Sandra Cisneros's Woman Hollering Creek: an Interpretation of The Here and There Dichotomy

Deconstructing the Creek

Deconstruction of literary texts points to the idea that there is no meaning save its relation to signs and symbols (words). In Sandra Cisneros’ “Woman Hollering Creek,” the “here and there” dichotomy is deconstructed by overturning the many dualities presented by the end of the novel. The protagonist’s preferences regarding her lifestyle and choices change from the beginning to the end, changing also the reader’s opinion.

The text begins laying the groundwork for a traditional narrative of a girl leaving home for her new life as a bride with expectations of romance and luxury. Before deconstruction can begin, the author must first present the idea that is to be compared in relation to another idea, or the “here and there” dichotomy. The reader thus encounters the traditional narrative of the protagonist’s old life as boring and her new life as exciting, correlating too with old country (Mexico) and new country (U.S.). Her old life is described as a one with not much to do except clean up after the men in her family, visit the church, and watch telenovelas. Cleofilas’ new life with her husband seems dreamy; they will have money and romance in a town with a beautiful name. Here, her present reality in Mexico, and there, her soon-to-be life in Texas.

We are first introduced to a deconstruction regarding gender experiences in both cultures. We are introduced to Cleofilas’ neighbors, Soledad and Dolores (their names translate to loneliness and pain). These women are introduced as widows, though Soledad’s husband may have left by choice. This presents a contrast to the ending narrative, where it is Cleofilas (the wife) who leaves her husband. These widow neighbors mourn the loss of their husbands, which contrasts the violence and death involved in surrounding marriages of which Cleofilas reads in newspapers: too many stories of women being abused or beaten by the men in their lives, as Cleofilas’ was now experiencing. These men do not mourn their dead; only perhaps, as Juan does, when he cries tears of regret after he beats Cleofilas, but he does not ever stop.

Telenovelas might appear as the fantasy counter to reality, but Cisneros deconstructs the dichotomy when the two begin to blend together. At first, it is the fantasy that Cleofilas hopes for, which is quickly shattered during her new life. It is also noteworthy that she is unable to watch novelas because she does not have a tv set, which further isolates her from her fantasy. As the beatings from her husband continue, it is clear to Cleofilas that the romantic aspect of novelas is no longer an option; instead, she is encountering the hardships female protagonists endure in these tv soap operas except with no happy ending in sight. Her life seems to be stuck in these scenes of adversity. The only problem was that she was still caught up in the idea of romance learned from the novelas, “Because to suffer for love is good” (2). Ironically, it was this fantasy world that kept her from leaving, but also thanks to facing reality was she finally given the courage to leave her abusive husband.

Although the arroyo is thought to be named after a woman hollering because of pain or anger, through the character of Felice, Cleofilas encounters an entirely different possibility. Felice presents a deconstruction of the here and there dichotomy of women in both places, which to Cleofilas was always mother or daughter. Much like the surrounding story of La Llorona, a mother who drowns her children because of pain or anger. But Felice was neither, and this gives Cleofilas’ a last glimmer of hope.

The protagonist of the story is introduced leaving behind the only life she has known in exchange for a romanticized idea of marriage while meeting a reality that underscores the telenovela narrative she grew up with. Cisneros deconstructs this traditional narrative by presenting “here and there” in different lights, breaking the hierarchies found in these dualities and twisting the reader’s perception of meaning in the narrative.