Justin Roman
Dr. Keohane
College Writing II: WRIT 106
9-18-18
A Harsh Life in Sexism
Certain things in life don't work out in ways that people would want. In life, people want to have equal rights, want something more in life than just living life, and or want to feel that their life is meaningful. There is a lot of discrimination towards women in abusive relationships. In abusive relationships, the abuser would commit an act of violence towards their partner. According to the narrative text the verbally abusive relationship the abusive partner would be accustomed to blaming the abused partner for their feelings and actions. This is typical of male abusers where they are being violent towards women in their life by making themselves feel like they are in control (Richardson).
The male gender abuser stereotype is characterized in a domestic violence situation as one who causes physical injury, is mentally and verbally abusive, which results in physical and emotional abuse. As illustrated by Sander Cisneros, this abuse also creates a mental health problem like depression, anxiety, and anger which are typical signs of an abusive relationship where the male abuser utilizes harmful words, and reckless behavior to control his or her partner like her well-written story called "Woman Hollering Creek". This is a short story narrative featuring a protagonist named Cleofilas who grows up with her father, six brothers, and no mother. Cleófilas learns how to be a woman by watching telenovelas on television and soon finds herself pregnant with her second child, while isolated in America where she felt that she couldn't speak with most people. Her frustration comes from her husband's beatings and destroying her dreams of happiness in marriage that she learns from watching her telenovelas. In Cleofilas state of mind, it's not hard to see that a love that brings on suffering and pain is the norm. For Cleofilas, the norm is when her husband is referenced in this narrative in passages "Somehow this husband whose whiskers she finds each morning in the sink, whose shoes she must air each evening on the porch, this husband who cuts his fingernails in public, laughs loudly, curses like a man, and demands each course of dinner be served on a separate plate like at his mother's" (Cisneros 49) and this would make the abuser find fault with, which would make the victim believe that they are the problem. Consequences of abuse can cause the abuser to have a criminal record for assaulting the victim by sexual assault, physical abuse, and even worse possible rape. It can result in criminal punishments, for example, a correctional facility or jail sentence, and additionally financial fines. (LaMance). Afterward, once settled in their new home, Juan Pedro, Cleofilas' husband began to smack her in the face out of the blue. Cleofilas was so shocked that she couldn't talk as referenced: "when the moment came, and he slapped her once, and then again, and again; until the lip split and bled an orchid of blood, she didn't fight back, she didn't break into tears, she didn't run away as she imagined she might when she saw such things in the Telenovelas" (Cisneros 47). This is a classic example of domestic violence and physical abuse. Cleofilas generally felt that if a man would hit her, she would fight back, the way these things were depicted in telenovelas; yet this time she couldn't do anything. At that point when Cleofilas was pregnant with their next kid, she was bitten by Juan Pedro. He was sorry and requested that she should not tell the doctor but rather disclose to him that she had fallen or slipped. Typically, the male abusive partner would persuade the abused to deny what has truly happened to avoid telling the truth. The abuser would create an apology speech to his or her partner by trying to make it up the mistake that they made so they would gain approval to make things better in their marriage relationship. Juan Pedro would be the abusive character in the story who only wanted to marry Cleofilas and take her back to his home in Seguin, Texas which Cleo states "He has a very important position in Seguin with, with . . . a beer company ".( Cisneros 45) When they settle down in Howling Creek he went back to his drinking habit and hanging out with his friends. He started to act like he's a king of his own home that wanted to be served food from his wife while he berates her on how pathetic she is and only cares about himself and not thinking about his family. He is short, imposing and overweight from most of the drinking too much alcohol and hanging around with his friends. This stereotype he plays is one of a self-centered and selfish character of controlling behaviors and threatening their partner necessary. This sense of abuse made Cleofilas feel insecure about the thought of living life on her own without Juan. When she leaves her father's house in Mexico with Juan, her father tells her, "I am your father, I will never abandon you" (Cisneros 43). Unbeknownst to her father, her father approves her marriage to a man who only care about himself and not caring for her daughter.
While Cleófilas was in the hospital she encounters two people named Graciela and Felice whom she met during the examination of her pregnancy. One of the women, Graciela who was doing the sonogram for Cleofilas noticed the black and blue bite marks on her body. Graciela and her friend Felice hatch a plan to help Cleofilas escape this abusive relationship. They agreed to help her by giving a ride to San Antonio on their way home, so she can run away with the children which she held dearly. Cleófilas changed all through the story. She acts and chooses to change her circumstances to give herself and her youngsters a superior life. Cléofilas is flabbergasted by the lady's independence and free soul, taking pleasure in the intensity of these autonomous ladies helping her recapture her spirit and life. She likewise addresses the way that her better half hits her and this would clarify how this influences her. She considers her kids and her future and chooses to escape from the abusive relationship that she was living in. She liberates herself from all the agony and starts a new life for herself and her children. Felice is a free and cheerful lady. Meeting her, she was amazed at meeting a lady who was so unique in relation to the ones she had met. When protagonists drive across the Woman Hollering Creek, Felice started to laugh of which Cleofilas was surprised by Felice's character. "What kind of talk was that coming from a woman"(Cisneros 55). In which she is astonished by Felice's encouragement of wanting to be like her. "But then again, Felice was like no woman she'd ever met. Can you imagine, when we crossed the arroyo she just started yelling like a crazy, she would say later to her father and brothers. Just like that. Who would've thought? "(Cisneros 56).
Cleófilas role was of a housewife and a caring mother. Unlike her other half Juan Pedro; who is an abusive alcoholic who does not share his significant others value of a perfect marriage. “Cleofilas has to remind herself why she loves him when she changes the baby's Pampers, or when she mops the bathroom floor, or tries to make the curtains for the doorways without doors or whiten the linen” (Cisneros 49). Even the times when Juan and her to see his friends from his job while she mutes beside her husband having a good time drinking with his friends, It shows that woman doesn’t have a say and while the abuser showing his or her domination to the victim.
The female gender stereotype in the past and the present must overcome these challenges in life by never responding with physical force even if provoked because the abuser would always be baiting them as an excuse for abusing them. A reality, but not often; the abused may ask a friend or a family member for their support. In a few cases, the abused would express themselves in the form of writing their experiences that would be powerful to a reader on how they are feeling so that way they can stop being abused. Leaving an abusive relationship is the only the option that requires determination and courage and getting social support from others who can assist them to leave their abusive partners. Not much has changed. Women are still the majority of those being abused like how Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford both being accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault during a high school party in 1980. Their no other way how to tell women to escape this madness!!! Only time will tell that women must take a stand to face domestic abusive cycle, if not what’s even the point of it?
Work Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. Woman Hollering Creek. New york: A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC. , 1991. Short Story.
Narratives of Verbally Abusive Relationships.
Shipway, Lyn. Domestic Violence: a Handbook for Health Care Professionals. Routledge, 2004.
LaMance, Ken. “Legal Consequences of Domestic Abuse | LegalMatch Law Library.” Attempted Murder Lawyers | LegalMatch Law Library, 22 Apr. 2018, www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/legal-consequences-of-domestic-abuse.html.