Chanclas
By
Sandra Cisneros
Sandra cisneros
Sandra was born in Chicago in
1954, the third child and only
surviving daughter in a family
of seven children. She
considered herself the “odd
set” in a family of men. Her
education included studying at
Loyola University of Chicago
(B.A. English 1976) and the
University of Iowa (M.F.A.
Creative Writing 1978).
She worked as a teacher and
counselor to high-school
dropouts and as an artist-inthe schools where she taught
creative writing at every level
except first grade and preschool.
The House on Mango Street, first
published in 1984, won the Before
Columbus Foundation's American
Book Award in 1985, and is
required reading in middle schools,
high schools, and universities
across the country. It has sold over
two million copies since its initial
publication and is still selling
strongly. 2009 marks the 25th
anniversary of the publication of
The House on Mango Street in the
United States, and Sandra traveled
to 20 cities to celebrate with her
readers.
Cisneros cares about giving back to the
community and taking action for just
causes. She is a philanthropist [a person
who gives their time, talent and/or
treasure for the common good]. She is the
president and founder of the Macondo
Foundation, an association of socially
engaged writers working to advance
creativity, foster generosity, and honor
communities; and the Alfredo Cisneros
Del Moral Foundation, a grant-giving
institution serving Texas writers.
“My house is no longer
violet because the sun
faded it from violet to
blue after a few years.
We painted it Mexicanpink so it can fade into
pink, then built my
office in the backyard
and painted it
Mexican-marigold. The
colors make me happy.
I live with many
creatures little and
large in San Antonio,
Texas.”
Eleven
Her paternal grandfather was a veteran of the Mexican Revolution and used what
money he had saved to give her father, Alfredo Cisneros de Moral, the opportunity to go to
college. However, after failing classes due to what Cisneros called his "lack of interest" in
studying, Alfredo ran away to the United States to escape his father's anger. While roaming
the southern United States with his brother, Alfredo visited Chicago where he met Elvira
Cordero Anguiano, who would later become Sandra's mother. After getting married, the
pair settled in one of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods.
Taking work as an upholsterer to support his family, Cisneros's father began "a
compulsive circular migration between Chicago and Mexico City that became the
dominating pattern of Cisneros's childhood.“ Constantly moving between the two countries
necessitated finding new places to live and schools for the children, and eventually the
instability caused Cisneros's six brothers to pair off in twos, leaving her to define herself as
the isolated one. Her feelings of exclusion from the family were exacerbated by her father,
who referred to his “seis hijos y una hija”("six sons and one daughter") rather than his
"siete hijos" ("seven children"). Ganz, her biographer, stated that Cisneros's childhood
loneliness was instrumental in shaping her later passion for writing. Cisneros’s one strong
female influence was her mother, Elvira, who was a voracious reader and more enlightened
and socially conscious than her father. According to Ganz, although Elvira was too
dependent on her husband and too restricted in her opportunities to fulfill her own
potential, she ensured her daughter would not suffer from the same disadvantages.
Saddle shoes
The saddle shoe is a
low-heeled casual
Oxford shoe,
characterized by a
plain toe and
distinctive, saddleshaped decorative
panel placed mid
foot. Saddle shoes
are typically
constructed of
leather and are most
frequently white
with a black saddle,
although any color
combination is
possible.
baptism
A ceremony
in which a
person is
cleansed of
sin and
becomes a
member of a
Christian
church
Time for
Celebration
First Communion
Children of similar age
often receive their
first
communion as a
group.
The writer’s cousin by
first
communion is
someone who was in
the same age group
when
she had her first
communion.
Reading Skills
to remember:
Imagery – Descriptive words and phrases that re-create sensory
experiences for the reader. Imagery usually appeals to one or more of
the five senses- sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch – to help the
reader imagine exactly what is being described.
I say feed me.
She serves me red prickly pear on a spiked cactus.
I say tease me.
Se sprinkles raindrops in my face on a sunny day.
-Pat Mora, “Mi Madre”
Reading Skills
to remember:
Theme – A message about life or human nature
that the writer shares with the reader. You may
need to infer what the writer’s message is.
One way to figure out the theme is to watch for
the lessons learned by the main characters to
people in real life.
Help in finding the
THEME!
SIGNPOSTS TO NOTICE AND NOTE!!
USE THESE STRATEGIES!
“AGAIN AND AGAIN”
When you notice a word, phrase, or situation mentioned
over and over, STOP and ask yourself,“Why does this keep
happening again and again?” The answer will tell you
about the THEME and CONFLICT, or will foreshadow what
might happen later in the story.
Help in finding the
THEME!
SIGNPOSTS TO NOTICE AND NOTE!!
USE THESE STRATEGIES!
AHA MOMENT
When a character realizes, understands, or finally figures
out something, STOP and ask yourself, “How might this
change things?” If it is about a problem, it tells you
something about the CONFLICT; if it is a life lesson, it tells
you something about the THEME.
Reading Skills
to remember:
Summarizing – To summarize is to briefly
retell the main ideas of a piece of writing in one’s
own words.
Somebody wanted but
Characters
Plot
Conflict
so
Resolution
Get ready to read!
Chanclas
by Sandra Cisneros
Describe a situation where you once felt really out of place
or uncomfortable.
Why did you feel this way?