Symbols In Woman Hollering Creek

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“Woman Hollering Creek” is a short story that was written by a Hispanic woman named Sandra Cisneros. Her stories are written in English but also use Spanish terms throughout the story. In the short story, Cisneros writes about a Mexican woman, Cleofilas Enriqueta DeLeon Hernandez, who moves from her hometown in Mexico and marries a U.S. citizen named Juan Pedro Martinez Sanchez. The couple moves to Texas to begin a new life together. As years go by, Cleofilas gets abused by her husband and she decides to keep it a secret. The reason Cleofilas does not leave her husband is because she is obsessed with telenovelas (Spanish soap operas). She watches all of the drama and passion in the show and she compares her marriage to a telenovela. “Woman Hollering Creek” uses specific symbols throughout such as: the orchid, the names of the characters, and the creek itself to show how Cleofilas has matured as an independent woman who can stand up for herself. First of all, it is important to understand …show more content…

The name itself gives an idea of what the character is like or the reason for being written about. It’s more than just that the name reflects the importance of the character. These names correspond to how Cleo feels that women are treated in society. At first, she is sad because she thinks that women are meant only to exist for men, and Dolores and Soledad reflect this belief. However, towards the end of the story, there is another character that is named Felice which translate to “happiness” in English. It is important for the reader to understand that the timing of when the author introduces the characters. She introduces the neighbors which were depressing names when she was not happy and lonely in her marriage. When she makes up her mind to leave her abusive husband, Felice is introduced. The introduction shows the progression of maturity Cleofilas endures as she gains