Woman Hollering by Sandra Cisneros- Reading Guide
- 1. READING GUIDE ON WOMAN HOLLERING BY SANDRA CISNEROS ANGLOPHONE LITERATURE II Written by: David Capacho Suarez (davidcapacho_29@hotmail.com) Ashton Hooker Howard (achhmrcali@hotmail.com) Andrea Stefanía Ortiz (stefartiz22@hotmail.com) Melissa Padilla Arias (meli_9419@hotmail.com) Yisela Ramirez (yisela_ross94@hotmail.com) Lina María Corredor TEACHER: Mónica del Valle LA SALLE UNIVERSITY FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN LIC. EN LENGUA CASTELLANA, INGLÉS Y FRANCÉS
- 2. I. THE STORY Plot This story shows the complicated life of Cleofilas. She is a dreamy, naive and poor Mexican woman. Unfortunately, the story was written in an era where men have the control of everything and his words were sacred and a woman always depended on men: they must obey and fulfill them. In this case, Cleofilas depends on an old father and his six brothers and she was treated as a maid. Later on she got married with a Chicano who abused her. The story continued with a lot of conflicts that lead the protagonist to think that one day her story will have an ending like the romantic telenovela. Unfortunately, in real life it does not go well. Finally, her greatest wish is to return home, so she and two friends are able to escape. Cover: Characters: Cleófilas Enriqueta DeLeón Hernández: She's a girl who loves telenovelas, she is dreamy, submissive, hard-working and think that marriage is happiness for women. Don Serafin (Cleófila’s Father): Head of a poor family, who loves her daughter and he lets her go with a Chicano (Juan Pedro) Juan Pedro: A Chicano man who works in the United States. He is an oppressor. He hates his house, his wife and really hates soap operas and when his kids cry. He is not tall and he has Acne and obviously he abuses his wife. Lady Soledad (Neighbor): She is a widow and she has a mystery. Señora Dolores (Neighbor): She is kind and very sweet and she lost her sons and husband in a war. Chela: Cleofilas best friend, she loves watched soap Source picture from: http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780780743984 _p0_v1_s260x420.JPG operas with her. Graciela: She is a nurse who helps Cleofilas to escape from her husband. Felice: She is Graciela’s friend and helps Cleofilas to escape. She drives her car and screams like a man. (Tarzan) Triny: The laundromat attendant Main Images/ Symbols: Hollering Creek: It has 2 symbols: 1. In the beginning, when she arrives to new house, newlywed, she saw the creek and thought in happiness forever. The protagonist associates the hollering creek with shouts of joy, beauty and with a romantic sense because she just made their dream come true (to marry)
- 3. 2. Later, the creek becomes pain, because she associates it with the feeling of unhappiness and anger because her new home is a total lack of control, it is full of violence and she is unhappy. Lady Soledad y Señora Dolores: they represent the treatment women had according to age and the place “the submission”. Women didn’t have the opportunity to take decisions, they were dependent, passive and they didn’t have the opportunity to change it. Lejania: Symbolizes a kidnapping because she is not permitted communication with her family and she must comply with the orders of her husband. The Scream by Tarzan: It symbolizes freedom, joy and independence by not being hold to someone (Gomez, 2012) Glossary: Chores: A small routine task, especially a domestic one. Cockscombs: the comb of a domestic cock. Creek: a stream smaller than a river. Doubloon: a former gold coin of Spanish and Spanish America. Gauze: a transparent cloth of loose plain or leno weave. Hoot: he mournful wavering cry of some owl Hubbub: A loud confused noised, as of many voices; tumult; uproar. Petticoats: a woman’s light undergarment in the form of an underskirt or including a bodice supported by shoulder straps. Pimple: a small, usually inflamed swelling or elevation of the skin. Politely grins: to smile with the lips drawn back revealing the teeth or express (something) by suck a smile. Shrugged: to draw up and drop (the shoulders) abruptly in a gesture expressing. Threshold: The bottom part of a doorway. Yawns: to open the mouth wide and take in air deeply, often as in involuntary reaction to tiredness, sleepiness, or boredom. Yelled: to shout, scream, cheer, or utter in a loud or piercing way. Source: www.wordreference.com II. THE AUTHOR AN HER TIME SANDRA CISNEROS She was born on December 20, in Chicago in 1954, the third child and the only daughter in a family of seven children. Her great grandfather had played the piano for the Mexican president and was from a wealthy background; she studied at Loyola University of Chicago (B.A English 1976) and the University of Lowa (M.F.A. Creative Writing 1978). Source picture from: http://www.sandracisneros.com/~gallery/572. jpg
- 4. In her professional life, Cisneros has worked as a teacher and counselor to high school dropouts. There, she taught creative writing. Cisneros worked in colleges as well, administrating the arts’ department. In addition she has been invited as a writer to many universities including the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan. This writer is the author of several books including The House on Mango Street, Caramelo, Loose Woman, Woman Hollering Creek and most recently, Have you seen Marie? She also has founded two organizations that serve writers: the Macondo foundation and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral foundation. As a consequence of her work and goals, she has been honored with numerous awards including the MacArthur Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and a Texas Medal of the Arts. This wonderful woman has been writing for more than 45 years, publishing for more than 35, and earning her living by her pen for more than 18 years. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and published internationally. Reviews This review and reflection of the story "Woman Hollering Creek" reflects some features of the Mexican culture. The story of "Woman Hollering Creek" emphasizes and focuses on the social woman’s role, and how it is the behavior of a woman when she has a married life with a man. This story is distinguished by literary voice and style. Actually, we found some predominant names in a Latino community. The writer of this story wanted that the reader understand different topics from her point of view. Either way, Cisneros also desires to describe some feminist views, at the moment that Cleófilas wants to get rid of this life. Cleófilas has a significant gesture: the feeling she Source picture from: https://encrypted-tbn2. has with the creek as an attraction and other, for gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTgv zeZfoOkJVKdtwmUA9W20m-rOvYNKELsK7nszQ1BlG_ the myth of “La Llorona”. "Woman Hollering 6MenN
- 5. Cr ee k" has so me sim ilar itie s wit h the tra diti onal myth of La Llorona. III. CONNOTATIONS Source picture from: http://0.static.wix.com/media/6368fd_8bb67a9bc24fb 72cc9355420d85d3bc7.jpg_1024 The connotations that can be assigned to this creek are synonymous of loneliness, reconciliation and hope. Cleófilas believed that she would have a happy marriage, as shown in the soap operas she watches, but her reality turned out to be very different. The narrator in this story is in third person; he/she is not a character. Thus, what it is discovered in the story is what happens in Cleófilas’ life with Juan Pedro. Besides, in the text there can be identified three important moments: First, the exposition where the reader know about the proposal by Juan Pedro to Cleófilas and how her life was before marrying him. The rising action or crisis comes when Juan Pedro slapped Cleofilas and she realized what kind of man is her husband. Finally, the resolution or denouement appears when Cleófilas is helped by two women (Felice and Graciela) to escape from her husband and begin a new life in San Antonio without abuse and mistreatment. The main themes are: male chauvinism, abuse against women, Mexican culture, and the legend about La Gritona / La Llorona (Woman Hollering). This story illustrates the stereotypes that people have about the Chicano women through the description of each female character. Nevertheless, the man is shown from a Hispanic perspective: a young lady must marry him and serve him. He possesses her. He can do whatever he wants with her, even abuse her. The man is in charge and the woman must obey. This contrast gives the text a chance to change the stereotypes that is why Cleofilas character grows up along the story, she understands that life is not like the telenovelas she is used to watch and dream about. Thanks to all her unfortunate experiences with her husband
- 6. and her family, she becomes a stronger woman with clear goals, knowing what she wants and what she doesn’t want. The same happens with the Chicano women; with their lives they learn how to become stronger, and how to achieve their goals without having a man by their side. It can be said that the Woman Hollering Creek is an allegory of the Chicano woman. IV. WORKSHEET Do you think that the story Woman hollering creek has relation with the traditional story of La Llorona? Why? What is the reason behind cleofilas weeping? Is it resentment, or pain? Why? What were some issues that the author want to emphasize in this story? Why you might consider that this story of character cultural and real? V. CYBERGRAPHY Short Story: Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros Bio. (2008, April 18). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/sandra-cisneros-185853#synopsis Sandra Cisneros. (2013, November 13). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from http://www.sandracisneros.com/bio.php Wikipedia. (2014, November 07). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Cisneros Gomez, L. f. (Julio - Diciembre de 2012). Universitas Humanistica Nº 74 . Recuperado el 16 de Noviembre de 2014, de Cleofilas y la llorona: http://revistas.javeriana.edu.co/index.php/univhumanistica/article/view/3644/3181 (Article in Spanish)