payment page
But when they drove across the arroyo, the driver opened her mouth and let out a yell as loud as any mariachi. Which startled not only Cleófilas, but Juan Pedrito as well.
At this point in the story, Felice drives Cleófilas and Juan Pedrito away from Seguin toward San Antonio, where Cleófilas will catch a bus back to Mexico. Cleófilas again crosses Woman Hollering Creek. When Felice, the driver, yells, Felice literally and metaphorically becomes the Hollering Woman. Although her yell is loud, it is a joyful sound. Cleófilas crosses back into a happier life.
Cisneros creates a powerful simile when she writes that Felice “let out a yell as loud as any mariachi.” Mariachi is a traditional Mexican folk music, and the people who perform it are called mariachis. The mariachi singer’s yell is called le grito, which directly relates to La Gritona, the Spanish name of the Woman Hollering Creek. Le grito is joyful and cathartic, releasing strong emotions. The yell purges negative emotions, like anger and pain. Traditionally, mariachis have been men, so it is especially liberating that Felice, the one who yells “as loud as any mariachi,” is a modern, independent woman.
Pues, look how cute. I scared you two, right? Sorry. Should've warned you. Every time I cross that bridge I do that. Because of the name, you know. Woman Hollering. Pues, I holler. She said this in a Spanish pocked with English and laughed.
When the truck drives over Woman Hollering Creek, Felice let out a loud yell, which startles Cleófilas and Juan Pedrito. Even though they seem scared, Felice reassures them by calling it “cute” that she startled them and offers an apology. By hollering when she crosses Woman Hollering Creek, Felice becomes the Hollering Woman, both literally and figuratively. She appears to know more about the creek and its name than the other women in the town. Her laughter surprises Cleófilas. Until this moment, Cleófilas has associated only anger and pain with the creek. Felice shows Cleófilas a new way to look at life. Now, as she crosses the creek and puts her abusive marriage behind her, she can again experience the joy in life.
Pues is a filler word in Spanish, much like well in English. It serves as an example of the “Spanish pocked with English” that Felice speaks.
Everything about this woman, this Felice, amazed Cleófilas. The fact that she drove a pickup. A pickup, mind you, but when Cleófilas asked if it was her husband's, she said she didn't have a husband. The pickup was hers. She herself had chosen it. She herself was paying for it.
After Felice drives Cleófilas across Woman Hollering Creek, she hollers like a mariachi or Tarzan. Cleófilas expresses amazement at Felice. She is a modern, independent woman, unmarried and beholden to no man. She contrasts sharply with the traditional gender roles with which Cleófilas is familiar. Mariachis are traditionally male, and Tarzan is a fictional male character, the lord of the jungle. In Cleófilas’s world, women rarely drive, and when they do drive, it’s in a car, not a pickup truck. Pickup trucks, like the one belonging to Juan Pedro, are typically culturally associated with masculinity. They are used for heavy, manual labor, traditionally performed by men. Felice not only drives the pickup, but she owns it. She chose it herself and pays for it herself. She is free to make her own choices and possesses financial independence.
