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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Felice drives across the creek with Cleofilas, she opens her mouth and lets “out a yell as loud as any” what?

2. Dolores’ house is said to smell strongly of what in the story?

3. The laughter that emerges from Cleofilas’ throat at the end of the story is described as “a long ribbon of laughter” like what?

4. Who will apply the hair rinse that Cleofilas goes to buy early in the story?

5. What Spanish phrase in the story translates to “It is not good for your health”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Cleofilas compare Juan Pedro to the male stars of the telenovelas?

2. How is the first time that Juan Pedro beats Cleofilas described in the narrative? How does Cleofilas react?

3. How does the narrative transition when describing Cleofilas’ courtship with Juan Pedro? What expectations does Cleofilas illustrate here?

4. How is the concept of “borders” illustrated thematically in “Woman Hollering Creek”?

5. How does Cleofilas respond to her father’s statement in the opening of the story? Why does she react in this way?

6. How does the society presented in the story reinforce the behavior of Juan Pedro?

7. What is significant about the names “Felice,” “Graciela,” and “Cleofilas” in the story? What meanings do these names have?

8. What is the significance of the title of “Woman Hollering Creek”?

9. What symbolic elements in the story represent the borders that alienate Cleofilas?

10. Describe the narrative style of “Woman Hollering Creek.” How does the language in the story reinforce its themes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define “protagonist” in narrative literature and develop a list of the qualities a protagonist possesses. What indications does the author give that Cleofilas is the protagonist of “Woman Hollering Creek” in the beginning of the narrative? What are Cleofilas’ strengths as a protagonist? What are her weaknesses?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss one example of simile, metaphor, and personification (each) in “Woman Hollering Creek.” How is the creek itself described in the story? What are ways that personification is used to describe the creek or other aspects of the setting? What purpose does imagery serve in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Reality versus Fantasy in “Woman Hollering Creek”

a. Describe and discuss the various fantasies that Cleofilas engages in throughout the story. What do these fantasies revolve around? How do they compare with fantasies of your own?

b. Describe the realities of marriage and living in the United States for Cleofilas in the narrative. In what ways is Cleofilas isolated and alienated in this setting? How does her reality differ from her fantasies?

(see the answer keys)

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