Comparing “No Name Woman” and “Woman Hollering Creek”

Each stories are equivalent since they discover the theme of personal identity. Kingston’s “No Name Woman” explores the narrator’s struggles to connect her American identity with the Chinese Identity. Similarly, Cisneros’ “Woman Hollering Creek” explores how Cleófilas’ Chicano identity affects her marriage and relationship. Therefore, the protagonists in both stories are ladies and they are struggling to reconcile two diverse cultures.

In “No Name Woman,” Maxine Hong Kingston searches for personal identity by exploring a narrative of her aunt who also makes the title of the first chapter. Kingston’s mother warns her that “You must not tell anyone…she had by no means been born” (Kingston1507). Nonetheless, Kingston ignores her mother warning and explores her Chinese cultural background which she intends to reconcile with her existing American identity.

Via listening and altering the tales shared by her mother about the hyperlink amongst her family and Chinese culture, Kingston succeeds to uncover the significance of the Chinese cultural history. Kingston refers to the historical narrative as “talk-stories” which have been mainly anchored on culture and they also served as oral tales whose primarily purpose is very didactic (Kingston 1507). We later understand that Kingston mother is referred to as Brave Orchid. “No Name Woman” supplies Kingston with a useful opportunity to discover her cultural history in in-depth.

Sandra Cisneros’ “Woman Hollering Creek” examines themes of American-Mexican or Chicana identity, gender politics and immigration. For that reason, the story is closely connected to “No Name Lady.” A young lady, Cleófilas Enrqueta DeLeón Hernández, is struggling to escape an abusive marriage. Her father gives Juan Pedro permission to marry Cleófilas and cross the border to America with her. The young woman leaves all her life hunting for passion: “But what Cleófilas has been waiting for, has been whispering and sighing and giggling…” (Cisneros 1588).

Cleófilas’s background shows that she had tiny to do in her native town and she was largely entertained by “telenovelas” and aspired to take right after the females superstars featured in the series. The young lady copied the makeup, hair and even modified her wedding dress to resemble the superstars she had been watching in her hometown (Cisneros 1589). Cisneros has broadly explored Chicana females who have been candid adequate to resist unacceptable behaviors each in their cultures and other cultures. In a nutshell, both ladies in the two narratives are attempting to reconcile their current American identity with their ancestral identities.