GUIDED IMAGERY

The House on Mango Street

Purpose: The purpose of Guided Imagery is to evoke the emotions and inspire deep thinking in the students. It encourages them to relax, remember, and think of images and sensations from their past. Ultimately, this exercise prepares them to better identify all that is familiar to them and to synthesize this with new images and ideas from the novel. They engage in the novel by personalizing major themes or even relating to characters from the text.

Rationale: Because each chapter in Cisneros' novel, The House on Mango Street is a vignette from the life of the protagonist, Esperanza, the novel reads more like a journal and less like a story with the conventional rising action, climax, and resolution. Also similar to a journal, Cisneros' book deals with many common and familiar issues that are almost universally shared by teenagers. This format allows for multiple uses of Guided Imagery. This activity is to be used as a pre-reading guide for the chapter entitled, "Chanclas", and deals with Esperanza's embarrassment over having to wear ugly shoes. This exercise will take a total of 50 minutes.

STEP 1 Before reading the chapter, "Chanclas", explain to the students that this next activity requires them to relax, to leave the stresses and pressures of life on the shelf for a moment and enjoy. Invite them to move around the room, find a comfortable spot alone and to get comfortable. If allowed, burn a Salt City candle "Baked Apple or Sugar Cookie" to evoke the feeling of a warm, sweet smelling home kitchen. Dim the lights and start the CD - Somewhere in Time soundtrack, song 4 (on repeat). As this song plays softly in the background ask them to relax, stretch, curl, sit, lie - whatever they need to do to forget the real world for a moment. Tell them to breathe in, breathe out - wait approximately 1 minute with just the music playing before going to

STEP 2. (4 minutes) STEP 2 Announce to the class that you are going back in time. Ask them to search in their minds for their memories of childhood and of family. Tell them you are going to count back the years, and as you do, to think of that year, remember what they were doing, where they were living, who were their friends. What was their favorite desert? How about their favorite pair of shoes, or sport? What did they watch on television? What was their bedtime? Then count back the years, approximately six or seven, and wait 5 seconds between each of the years. Say, "1999", and wait, then "1998", and wait etc. (4-5 minutes)

STEP 3 Tell the students that you are going to tell them a story from your past. Recall a time when you were embarrassed as a pre-teen or teenager because of something your family did or said, or didn't do. (Be careful to keep it on the light side, you don't want to get into inappropriate or overly deep issues.) Be sure to select an experience that will evoke some familiar and general, even comical emotions that most teenagers share (i.e.: mom picking you up late, not having the right leotard for dance class, mom always buying some weird lunchbox at a boutique, dad being seen by friends in his underwear - different isn't cool in 6th grade) Share this experience with the class in a calm, smooth voice. (4-5 minutes)

STEP 4 Now, ask them to remember a time when they were with their family and were embarrassed or ashamed or felt uncomfortably or different. Ask them to think of the circumstance. How old were they? Where were they standing? Who they were with? What were they wearing? What was the weather like outside? Ask them to remember why they were embarrassed or ashamed. Ask them if it were to happen today if it would still bother them as much. Let the music play and be silent for 1 minute. (3 minutes)

STEP 5 Tell the class you are going to turn the lights on and want them to slowly and silently walk back to their desks and take out their novel response journals and a pen. Keep the candle burning and the music playing, just turn on the lights. (2 minute transition)

STEP 6 Ask your students to record what was on their minds right before the lights went on. Encourage them to record details and feelings of this uncomfortable or embarrassing experience in their journal. If they feel hesitant with this, have them explain some of the other feelings and memories they remembered during the activity. (15 minutes)

STEP 7 After the students have completed their journal write, blow out the candle, turn off the music and ask if anyone would like to share their experience, feelings, memories or other emotion that this activity evoked. Sharing time: 5-10 minutes, or as many as want to share.

STEP 8 After the discussion, read the chapter "Chanclas" as a class. Discuss some of the similarities between what Esperanza was feeling and what they felt in their own situations. In what ways do they relate to her? In what ways do they not? Why was Esperanza so embarrassed about her shoes? Do you think those around her noticed her shoes as much as she did? How does this make you think differently about your own embarrassing situation? Briefly record feelings in journal. (15 minutes) Weir, 2000