LeftExchange
I would like to offer another book review entitled Genera Prima about Sandra Cisneros' "Woman Hollering Creek." Genera Prima:
The “Alpha” Female in Cisneros’ Writings
Lilith’s presence in the garden causes problems. Her self-confident stride does not humble her nude body. Shame is not her body’s escort and her smile is not tamed with pious humility. Adam’s contender damages his fragile ego and she is asked to leave a place that will grow boringly domestic without her. While not all of the women in Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek have this effect on the men in their lives, each of them are in search of the confident woman within themselves. When Cisneros isn’t introducing us to a woman in search of confidence, she uses juxtaposition to reveal the hypocritical gender expectations active within our society.
An example of Cisneros’ juxtaposition involving gender is her “The Marlboro Man.” In this short dialogue piece two women discuss the common, malignant irony of our age, the affect of consumerism and advertisements have on personal identity. The irony concerns the claim of “Genuine Article” or the “Real Thing” balanced against the genuine reality of paid stereotypes and manly/womanly images. Here Cisneros exposes the absurd quest of finding the real Marlboro Man and learning that he lived with Romelia, a friend of the narrator, and that this rugged cowboy with a monolithic billboard face is actually gay. No, Really! Of Course He Is! The brief eavesdrop into the gossip of a few women begins a demystification of the male and female image.
In “Los Boxers” a widower goes down the Laundry List of things his wife taught him, such as how to use an ice cube to get a beer stain out of the rug, maximize the wash, and, of course, how to starch his boxers; a practice he has left to her memory. This snap shot of a man coping with the loss of his wife and recalling all the vital lessons she left to him has a clearly individualized aspect that makes his description of a housewife unique. She didn’t just clean the house she made everything old look new. The reader might wonder if this can also be applied to the narrator. Now that she has gone, has he begun to look old?
“Los Boxers” as one of the few examples of a grateful husband stands in contrast to the negative examples of men such as in “Woman Hollering Creek.” The husband that beats Cleofilas does not appreciate his wife’s ability to cook and clean. Rather, he expects these services from her without having to contribute himself. In reflecting on “Los Boxers,” it’s hard to know if the grateful husband wasn’t once this domineering and has only grown appreciative in his wife’s absence.
As a subservient wife, Cleofilas is one of the more important characters in considering gender roles in the collection. Her vicarious relationship with the Telenovelas and the Corin Tellado novels is the major ingredient in the tragedy of her marriage. ”Cleofilas thought her life would have to be like that, like the telenovela, only now the episodes got sadder and sadder. And there were no commercials in between for comic relief.” This realization might be in vain if it weren’t for the strong, independent female character, Felice, the woman who helps Cleofilas get away from her ugly marriage. She tells the main character, “I guess you're only famous if you’re a virgin.” Upon meeting Filice, Cleofilas is amazed that a woman could drive a truck with such command and how laughter pours from her throat like water into the wind. An encounter with such a free woman shattered the Novella fantasy of the prince charming and replaced it with the ability to please herself, as a woman alone. Cisneros shows us that the quest for feminine strength isn’t a solipsistic or isolated journey, but an experience shared by all who finally learn to stand up for themselves.