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.
Gigi
I had never seen a baby this little, this new, that I could remember. It was the day after Christmas in 2012. Sitting on the couch, I realized I was no longer the only girl in the family. I remember looking into Allegra’s small baby face, and I knew it was going to be a long road until she recognized mine. To this day, she still resembles that new baby girl, now with beautiful long eyelashes and long curls for her age. Sebi and her are undoubtedly siblings. Their faces and features are exchangeable. We don’t look related, not right away, anyway. But we have the same big smile and squinty doll eyes. More alike than cousins who live next door to each other usually are. Hearing her laugh is something so satisfying and happy I can’t explain, she is epitome of a worry free being. To Gigi, my name is Yiye (Lily with y’s for l’s). It seems like everyday she has evolved somehow, and it’s unbelievable to watch someone grow from the very very beginning. Even though we are 12 years apart, we can bond in a sister sense that is just as or more significant than even a close friend. The year I’m a senior, she will be starting kindergarten. In only 5 years. It seems long for her, but so short for me. It reminds me that there is always something or someone that is happening, just beginning, what you have already done.
~ Lily H.
Inspiring. I can relate
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