In “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, a theme of growth/maturity is explored through her profound use of symbolism throughout the entry “Hips.” Esperanza soon learns the importance of hips and begins to understand life a little better as she continues to mature. For example, Cisneros uses the quote “[Esperanza continued because it was obvious that she was the only one who could] speak with any authority” (Cisneros 50). This statement is symbolic of maturity as it expresses how Esperanza was beginning to grow up and act like an adult, approaching matters more seriously and with authority. Furthermore, it depicts Esperanza as becoming a young woman who is ready to take charge of life and learn all the truths that she could never understand before, no matter what they may be. Also, Cisneros explains that “you gotta be able to know what to do with hips when you get them… You gotta know how to walk with hips, practice you know” (50). This clearly expresses how hips are a symbol of maturity and that as you grow older, you must learn to use these hips to your advantage. Likewise, it indicates how Esperanza is becoming a women and developing these new hips even though she may not understand how to use them yet. Thus, Cisneros is able to achieve her theme of growth and maturity as well as express to the audience how Esperanza was beginning to become a part of that, learning what she can from these hips.