The House on Mango Street Close Reading of The Three Sisters

Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “The Three Sisters.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.

This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.

Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.

By completing this exercise, students will:

• Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
• Activate prior knowledge of characters and plot
• Discern the intended effects of given details
• Consider tone in context
• Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
• Compare two characters in the novel
• Consider the symbolism associated with a circle
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, and foreshadowing
• Connect elements of the vignette to elements of a Shakespearean play