Introduction to American Literature

• Describe the biographical context that influenced the work of American authors.
• Discuss the author's life as it relates to the novel.

This week we start our exploration of The House on Mango Street. In Week Six, with Eliot, Williams, and Cummings, we discussed how to use critical approaches to analyzing works of literature. This week, withThe House on Mango Street, we will focus on one approach, the biographical approach. 

As our American Literature Study Guide says, the biographical approach is a tool for using elements of the author's own life to deepen our understanding of a piece of literature, in this case to examine how Cisneros’s fascinating, eventful life influenced or shaped the characters, plot, setting, theme, or tone ofThe House on Mango Street. 

Part 1: Select one of the topics in the bullet points below and write at least one complete paragraph in which you reflect on how the topic impacted or influenced the novel's characters, plot, setting, or theme. Use information from at least one reliable source to support your discussion of this topic. 

• Childhood
• Parentage/ancestry
• Education
• Working life
• Roots in Chicago
• Family's relative poverty

Here are some possible sources you may want to use to gather information about Sandra Cisneros, in addition to the novel's introduction or the online library: 

http://sandracisneros.com

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/cisneros/cisneros.htm

http://dwwproject2012.weebly.com/index.html


Part 2: The second paragraph will also be focused on the biographical approach, but instead of reflecting on Cisneros's life, you will reflect on your own.  While reading the novel, consider your own life, looking out for any quotes that resonate especially with your own life story.  In your second paragraph, write out the quote and explain why it seems relevant to your own experiences.