Woman Hollering Creek

668 Words3 Pages
Domestic abuse is more than just a good pilot on Lifetime television. It is prevelant in society and the homes of millions around the world. “Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars. It is devastating to be abused by someone that you love and think loves you in return. It is estimated that approximately 3 million incidents of domestic violence are reported each year in the United States.” In the story of Woman Hollering Creek, written by Sandra Cisneros, themes of domestic abuse underlie the story of a woman, Cleofilas, falls in love and marries a man, Juan Pedro, who is physically and emotionally abusive to her during the course of their marriage. In Cesar Burgos, written by Sandra Benitez, it is conveyed that a female presence in the typical family structure is needed as Cesar Burgos tries to fathom ways in which to comfort his son, and assuage his own voids after the loss of his wife, Concha in a terrible accident. Each story relays the struggles with shame and embarrassment that comes with falling from grace, and the ideology of what “family” means, but also embodies the tale of success and triumph in once again finding solitude in realizing that from the bottom, the only way to go is up. In the Cleofilas’ story, she is a young woman who seemingly lives under the false pretense that life is like a telenova, or soap opera. As a child she dreams of moving away from the dusty town, full of gossipers and whisperers, and women who live their lives in parallel with the status of their husbands’. Ideally, she must do the same, and to achieve anything but, is to be shunned, shamed and to bring embarrassment to herself and her family. She grows older, and marries a man, that she initially esteems, but as time progresses, finally sees the real side of him that is domineering, controlling, and sadly abusive in both
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