Red Pink In The House on Mango Street

        There are many examples in this book that the colors red and pink symbolize. Red and and pink are very important because they help see these examples through Esperanza's perspective. I want to focus on three vignettes that really stand out to the true meanings of these colors.In the vignette chanclas, Esperanza is getting ready for a party. She is excited for the new clothes she got for a special occasion, because she knows she barley gets new clothes.

" I open up and she's there with bags and big boxes, the new clothes and, yes, she's got the socks and new slip with a little rose on it and a pink-and-white stripped dress."(p46)

The colors seem to pop at Esperanza and she was expecting these colors on her dress. The colors symbolize what she wants in life, something new. The dress was new and she never gets much new clothes. Her excitement for these colors shows what she wants.
   On the second vignette Boys and Girls, Esperanza talks about these two types of genders. More specifically, she talks about what is the separation between them. In the end she states,

" Until then, I am a red balloon, a balloon ties to an anchor."(p9)

The red in this example is what she is. She is a red balloon. What I think she means is the future. Red to her is the future because of the vibrant color. The balloon is here and one day when she is unties she will float away to where she belongs. That is what the color and balloon signify here.
    The last vignette I looked at was The Earl of Tennessee. Esperanza describes Earl who works on her apartments. What she starts to focus on the end is his mystery wife. Esperanza was told by a boy who saw her how she looked like.

" And the boy across the street say she is tall red-headed lady who wears tight pink pants and green glasses."(p71)

The color pink and red are descriptions here. I don't think they really are that important in this vignette, but again they stands out to Esperanza. It seems that every  single time there is something red or pink Esperanza describes and mentions it.The colors r4ed and pink are vibrant and catch Esperanza's description. In the book, they are just descriptions and don't seem to be any more then that.