LitCharts (2024)

There are some bad omens like a crying dog and a bird flying through a window, and Rachel and Lucy’s baby sister gets sick and dies. The neighbors go in and out of Rachel and Lucy’s house to view the body. Three old aunts arrive to visit the family, and Esperanza thinks they are intriguing and magical. She finds the wake unnerving, but the three sisters call her over and give her a piece of gum. They tell her “Esperanza” is a good name, and that she is special and will go far. They ask Esperanza to make a wish, and then they say it will come true.

One of the sisters pulls Esperanza aside and holds her face in her hands. The woman says that after Esperanza leaves the neighborhood, she must come back for those who cannot. She tells her that Esperanza “will always be Mango Street.” Esperanza is amazed that the three sisters had guessed her wish, but she also feels ashamed for wishing something so selfish. Esperanza walks over to Lucy and Rachel, feeling dazed, and she never sees the old women again.