According to the National Center for Mental Health Information, girls are three times more likely than boys to develop mental health problems body image in adolescence. From television commercials to the media's constant glorification of female beauty, teenage girls experience peer pressure and are desperate to appear perfect. With this cultural message in mind, adolescent girls who possess physical flaws often feel worthless and inadequate because they judge their self-image based solely on their physical beauty. For example, in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza is characterized as inferior to others because she finds her physical flaws appalling. Esperanza's self-esteem is lacking as she struggles to find any beauty in herself compared to other women in the media. Unlike Esperanza, the speaker in Lucille Clifton's "Tribute to My Hips" expresses her defiance of the cultural definition of femininity by refusing to allow her state of mind to be controlled by others. In doing so, she shows that feminine beauty should empower women rather than degrade them. In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza perceives her feminine beauty as inferior to the beauty standards that society idolizes, while in "Homage to My Hips", the narrator defiantly expresses her desire not to let her own femininity be defined by the others. no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essayIn The House on Mango Street, Esperanza perceives her feminine beauty as shameful and inferior to the attributes of others, largely on the basis of his preconception that beauty is based solely on appearance. Esperanza, criticizing insecurities about her body, says her legs are "skinny and dotted with satin scars where scabs have been picked" (Cisneros p.40). By stating this, Esperanza shows that she perceives herself as ugly and imperfect, further illustrating Esperanza's feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Similarly, Esperanza, thinking she is the least attractive girl in the family, says, “I am an ugly girl. I am the one for whom no one comes” (Cisneros p.88). Esperanza, feeling inadequate because of her physical beauty, harshly judges her attractiveness compared to her "prettier" sister, Nenny. By comparing herself to other women, Esperanza shows the insecurity and lack of self-esteem she feels about her own personal beauty. Similarly, Esperanza later exclaims in despair that she wants to feel "like the waves on the sea, like the clouds in the wind." , but I am me" (Cisneros p.60). With the phrase "but I am me", Esperanza shows the reader that she is inferior to the beauty of "clouds" and "waves". This feeling of she herself again shows her reluctance to consider her flaws and imperfections as beautiful. Likewise, Esperanza, wanting to be desired by men, declares: “I want to be all new and shiny” (Cisneros p.73). Making this remark, Esperanza states that she wants to become an object of desire using the diction "new" and "shiny" (PrPP) By desperately wanting to become a sexually desirable icon, Esperanza once again highlights how she is not. satisfied with her current body and body In “Homage to My Hips,” the narrator assertively states her disdain for the idea that her femininity is defined by society. “These hips don’t fit in small places”.