In The House on Mango Street Cisneros uses symbolism to create an accurate representation of Esperanza’s time in her life between childhood and adulthood. The monkey garden at first gives the children of Mango Street a serene setting for the children. The garden almost represents a Garden of Eden feel, “this garden was a wonderful thing to look at in the spring.” After the monkey left, “the garden began to take over itself,” and originate back to its natural roots just like the earth was before humans came. The game hide and seek that Esperanza and her friends had played represents the child that resided inside of her. However, “this, I suppose, was the reason why we went there. Far away from where our mothers could find us,” symbolizes her new-found independence as a blooming adult. Cisneros plays back and forth between the idea of Esperanza being an adult and her being a child by describing scenes of her friends playing pretend about “there beneath the roots of soggy flowers were the bones of murdered pirates and dinosaurs,” and the idea of her “wanting to die,” as an adult would think about. The presence of Sally’s ultimately grown up attitude talked Esperanza completely out of her innocence, “play with the kids if you want…I’m staying here.” Throughout this entry, Esperanza looks back and wants to “go back with the other kids her were still jumping on cars,” as if she doesn’t want to yet let go of her childhood. Cisneros uses symbolism to describe a scene where Esperanza loses a little bit more of her innocence.