The correct answer is C. Esperanza likens her sister's laughter to the sound of a pile of dishes breaking.
Explanation:
Simile is a common figure of speech, which allows authors to explain an idea by using comparison. This occurs if the speaker compares two objects, people, ideas, etc. by using words such as "like" or "as". In this context, the one that is an example of a simile in The House on Mango Street is "Esperanza likens her sister's laughter to the sound of a pile of dishes breaking" because if Esperanza says her sister's laughter is like/as the sound of a pile of dishes breaking, the author is using comparison to better explain an idea, which is the sound of a laugh. Moreover, the word likens suggest an explicit word for comparison was used.