The House on Mango Street is powerful because it is vivid. The author is able to paint a true picture of a girl growing up and the people, places, things and experiences that surround her. I was moved and slightly disturbed by the theme of sexuality. Esperanza and her friends discover high heels and hips together, but they quickly realize that wearing the high heels around Mango Street gets them unwanted attention from men. This is different from my own experiences playing with my mother's high heels. I never had to worry about walking around my neighborhood and being harassed by older men. When Esperanza gets her first job, a grown man grabs her and kisses her on the mouth. I was disturbed by this episode and began to think about just how lucky I am to have grown up in a nice neighborhood. The neighborhood a young girl grows up in truly does make a difference.