Answer and Explanation:
In "The House on Mango Street", character Esperanza compares herself to a red balloon:
“Until then, I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor.”
When she makes this comparison, Esperanza feels as if she does not have a friend to count on fully. Her anchor is Nenny, her younger sister. But notice that, at the same time an anchor provides some safety, it also holds you down. Esperanza feels that she and Nenny cannot truly be friends. She hopes for a friend her age, with whom she can share anything. No wonder she feels like a red balloon. She is ready to float away, to reach new heights, to drift apart from the life she has now. She also feels different than others (red is quite a flashy color). Yet, until she is able to find this friend she needs so much, she will be held down by this anchor, incapable of flying away.