual successful in life. Most of the successful people in the world today have the necessary academic qualifications. In the Vignette, we encounter Esperanza's mother regretting why she dropped out of school because she did not have the essentials of being in school like other learners. Esperanza's mother lacked nice clothes, and she became ashamed to remain in school because of poverty. The hopeless mother stated that "I could have been somebody...I had no nice clothes, but I had brains" (Cisneros 33). Esperanza's mother was a very talented and bright girl, but because of pride, she did not finish school. Failure to complete school caused her not to qualify for a job that could have helped in taking care of the family needs. The family is now staying on a mango tree which indicates inability to afford a better life because of poverty. Instead of solving the problem of poverty through going to school and work hard, Esperanza's mother took the short cut of dropping out of school and getting married at an early stage.

Every parent has the desire of seeing their children work hard in schools for them to have a prosperous future. After experiencing hardship, Esperanza's mother realizes that making it in life without education is difficult. Since experience is the best teacher, the mother to Esperanza is advising her to go to school and work hard. The mother wanted Esperanza to go to school for her to have a bright future. Just like her mother, Esperanza had started showing the signs of dropping out of school because of poverty. When the mother realized that Esperanza is losing interest in her studies because of their poor neighborhoods, the mother became aggressive in encouraging her on the importance of education. Esperanza's mother understands that if her daughter successes in education she will be an independent woman in the future. The mother stated that, "..."Got to take care all your own" (Cisneros 33), to mean that Esperanza will take care of herself in the future when she goes to school. The mother encourages her not to quit school because of pride by feeling shameful going to school. Esperanza's mother desired good life for her daughter in future as she knew the accomplishment of goals in life comes by having academic qualifications.

The wrong decisions made in life have negative consequences. The choice of dropping out of schools and getting married has caused her to live a miserable life. The mother was struggling to break the chain of poverty in the family by ensuring that the daughter completes her education and gets a job. As a mother, she will receive support from Esperanza after her successful endeavor in studies and getting a professional job. The mother stated that "you go to school and study hard....was a fool" (Cisneros 33). The statement indicates how Esperanza's mother had a passion for encouraging her daughter on the importance of education is someone's life. The mother did not want the daughter to live a helpless life of depending on the husband. Women who rely on their husbands are vulnerable to mistreat.

Conclusion

Conclusively, achieving in academics requires determination and courage. Students should not be discouraged because of the challenges encountered in their studies. Having a vision for a brighter future involves the acquisition of knowledge. Students from poor backgrounds should not drop out of school because of shame. Instead, learners from low-income families are the ones supposed to work hard in their studies and succeed in their career. Feeling shameful and dropping out of school because of poverty is not a solution to poverty. When people do not complete school, they are likely to become poor because education opens more opportunities for a person to succeed. The decision of Esperanza's mother of dropping out of school was not the right because although she could not afford nice clothes, she had brains that would have made her a successful woman in life. Therefore, students from low-income backgrounds ought to get advice on the importance of education in making one successful.

Works Cited

Cisneros, Sandra. The House On Mango Street. Vintage Books, 2010.