Windows Symbolization

     In my opinion, windows in "The House on Mango Street" represent the barrier between reality and what a person wants. For example, on pages 10 and 11 is the vignette "My Name". It talks about Esperanza's great-grandmother, who was a "wild horse of a woman...[who] wouldn't marry". I think this means her great-grandmother was different from what others expected from her and she refused to marry someone, until Esperanza's great-grandfather "threw a sack over her head and carried her off". I think this means her great-grandfather forced her great-grandmother to marry him. Afterwards, she had to "look out the window her whole life". I think this means she wanted something different from what she had at the time.
     In addition to Esperanza's great-grandmother, in "No Speak English," a woman spends her days at home, staring out the window. It clearly stated the woman was sad, and didn't want her baby boy to speak english. I think she wanted her baby boy not to speak english because the woman never wanted to go to America. She probably wanted be home, where english wasn't spoken. Unable to get her desires, she "looks out her window,'' which would mean she wants someting but can't get it.
     In the vignette "Rafaela," the wife stays home because she might run away. Then, it says Rafaela wants "hair like Rapunzel's...[and to] go...[to the bar] and dance before she gets old." Clearly, the wife cannot have either because she can't have Rapunzel's hair transplanted and she can't leave the house. So the wife looks out the window at something she wants.
     Finally, in the vignette "Sally," the girl is restricted from certain actions by her religion. She's also made to go home immediately afterschool. In this vignette, Esperanza wants Sally to "open the liitle window latch and gave ti  shove." Esperanza wants Sally to be able to live how she wants, be able to date, go elsewhere afterschool, leave the house, etc, because that's what Sally wants.
     In all four vignettes, the window represents a wall that prevents a character from acquiring their desires. Rafeala, Sally, the fat woman, and Esperanza's great-grandmother all want something, but cannot get it. So it makes sense that the window is the wall between reality and imagination, and all four characters look through that wall at whatever it is they want.