One might think Pai, from the film Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro, and Esperanza, from the novel The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, are rather similar. But, upon closer inspection, they seem more different than they are alike.
Pai is very connected with her culture, and she has a strong love for it. This is shown many times in the film. She is very culturally influenced and this contributes to her “rebellious” actions against her grandfather’s will. She wants to act like a boy, and resists even when told not to. A good example of this is when she is secretly practicing with the taiaha. This is also displayed when Pai is walking down the road and chanting. This shows that she knows her culture, and is interested…show more content… She has a love-hate relationship with her grandfather. She rebels against her grandfather’s patriarchal way of life. An example of this is when she’s practicing with the taiaha. Still, although she rebels, her grandfather still cares for her. Her father is absent most of the time. Her father still leaves, even though she chooses to stay on the island. Also, her father only shows up for merely days at a time. Lastly, Pai and her grandfather argue over things frequently. Her grandfather does not believe she can be the leader because she is a female. Her grandfather almost refuses to accept it when she finds the whale tooth.
Esperanza has a closer family. As mentioned before, she does not talk about her family often, but she does seem to have a closer connection with them. An example of this is the chapter Hairs. She describes everyone in her family, this shows she knows them and is around them a lot. She talks about She also believes Nenny is her responsibility, “Nenny is too young to be my friend. She's just my sister and that was not my fault. You don't pick your sisters, you just get them and sometimes they come like Nenny.” Esperanza’s family is not mentioned often, making it hard to get a good read on their
