T.H.O.M.S : boyz & qirlz .

     Should parents raise their boys and girls differently or the same? Personally, I thought they should be raised differently and at first, I thought so did the author of The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros. But as I was writing I realized that she really doesn't think they should be raised differently and neither do I. She gives us many hints throughout each vignette of the book as to why she thinks this.

First off in Alicia Who Sees Mice, Cisneros writes,

"...her father says...And anyway, a woman's place is sleeping so she can wake up early...and catch the hind legs hide behind the sink...Alicia, whose mama died, is sorry there is no one older to rise and make the lunchbox tortillas. Alicia, who inherited her mama's rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart and studies for the first time at the university.(31) "

      This shows that men believe a woman's place is taking care of house chores and waking up early to cater to the kids, not a man's. I think Cisneros opposes this statement because when she begins telling about Alicia's studies from Esperanza's point of view, Cisneros is implying that women should embrace their independence and make the most of themselves, not only stay at home and rot their lives away. 

     Secondly, in Beautiful & Cruel, Cisneros explains the relationships between boys and girls, but girls should embrace their feminine side but shouldn't let men control them.

"Nenny says she won't wait her whole life for a husband to come and get her...She wants things all her own, to pick and choose...(88)"

     It is exemplified here that society has shaped life to the point where the woman has to wait on the man. But from Nenny's point of view, Cisneros tells us that women shouldn't live this way and should be independent and not wait on a man. Not just parents, but society raises boys and girls differently. Boys should make the first move always and it's not ladylike for the woman to do so. This is what exactly the opposite of what Cisneros means in this quote.

     Lastly, in Red Clowns, Esperanza gets sexually harassed by boys.

"Sally, make him stop. I couldn't make them go away, I couldn't do anything but cry.(100)"

      In this quote, it obviously shows that boys are stronger than girls. And once again, this is how society raises kids. Cisneros adds this vignette to show that boys & girls shouldn't be raised differently because this is the result of that happening. Men embrace their power to the fullest and take advantage of women.

      In conclusion, I would say that Cisneros thinks boys and girls should be raised the same so society can be equal and there won't be any gender discrimination. This would make life much more fair and easier for everyone else.