The story “Woman Hollering Creek" by Sandra Cisneros describes the lives of Mexicans in a Chicago neighborhood. She depicts the life that women endure as Latino wives through her portrayal of the protagonist, Cleofilas. For Cisneros being a Mexican-American has given her a chance to see life from two different cultures. In addition, Cisneros has written the story from a woman’s perspective, illustrating the types of conflicts many women face as Latino wives. This unique paradigm allows the reader to examine the events and characters using a feminist critical perspective. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist, Cleofilas, had an illusion that all romances are like the ones she has seen on television. However, she soon realizes that her relationship with Juan Pedro was nothing like what she had dreamed it would be. Cisneros wants to emphasize the idea that when men bring home the primary source of income in the family, they feel they have power over their wives. Cisneros uses Juan Pedro in the story to portray this idea. For instance, Cleofilas often tells herself that if she had any brains in her, she would realize that Juan Pedro wakes up before the rooster to earn his living to pay for the food in her belly and a roof over her head (Cisneros, 1991, p.249). Cisneros wants to make a point that when men feel that they have power over their wives, women begin to feel a sense of low self-worth. A woman’s self-worth and self-esteem are vital to experiencing happiness in a marriage. In addition, low self-esteem can cause a woman to feel abandoned because she is not getting enough emotional support from her husband. Cisneros demonstrates this through the character of Cleofilas in the story. For example, Cleofilas often reminds ... ... middle of paper ... ...perceived. Therefore, she uses her writing to give women a voice and to speak out against the unfairness they endure. As a result, Cisneros’ story “Woman Hollering Creek” demonstrates a distinction between the life women dream of and the life they often have in reality. Works Cited Cisneros, S. (1991). Woman hollering creek. In R. DiYanni (Ed.) Literature: Reading, fiction, poetry and drama (6th ed.) (p. 202-212). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. DiYanni R. (2005). Literature: Reading, fiction, poetry and drama (6th ed.) Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. Machismo. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/machismo Pigeon, J. (n.d.). Analysis of gender roles. Retrieved from :www.mnstate.edu/vigilant/Machismo%2520V.2.doc+wife's+duty+in+mexico&cd=8&hl =en&ct clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Symbolism is the key to understanding Sandra Cisneros’ novel, “The House on Mango Street”. By unraveling the symbolism, the reader truly exposes the role of not only Latina women but women of any background. Esperanza, a girl from a Mexican background living in Chicago, writes down what she witnesses while growing up. As a result of her sheltered upbringing, Esperanza hardly comprehends the actions that take place around her, but what she did understand she wrote in her journal. Cisneros used this technique of the point of view of a child, to her advantage by giving the readers enough information of what is taking place on Mango Street so that they can gather the pieces of the puzzle a get the big picture.
Junot Diaz’s novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is focused on the hyper-masculine culture of the Dominican, and many argue that his portrayal of the slew of women in the novel is misogynistic because they are often silenced by the plot and kept out of the narration (Matsui). However, Diaz crafts strong women, and it is society that views them as objects. The novel recognizes the masculine lens of the culture while still examining the lives of resilient women. In this way, the novel showcases a feminist stance and critiques the misogynist culture it is set in by showcasing the strength and depth of these women that help to shape the narrative while acknowledging that it is the limits society places on them because of their sexuality
...r Clementine emphasizes the way little actions might hold big consequences later on in life that could be the basis of one's entire personality." Never marry Mexican" solidifies Clemencia’s whole entity, that if she were to try to remove that aspect of her personality, a majority of her experiences as individual eradicates from the very center of her being. Cisneros shows how the words/actions of others directly warp a person. This could possibly lead them into a negative disposition that swirls down a deep succubus spiral continuing onward until death.
In “Woman Hollering Creek,” Cisneros creates a character named Cleofilas. In this short story she describes the life of an ideal Mexican wife. Cleofilas grew up with six brothers and her father. She did not have a mother so she would watch Mexican soap operas to learn how to become a woman. The soap operas made her think that you must sacrifice for love and that she was one day going to have that prince charming like a princess.
Cleofilas grew up in a male dominant household of six brother and father, and without a mother, she no woman figure to guide her, give advice on life, or how to love a man. Cleofilas turned to telenovelas for a woman’s guidance on love and appearance, and she began to imagine her ideal life through the television series. Once Cleofilas was married she moved away into a home with her husband, were she pictured everything to be like the couples on the telenovelas, but she soon starts to realize life isn 't exactly like how they view it in the telenovelas. In the story Sandra make the statement ‘From what see can tell, from the times during her first year when still a newlywed she is invited and accompanies her husband, sits mute besides their conversations, waits and sips a beer until it grows warm, twists a paper napkin into a knot, then another into a fan, one into a rose, nods her head, smiles, yawns, politely grins, laughs at the appropriate moments, leans against her husband’s sleeve, tugs at his elbow, and finally becomes good at predicting where the talk will lead, from this Cleofilas
Mullen, Harryette. "A Silence Between Us Like A Language: The Ultra Translatability of Experience in Sandra Cisneros's Woman Hollering Creek." Melus. Vol. 21 Issue 2, 1996: 3-21.
Ruiz, Vicki L. From out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-century America. New York:
Martinez, Demetria. 2002. “Solidarity”. Border Women: Writing from la Frontera.. Castillo, Debra A & María Socorro Tabuenca Córdoba. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 168- 188.
The struggle to find a place inside an un-welcoming America has forced the Latino to recreate one. The Latino feels out of place, torn from the womb inside of America's reality because she would rather use it than know it (Paz 226-227). In response, the Mexican women planted the seeds of home inside the corral*. These tended and potted plants became her burrow of solace and place of acceptance. In the comfort of the suns slices and underneath the orange scents, the women were free. Still the questions pounded in the rhythm of street side whispers. The outside stare thundered in pulses, you are different it said. Instead of listening she tried to instill within her children the pride of language, song, and culture. Her roots weave soul into the stubborn soil and strength grew with each blossom of the fig tree (Goldsmith).
Intertwined in allusions to women of Mexican history and folklore, making it clear that women across the centuries have suffered the same alienation and victimization, Cisneros presents a woman who struggles to prevail over romantic notions of domestic bliss by leaving her husband. In the story Woman Hollering Creek, Sandra Cisneros discusses the issues of living life as a married woman through a character named Cleófilas; a character who is married to a man who abuses her physically and mentally. Cisneros reveals the way the culture puts a difference between a male and a female, men above women. In Woman Hollering Creek, we see a young Mexican woman, who suddenly moves across the border and gets married. The protagonist, Cleófilas’ character is based on a family of a six brothers and a dad and without a mom, and the story reveals around her inner feelings and secrets.
Cleofilas, must endure the hard labor of her husband’s temper and if she doesn’t take on both gender roles for example: housework, caring for her children, and the outside duties of the home, she suffers the consequences of her husband and the beatings. Juan Pedro, Cleofilas husband is just like society in this situation, he doesn’t think twice about laying a hand on his wife. Whereas, in Cleofilas situation, society doesn’t want to get involved and will place the incident “under the rug” they don’t want to be asked questions, by the husband or the
While Cisneros’ short story is extremely short, it gives a detailed description of what she expected from the house of her dreams. Cisneros describes how she had to leave the
Before Cleófilas got married, to Juan Pedro and moved across the border, she was more of a free woman. There are times where Cleófilas would remember her past, back when she lived in Mexico with her family. As she describes her life there we can see a difference in her setting in Cleófilas hometown, where she grew up we can see how happy and comfortable she was here. Mexico is a place that she knew well, she had people to talk, and there were things for her to do, she as well has her family there for. Cleófilas had the warmth of her family, even with not having a mother, she still grown up with her father and six brothers; these were the men she had in her life before her husband. Even if, Cleófilas had never ending chores, putting up with her father’s complaining and her brothers, she still had them they were family. Her father took over the mothering role of Cleófilas 's deceased mother, he was a kind-hearted person who cared for his daughter, treats her like a princess, "I am your father, I will never abandon you," (Cisneros, 246) his promise to Cleófilas. Back in Mexico Cleófilas had many women around her, from her aunts, godmothers, and girlfriends; they
Women Hollering Creek was considered one of Sandra Cisnero's best works. With a Texan view, this 22 short story novel was set upon the late 1960's to 1980's era. There are three distinct sections: “My Lucy Friend who smells like Corn”, “One Holy Night” as well as “There was a Man, There was a Woman”. Each part contains short stories within them. These all consist of a heartwarming girl, Esperanza,who matures into a woman and how she faces these gender roles through love and violence. Cisneros alters the name Esperanza with Chayo, Rachel, Lupe, Ines, and Clemenica, to explain differences between them along with to give the story more lewd effectiveness.
In the Book women are looked upon as objects by men whether they are boyfriends, friends fathers or husbands. The girls in the novel grow up with the mentality that looks and appearance are the most important things to a woman. Cisneros also shows how Latino women are expected to be loyal to their husbands, and that a husband should have complete control of the relationship. Yet on the other hand, Cisneros describes the character Esperanza as being different. Even though she is born and raised in the same culture as the women around her, she is not happy with it, and knows that someday she will break free from its ties, because she is mentally strong and has a talent for telling stories. She comes back through her stories by showing the women that they can be independent and live their own lives. In a way this is Cinceros' way of coming back and giving back to the women in her community.