Fantasy or Reality…Domestic Abuse is a REAL Issue

DeAnna Riddlespur
Tonia Pahari
English2130
Essay #3, Draft #3
Compare/Contrast
Sandra Cisneros’ “Woman Hollering Creek”/My LIfe Experiences and Abuse Statistics


Fantasy or Reality…Domestic Abuse is a REAL Issue
Information on Domestic Abuse
The statistics are real.
WHY IT MATTERS
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Violence against women is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior, and thus is part of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and sometimes death. The consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and truly last a lifetime.
DID YOU KNOW?
One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.1 An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.2 85% of domestic violence victims are women.3 Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew.4 Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.5 Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.6
[http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf]

The story Sandra Cisneros’ “Woman Hollering Creek,”Is about a young woman excited about a new life of marriage and "Happily Ever After" adventures. Little does she know that in just a short time her dreams will be shattered as well as her image of marriage and family. Consequently, in my life "Happily Ever After" was not something I had ever gotten to imagine, while Cleofilas  seemed to be in love with Juan Pedro, whereas, my nuptial proposal was forced upon me in a scare tactic, that had I not taken him up on his proposal, my family would suffer great harm. My being a teenager, my brain could not determine if the threat was real or simply a farce. However, like Cleofilas, after the wedding we moved to the city. This is when her trouble began, in my scenario I had already been faced with abuse and thought somehow the city would make things better.

In the story,Woman Hollering Creek, Cleofilas watches tele nova's and fantasizes about their lifestyles, hairstyles,and wardrobe. I was not afforded the pleasure of wasting time watching television, or even the pleasure of raising my own children because I was the one that had to make sure that the food was on the table and the roof was over our head. It seems the longing for pleasure as expressed in the story in the lines: [But passion in its purest crystalline essence. The kind the books and songs and telenovelas describe when one finds, finally, the great love of one's life, and does whatever one can, must do, at whatever the cost.] go to express that true passion and romance are common qualities women long for in a relationship, not just the character in the story and myself.

It seems that Cleofilas only had to indure the abuse for three or more years and then thankfully someone at a clinic spotted the signs but even more fortunately, Cleofilas had the courage to go through with the escape. My life was in no way turning out anything like I had imagined, I was abused almost daily, I was the main breadwinner of the household and the mother of two wonderful children that I had to leave behind with sitters or family just to keep everything together. An employer had noticed my situation at one point but I refused the help I was so terrorized, every attempt I had made to escape clean only resulted in harsher repercussions. In my mind he could find me no matter where I was. I did however find an out after twenty years.

The title,"Woman Hollering Creek," is a great title because it greatly describes the attitude of freedom when you have been abused by someone that "loves" you . In the lines,[That's why I like the name of that arroyo. Makes you want to holler like Tarzan, right?] As Cleofilas  is being driven to the bus the cross over the creek and let out screams of accomplishment. In my venture to freedom, I did not cross over the creek but as I crossed the state line from Alabama to Georgia, I let out a cry of freedom that cleansed my mind and body if only for an instance everything was behind me and now even though it was going to be a rough battle, there would be no way it could be as rough as the first 20 years.

In the quest for real love to many times respect and care for one's self gets abandoned. Women think the abuse is something that they can get used to and that everyone goes through it. Its a sad reality that such terrorism happens on American soil every minute of every day. I admire the courage of the character in the story and would like to personally thank the author for the creation of this great literary piece. I feel if more people would be open about the abuse they are suffering, the women that suffer silently as I did for years, will be more likely to come forward and face their abuser.

FINAL PROJECT PARTIAL SCRIPT

Kate Chopin Character-3
Dexter(Winter Dreams)Character-2
Emily's Father( A rose for Emily)Charac-1
Greeting:
Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): What do you do in the event of a Zombie attack? Welcome to Life after Death our continuing series on the recent uprising of Zombie attacks in the Metro Atlanta area.  I am Character1, the host. Welcome to our show and for those of you at home, thank you for tuning into our show.
Chatacter1: Today we have 3 characters from American Literature  who will participate in a talking circle in which they take the talking stick and tell their story.. Then, they will participate in a debate in which they discuss the question: What is your first cause of action in case of Zombie attack.

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): Before we begin our debate, our guests will introduce themselves.

Dexter(Winter Dreams):  My name is *****************************

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily) Thank you
Dexter(Winter Dreams)********************
Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily) **********************
CHOPIN: I am Character3*********
Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily)  ********
CHOPIN: I AM KATE CHOPIN,AN UNTRADITIONAL WOMAN AUTHOR FROM THE LATE 1800'S.I HAVE WRITTEN MANY SHORT STORIES AS WELL AS A FEW NOVELS.SOME OF MY BEST KNOWN WORKS WOULD BE:,
"A Night in Acadie"
At the Cadian Ball (1892)
Désirée's Baby (1893)
The Story of an Hour (1894)
The Storm (1898)
"A Pair of Silk Stockings"
"The Locket"
"A Respectable Woman"
"The Unexpected"
"The Kiss"
"Beyond the Bayou"
"Beauty of the Baby"
At Fault (1890) Nixon Jones Printing Co, St. Louis
The Awakening (1899) H.S. Stone, Chicago

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): ******
Dexter(Winter Dreams): ******



Their Stories
Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): Ok, thank you for your introductions. Next our guests will tell their story.

Chopin: I was known as a Domestic Goddess I was born Katherine O'Flaherty, in St. Louis, Missouri. My parents were from Irish and Creole backgrounds. When I was widowed at 32, I began writing to support myself and my six children. I was widely accepted as a writer of local color fiction, and was generally successful until the publication of my scandalous novel The Awakening, in 1899. Perched between the social conservatism of the nineteenth century and dealing with tabooed themes too soon for the growingly open twentieth, the novel's sexually aware and shocking protagonist, Edna Pontillier, pushed me  into literary oblivion. My memorable characters and stories, finally emerged from society's morally imposed ostracization during the resurgence of women's rights in the early 1970's.

Dexter(Winter Dreams): Dexter(Winter Dreams) Story
Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily) : Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily)Story.
Sirens, and Zombie sounds..


(Faint zombie sounds in the background)
Attack of the Zombies

{THE 3 LITERARY FIGURES RUN INTO A CLOSET FOR PROTECTION}

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): If you had only listened to me we would'nt be stuck in this situation.

Dexter(Winter Dreams): If you hadn't been so slow, we wouldn't be in this situation either.

CHOPIN: Lets just stop arguing, Its not helping the situation.


Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): Fine, either way we need to figure out how to get out of this closet.

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): Does anybody have a light, I can't see.

CHOPIN: I need a smoke too.

Dexter(Winter Dreams):  I meant a flashlight to see, How can you be thinking about a cigarette when we are about to die.

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily):For the last time, I HAVE A FLASHLIGHT.(has been mumbling throughout)

Dexter(Winter Dreams): Then turn it on already and find a weapon.
[Zombies begin to bang on the door]

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily: Hey check this out, I found a bat.


Dexter(Winter Dreams): Give it to me!!!

CHOPIN: (Quiet up until now) STOP FIGHTING!!!!! I wont say it again, we have to get out of here and we have to do it now.

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): He wants the bat, Ima give it to his face if he keeps yelling and attracting more zombies.

Dexter(Winter Dreams): Fine, don't give it to me, but if you have the bat then you need to go out first.

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily):  Thats not fair, that doesn't make sense. I have a family, you should go out first, your young and can protect yourself better. I need the bat.

CHOPIN: I'll go out, give me the bat.

Dexter(Winter Dreams): yea give her the bat, she can go out first. Im tired of women anyway. They just take a man for granted. It's about time a woman took some responsibility.

CHOPIN: What did you just say? I CAN TAKE ON A FEW ZOMBIES, I SURVIVED THE CIVIL WAR AND THE LITERARY CRITICISM AND PLAYED SOFTBALL FOR 6 YEARS!!!!

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): {looks impressed}

Dexter(Winter Dreams):{looks skeptical}

CHOPIN: [snatches bat] Sexist pigs! {burst out door and rushes through} {door closes}

Dexter(Winter Dreams):  What just happened! TAKEN BY ANOTHER WOMAN{HOLDS HEAD DOWN IN SHAME}

Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily):  If she can make it then I most definitely can. Her with a bat is like me with no arms. {Runs out and takes flashlight}



Dexter(Winter Dreams): {NOW ALONE IN THE CLOSET AS THE OTHERS HAVE RISKED THEIR LIVES HE REALIZES HE IS WITHOUT HUMAN COMPANIONSHIP YET AGAIN.. HE BEGINS TO CRY Begins to cry}

Conclusion
Emily's Dad(Rose for Emily): Wow, ******. Thank you so much. You are such lovely Characters and have made this an animated show. And thank you for being a wonderful audience.Remember the things we talked about in case of Zombie Invasion. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for Zombie sightings and ground breaking new attempts at putting an end to the undead.