Women hollering creek
Women hollering creekThe Hidden Story of a Battered Woman
In describing "Women Hollering Creek," Sandra Cisneros uses hidden examples to show the pain, anguish, and despair a battered woman feels. The misleading images of the passions people have on the telenovas show us a glimpse of the life Cleofila wishes to lead. The constant fascination Cleofila has of the arroyo, which legend says is haunted by women who lived tragic lives. This fascination shows us the longing she has to yell out and tell us her pain, as did the woman in the creek did. Symbolism also takes a role in showing the despair that is portrayed in the evaluations Cleofila is making of the neighbor ladies, and taking notice that Felice, who helps set her free, is not bound to this anguish but is a woman with her own identity. It is clear that Cisneros is trying to illustrate to us that pain, anguish, and despair are not always readily seen or heard. That these can be seen through our actions and thoughts if we will only take the time to notice, as did the doctor did at the end of the story.
The passions seen on the telenovas by Cleofila have a hidden meaning in the story. It is imperative for Cisneros to use these vivid images of the telenovas as a way to see the life Cleofila wishes to have. When we are in pain, or are hurting we don't like to show it, because of our human nature we try to cover up our pain. An example of this is when the author is describing the telenovas, "But passion in its purest crystalline essence. The kind the books and songs and telenovelas describe when one finds, finally, the great love of one's life, and does whatever one can, must do, at whatever the cost (168)". Is this what Cleofila has? We as readers can see that she does not have this "passion." But Cleofila who is blinded by her own pain thinks that this is love. She has this image of love and passion as being no-matter-what, you must always love because that is the most important thing. Cleofila tells us this when she says," This is the man I have waited my whole life for…She has to remind herself why she loves him (171)". How awful it must be to always compare your love for your husband to that of a soap opera.
The arroyo is a creek that runs behind Cleofila's house. Cisneros uses the sounds and tales of this creek and compares it to that of the anguish Cleofila is experiencing. It is interesting to note that both the legendary woman who the creek is named after and Cleofila have experienced pain and rage. I think that the arroyo is in parallel with her life. For instance when Cleofila was first married, and has not yet know hurt and anger, she thought that the arroyo's name was silly. She goes on to say, "Such a funny name for a creek so pretty and full of happily ever after (170)". Cleofila herself has not yet experienced the suffering, so it is not possible for her to understand the arroyo's meaning. Not until after she is beaten and in emotional turmoil does she better understand the creek. She has always been drawn to this creek, but why? Perhaps it is the name of the creek that intrigues her the most. How is it that a woman who is supposed to be submissive to her husband, and follow his machoism in the Hispanic culture, break away from that and use her own voice? Cleofila is struggling with this thought, because never has she though of fighting back or yelling at her husband. An example being when her husband first hit her she states, "It left her speechless, motionless, numb. She had done nothing but reach up to the heat on her mouth and stare at the blood on her hand as if she did not understand (170)".
The arroyo I think has become a possible voice for Cleofila, since she has not yet had the courage to voice herself. Throughout the story there are phrases that would indicate the water of the arroyo as a much-needed force in her life. These phrases I will list as follows: the hollow roar of the interstate; It bubbles and rises, it gurgles in the throat, it rolls across the surface of the tongue, all can be seen as the voice Cleofila wishes to have.
Despair is one of the hardest things to show as symbolism in a story. However, Cisneros makes an extrodanairy effort to bring this element out. She uses the other characters in the story as a comparison to Cleofila's despair. The lady Soledad, who calls herself a widow, represents Cleofila's emotional pain and physical embarrassment. Soledad's husband has either left her for an another woman, or just simply left. Like Cleofila, the lady named Soledad never mentions the pain she is in, or how she came into this state of misery. Cleofila says, "It is hard to say which since Soledad, as a rule, didn't mention him (170)". Is there a connection between the two? Cleofila can't let anyone know what is happening to her, as she stated, "What a disgrace (171)". The second neighbor lady named Dolores represents Cleofila's grief and sadness for not living in the passion she so longed for. La Senora Dolores has had her two boys died in war, and a husband who died shortly after from grief, and as a result now spends most of time on her garden (170). Like Senora Dolores, Cleofila has spent most of her time at her sewing machine. "Cleofilas has always been so good with her sewing machine. A little rrr, rrr, rrr of the sewing machine and !zas! Miracles (169)".
Cleofila's evaluations of these women have all been unpleasant, with the exception of Felice who helps Cleofila escape. Felice has a different role in symbolism. Instead of being a negative aspect she is represented as being the positive. With Felice there is no thought of any negativity. She is a free spirit, no chains to hold her down. She has cut away from the submissiveness of being a Hispanic woman, to being in total control. If Felice has had any pain in her life she has overcome it. This is readily apparent when she, "opened her mouth and let out a yell as loud as any mariachi (174)". The fact the Felice who owns her own pick-up truck, and doesn't have a husband astonishes Cleofila. This woman is the very article that Cleofila has been searching for! This freedom, this power, this exertion all put into one person. No despair, no anguish, no pain, just being a woman and voicing it. Voicing it like a man, as Cleofila points out when Felice says, "I used to own a Pontiac Sunbird. But those cars are for viejas. Pussy cars…What kind of talk was that coming from a women? (175)". Here at the end of the story the sound of water of the arroyo comes into play again, "It was the gurgling out of her own throat, a long ribbon of laughter, like water (175)".