Potomac's eighth grade English students read and discuss The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. The book is a series of short vignettes that together capture the characters, setting, and stories of a particular neighborhood in Chicago. The vignettes are written from the perspective of a fictional narrator and are based loosely on Cisneros's own experiences as well as those of her students. Some of the vignettes are humorous or action-packed; some are heart-wrenching or shocking. All are deliberate in their use of figurative language, poetic elements, grammar conventions, and pacing.

Each eighth grader composed at least one vignette for inclusion in this digital collection. They wrote in the style of Sandra Cisneros, as they interpreted it based on their notes and our class discussions, yet they set it in a time and place of their own choosing. While some of these vignettes are based on the author's personal experience, many of them are purely fiction, an imagining of characters and circumstances that seemed ripe for this assignment. Students also used this assignment to experiment with new vocabulary words and techniques involving punctuation and sentence structure.

We encourage you to leave comments below vignettes that strike you in some way. Please keep your comments positive and specific; this is not the place for critiques or suggestions. Enjoy the creativity and vibrancy of these students' literary efforts.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Reality


“You lied. It wasn’t what you said at all,” I accused my mom, but in Spanish of course. “Look at us now parading through Tyson’s Corner in the search for teal jeans that fit you.” “I’m sorry honey, it’s just that this is the only time I can do this,” replied my mom. I was mad for a while, but then I lightened up and remembered the situation my mom was in. Being handicapped meant she would always have to be relying on people to help her. Being her son meant this was my job.

Who would take care of her later, when my brother and I lived our own life? My dad would be hard at work in the mornings and would only attend to her in the afternoon. Would they go to a retirement house? I thought of these things and became angry at myself for being so selfish. I will take care of her the best while I’m still here, I thought. I will make up for the days I'm gone by giving her the best treatment right now. Then, I gladly offered to take her purse off her shoulder and carried it for her. She’s cared for me since I was a baby and now, I must return the favor.

~ Ivan A.

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