In "Woman Hollering Creek," there are numerous symbols that writer Cisneros uses to help with the plot line, as well as provide literative interest in the story. Borders of all kinds are symbols in the story "Woman Hollering Creek." Linguistic borders keep Cleofilas within a certain confine, as well as cultural and gender borders. It is not just the physical U.S./Mexican border, but also the border and confinement of past traditions, of the way in which women are supposed to act, and the violent poverty to which she is subjected that changes her view on what is confining and what is freedom. Many of these borders are self-imposed, many are societally imposed, but they are, nonetheless, just as powerful as a brick or chain fence. Even the name of the creek - Woman Hollering Creek is a type of border - but rather than Holler as in "yell," a more apt translation might be "weep." This border symbol is quite powerful - a natural border, but even more than the passing of the river/creek, it is the water flowing and the representation of what that does to nature around, versus the poor and heartless life away from the creek. The ice house takes the place of the Church in the northern town witnessed by the Church in Mexico where Cleofilas coud meet with other women and engage in "huddled whispering," but in the United States, "The whispering begins at sunset at the ice house instead" and she must sit "mute beside their conversation" (48).
Below are some of my observations on Cisneros' "Eleven," at least that's the book I believe you refer? You can put some of your own ideas in regarding connecting by memory from your early years:
The author Sandra Cisneros, captures the innocence and insecurity of a teenager named Rachel, that experiences a mixed of emotions during school when she calls girls in her class ''stupid.'' The diction as we can see is very normal for the audience to understand, because the main character is only eleven years old. The content of the essay is composed of simple language that characterized Rachel, as a normal teenager that is going through transitions by growing up.
One of the major reasons for easy interpretation and connection is done by the effective use of syntax, and tone. The reader can comprehend the estate of mind and the atmosphere that Rachael was involved, because Cisneros captures Rachel’s personality as she ages.
For example, we see Rachel’s insecurity when she repeated her thoughts throughout the passage – almost ensuring that someone pay attention, or “get it”. The introduction to the story is composed of numbers. Numbers are powerful for Rachel - they express the feelings of yesterday, but the only difference to her is that today she is eleven and yesterday she was ten. Rachel brings out her innocence when she says "Like some days you might say nothing stupid, and that's the part of you that 's still ten''. By doing this, the author uses simple language to connect with the audience by the use of similes.
Additionally, Rachel created a connection between the ring inside a tree and the way people grow. Humans, then, like to relate to the past in order to a be better person in
the future and to understand how life works.
When Rachel says, '' Mamma is making a cake for me for tonight, and when Papa comes home everybody will sing Happy birthday, happy bithday to you.'' Here we see that family was a big part in her life, she uses happy memories with her family to get away from the horror and abused that she experienced at school. The tone of the passage is of a typical preteen, it is expressful in thoughtful ways: Rachel's understanding of things in order to make sense of her feelings and thoughts, combined with childhood innocence and a feeling of nostalgia for childhood, and anticipation of growing older.