Sky and Clouds

     "The House on Mango Street" has loys of symbolism. For example, windows symbolize what someone wants in life. Now it seems like clouds and skies represent freedom. For example, in the vignette "Born Bad," Esperanza's aunt is very sick. Esperanza was reading her aunt some poems, and then read one that she wrote herself. it says:

I want to be
like the waves on the sea,
like the clouds on the wind,
but i'm me...

So Esperanze wants to be free like the waves and the sky; or she's saying the poem because she knows her aunt wants to be free like the waves on the sae and the clouds on the wind. This poem was meant to raise her aunt's spirits, and it did. SShe told Esperanza to keep writing afterwards.The poem reflected Esperanza's aunt's wish to be free of her apartment that she couldn't leave due to her disability.
      Also, in "Sally," the main character is a girl who doesn't have freedom. She's required to go home immediately after school and not even talk to boys. In the 7th paragraph, it says, "And if you opened the little iwindow latch and gave it a shove, the windows would swing open, and all the sky would come in." Before, I said that windows represents what someone wants. So when you open the windows and all the sky comes in, it's like finally getting what you desire. So what did Sally desire? She might want friends or better parents, but she wants freedom to do what she wants the most. This proves my point about skies representing freedom.
     Finally, on page 33, the author says, "You can never have too much sky...sky can keep you safe when you're sad." It's true that you can never have too much freedom. If you get the freedom to do what you want, you might begin to want the freedom to drive at top speed anywhere. Furthermore, when you're sad, you can always look on the bright side and see that you're free. This can always lift your spirit anyday.
     Clouds and skies are brought up constantly in the book. There may be more meanings, but I think skies represent freedom. Esperanza's aunt wanted freedom and Esperanza's poem about the clouds reflected that desire. Sally wanted the freedom to live like any other girl. By popen the "windows," she can have her wish. This is another example of symbolism in "The House on Mango Street."