Introduction
This book is a collection of short stories, reflecting on the author’s experiences as influenced by the American culture. This was important to the author, especially because she was still familially bound to the influence of her Mexican heritage. The short stories in the book revolve around the social roles that women have in the society, and the relationships that women have with men and other women in the society. Most of the characters used in the books are stereotypical. The men as depicted in the book personify male machismo. On the other hand, women are shown as generally weak and naïve.
Throughout the book, three feminine clichés stand out. These include the traitorous mother, the passive virgin and the sinful seductress. Although the protagonists in the book do not identify with the Mexican of Amercian heritage, they still strive to look for their identity. The downside is that their pursuits for identity is met with shattered dreams and abuse. Culture and gendered identity are some of the conflicts that the protagonist in the book undergoes. Through the element of characterization, the author assigns blame to the culture and socially constructed stereotypes as the impediments to the attainment of an identity.
Discussion
The Women Hollering Creek delves into many conflicts, most of which are predominant in all societies. However, the conflict of culture and gendered identity stands out, primarily because of how it is manifested and the its prevalence in the contemporary society. The difference between the male and female gender as shown in the book is that the male gender is the dominant gender. This position has been hardened through cultural adaptation. Through the different stages of development, people grow up knowing that men are above women in the societal order. Sandra Cisneros, the author of the book exemplifies this through the character of Cleofilas.
Cleofilas is a married woman, and faces culturally institutionalized mental, physical and emotional abuse. In Cleofilas’ mind, it is in order for women to be physically abused by their husbands. This is because she is far removed from the reality in the society at the time. Additionally, Cleofilas did not get any social learning from her mother on many aspects of being a woman. The author adds, ‘And without even a mama to advise her on things like the wedding night’ (Cisneros 221). This shows the concern that her father has that she is being married off without any social learning. It is arguable that Cleofilas was a clean slate and could have learned about the atrocities of the gendered identity bestowed upon them by the male dominated society. She was a clean slate in that she was ignorant of the atrocities that women suffered under socially instituted customs under the Mexican heritage. In the American society, she could learnt the value of women in the society.
However, Cleofilas lived in a suburb with neighbors who were also trapped by the socially imposed gendered identity. In this way, whatever she learnt was not different from what she was subjected under the Mexican heritage. The author posits that, ‘the neighbor ladies, Soledad and Dolores, they might have known once the name of the arroyo before it turned English, but they did not know now.They were too busy remembering the men who had left through either by choice of circumstance and would never come back’ (Cisneros 222). This shows the fact that women in the book are blinded by their position below the male gender, that they are not aware of the injustices that they suffer in their hands. The tragedy as painted by the author is that even in their dead state, they still impede the development of women.
Characterization is an important element of any narrative. Casineros uses characterization in the book to explore culture and gendered identities of women. Cleofilas is one of the characters used in the book to explore this conflict. Through the protagonist in the book, the author explores the resignation of women in the male dominated society. The author gives examples through which the protagonist learns of the oppression against women in the society. This is through the telenovelas that she watches, almost on a daily basis. In the telenovelas , the women are adored and not abused, physically or otherwise. The fact that Cleofilas learns the injustice that they suffer by comparing the treatment of women in her society and the telenovelas speaks of the inherent intelligence in women as members of the society.
However, her inability to fight against the abuse shows the deep rooted nature of male domination. The effect of which is the resignation and disillusionment on the part of the female gender. The male chauvinism that is entrenched in the practices and values of the society is so enduring that awareness of the female gender is not enough to weather it down. As the author writes, ‘The first time she had been so surprised she didn’t cry out or try to defend herself. She had always said she would strike back if a man, any man, were to strike her.’ (Cisneros 222). This resolve by Cleofilas shows that as a woman in the society, she learned, and so could others, from the experiences in the telenovelas, which serves a symbol for a source of knowledge in the book.
It shows the discomfort in the labeling of women as naïve and weak in general. Through Cleofilas, the author shows that the women can be informed if they are exposed to sources of knowledge. In this regard, the stereotypes leveled against women are null and unfounded. Additionally, the author shows that women are mentally strong, against the stereotyping that they are generally weak. The resolve to defend herself speaks heavily of the need for a different gendered identity, one that is different from the one given by the male dominated society.
Through the character of Cleofilas, the author attempts to show the enduring nature of female stigmatization under the stewardship of culturally entrenched practices. The author shows the inability of the female gender to influence their fate. Earlier, the resolve of Cleofilas to protect herself from any battering and physical abuse by any man was established. (Cisneros 222). However, as the book wears on, the author shows how the resolve fades when she is faced with the adversity. The author writes, ‘but when the moment came, and he slapped her once, and then again, and again, until the lip split and bled an orchid of blood, she didn’t fight back, she didn’t even break into tears, she didn’t run away as she imagined she might when she saw such things in the telenovelas’ (Cisneros 222).
The illusion of the life seen in the telenovelas blinded Cleofilas, so much that she could not see the reality of the world in which she lived. It could be because of instances like these that women were stereotyped as being naïve. The reality of the matter dawns on Cleofilas when she is slapped repeatedly and could not defend herself as she imagined she would when faced with such circumstances. This theme and that of resignation shows the odds that are stacked against women in their pursuit of gendered identity in a culturally institutionalized, male dominated society.
Nonetheless, the increasing awareness of women in the book is seen to increase over time. The paper has highlighted the plight of women, chiefly their seemingly inability to influence their fate. While this stance is evident in this short story, their increasing awareness is also emerging. Throughout the short story, Cleofilas is abused by her husband, who is also a truant and unfaithful. The awareness of the female gender in the short story is seen towards the end in the form of the actions taken by the protagonist to redeem herself. Cleofilas is helped by Felice and Graciela to leave the life of physical, emotional and mental abuse to get back to her native country, Mexico. This part of the narrative is evidence of the awareness of women. Felice and Graciela were independent women, a prop for the female gender in a male dominated society. The fact that they helped Cleofilas speaks of the fact that empowered women see the need to help their counterparts.
The short story is not very different from the others in the collection. On a general perspective, Cisneros shows that there are other alternatives for women. That they need not stay in abusive relationships. This stance is seen across many short stories in the book. For instance, Bien Pretty pits a woman who finds satisfaction in living alone. This is contrary to the notion that women need to be with men in order to experience satisfaction. Although this is not palpable in all perspectives, this short story, along with Woman Hollering Creek shows that it is worth pursuing, especially when the alternative is staying in abusive relationships.
Conclusion
As established earlier, the book revolves around characters who are pursuing gendered identity, although they do not wholly identify with the Mexican or American heritage. The author does not pursue the resolution of the conflicts that the characters undergo. The book is written from a feminist standpoint. Nonetheless, the author does not allow its disposition to cloud the book. Instead, she allows the characters to depict the obstacles in their way of looking for identities, and the impediments that culture presents. Through the element of characterization, the author adds frankness to the narrative. This allows the reader to see the inhibitions both from a cultural standpoint and those inherent in the female gender. Additionally, this approach shows the reader the eagerness and willingness of the female gender to learn, and their desire to improve their position and the way the society views them. The lack of empowerment from the men and the socially accepted practices appear as the main causes of stagnation and the impediments of the progress.
Work cited
Cisneros, Sandra. Woman Hollering Creek, and Other Stories. New York: Random House, 1991. Print.
