what would sandra cisneros say about gender issues

        I don't know for sure what Sandra Cisnero's opinions about gender issues are, but I can formulate an answer using evidence from her vignettes. The particular vignette I am studying is "Marin" which starts on page 26. The vignette talks about a girl named Marin who plans to marry her boyfriend in Puerto Rico. Her plans are destroyed when she is sent back to her mother. Marin's life spirals out of control and all she does is dance under the streetlight, smoke cigarettes, and listen to the radio. It is a sad vignette, but it contains hints about Cisneros's opinions.
        All of my quotes show characteristics of females. Appearance is a factor in choosing mates, but it is more associated with females than males. Society expects females to dress nice. "And since Marin's skirts are shorter and since her eyes are pretty..." Cisneros is implying that the way Marin dresses and looks is the standard for females. I can tell that Cisneros does not like this standard because Marin meets a sad ending. She is trying to convey the message that looks and clothes aren't everything and females should not follow this standard. Therefore, she believes that males and females should be raised the same way.
        There is prejudice in the job market as well. Females are expected to take certain jobs in society. "She says he didn't get a job yet, but she's saving the money she gets from selling Avon and taking care of her cousins." Selling makeup and babysitting are all typically associated as female jobs. Men are not interested in makeup. Makeup is more popular for females. Females are expected to learn how to take care of children and so a babysitting job is training to them. Cisneros opposes this standard for the same reason as the standard above.
        This last quote from "Marin" definitely supports my theories about the author's opinion. Think about marriage as you read this quote. "...since you always get to look beautiful and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you and take you to live in a big house far away." Cisneros is saying that females are raised to get married and implying that females are dependent on the opposite sex. She wants to break this standard by displaying a scenario in which this dependence doesn't work out. The marriage in the vignette is called off. Cisneros wants to say that raising both genders the same way is preferred to avoid bad consequences.