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.