What function do the telenovelas play in “Woman’s Hollering Creek”?
The telenovelas in the story are representative of Cleofilas aspiration of love. Cleofila imagines her romance to be like Lucias Mendez, “you or no one” she imagines. Cleofila imagines that if she is ever in an abusive situation with a man, she will fight back or run. Never did she imagine that she would stroke the hair of the man who hit her, consoling him instead. As well, she compares physically her husband to the men in telenovelas, nothing on how her husband is short and has acne scars. She also mentions the hair and makeup of the women on the telenovela serve as unrealistic life which doesn’t mirror her own. Cleofila compares her own life to that of the show. The soap opera is the unrealistic expectation. No one can live up to the fantasy in his or her mind. When Cleofila in place in a confrontational situation with her husband, she can’t cope. She see’s how her life is dependent on her husband and the little amount she gets to do things by herself. Without the telenovela, Celofila would not have it to compare her life to. Celofila is worried about the gossip and what people will say about her, and she thinks of the disgrace she will be to her family.
