Cleofilas dreams of experiencing "passion in its purest crystalline essence," akin to what is depicted in books, songs, and telenovelas when someone discovers the great love of their life and does whatever it takes, regardless of the price. She holds the belief that "to suffer for love is good. The pain all sweet somehow." Unfortunately, this passive acceptance of suffering in love, ingrained in her as she grows up, makes her especially vulnerable to her abusive husband. She always imagined that "she would strike back if a man, any man, were to strike her." Yet, when Juan Pedro first hits her, "she had been so stunned, it left her speechless, motionless, numb." At first, she is disbelieving and forgiving of the abuse, but Cleofilas starts to wonder why her pain exceeds the sweet agony that her soap opera heroines endure. Where is the love that is supposed to accompany the pain?

Cleofilas realizes that the only lasting love in her life is the bond between parent and child. When she leaves her father's home in Mexico, he reassures her, "I am your father, I will never abandon you." Although he marries her to a man whose violent nature is unknown to them, he welcomes her back with open arms when she escapes her abusive marriage.

In Cleofilas' culture, women are limited to narrowly defined roles, similar to many other societies. For example, her father hands her over to Juan Pedro, she moves from her father's home to her husband's, she doesn't drive or have access to a car, and she is isolated with her child in a small house, where she must cook, clean, and care for her family without even the company of a television. She is amazed when she meets Felice, a woman who drives her own pickup truck—not her husband's—because she doesn't even have a husband. Felice chose the truck herself and pays for it independently. Felice's life is filled with freedoms that Cleofilas never even imagined. When Felice lets out a loud yell as they cross Woman Hollering Creek, both Cleofilas and her baby are taken aback by the outburst. Felice explains that the only woman who is revered, or for whom any place is named in their town, is the Virgin, and in fact, "you're only famous if you are a virgin."

Men are also restricted by the gender roles enforced by society. In Juan Pedro's environment, nothing deters him from continuing his behavior. His friends at the ice house accept violence against women, and even the women in his neighborhood, who likely know about his abusive nature, do nothing to stop it. His wife forgives him and vows to remain silent about his beatings. When her doctor questions her about her numerous bruises, she plans to lie, saying, "she fell down the front steps or slipped when she was out in the backyard, slipped out back, she could tell him that."

Cleofilas serves as a quintessential example of a domestic abuse victim, as discussed by Jean Wyatt in her essay "On Not Being La Malinche: Border Negotiations of Gender in Sandra Cisneros's 'Never Marry a Mexican' and 'Woman Hollering Creek'" (Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, Vol. 14, Fall, 1995). After suffering a beating from her husband, Cleofilas finds herself speechless, unable to respond. She simply caresses the dark curls of the man who cries and will continue to cry like a child, expressing his remorse and shame, this time and every time after. This cycle of abuse followed by guilt and contrition is a constant in her life.

Cleofilas, like...

Cleofilas longs for "passion in its purest crystalline essence. The kind the books and songs and telenovelas describe when one finds, finally, the great love of one's life, and does whatever one can, must do, at whatever cost," because she believes, "to suffer for love is good. The pain all sweet somehow." Sadly, the passive acceptance of suffering for love that Cleofilas learns growing up renders her particularly susceptible to her abusive husband. She had always thought that "she would strike back if a man, any man, were to strike her." However, when Juan Pedro hits her for the first time, "she had been so stunned, it left her speechless, motionless, numb." In disbelief and forgiving as the abuse begins, Cleofilas questions why her pain surpasses the sweet agony of her soap opera heroines. Where is the love that is supposed to accompany the pain?

Cleofilas realizes that the most lasting love she experiences is the love between a parent and a child. When she departs from her father's home in Mexico, he assures her, "I am your father, I will never abandon you." Despite marrying her off to a man whose violent nature is hidden from them, her father welcomes her back with open arms after she flees from a life of domestic abuse.

In Cleofilas's culture, women are restricted to specific roles, much like in many other cultures. For example, her father hands her over to Juan Pedro, leading her to move from her father's home to her husband's home. She lacks the ability to drive or access to a car and finds herself isolated with her child in a small house, where she is responsible for cooking, cleaning, and caring for her family without even the distraction of a television. She is amazed when she meets Felice, a woman who owns and drives her own pickup truck, not her husband's, and doesn't have a husband at all. Felice chose and pays for the truck herself. Her life is filled with freedoms that Cleofilas has never dreamt of. When Felice lets out a loud yell as they cross Woman Hollering Creek, both Cleofilas and her baby are taken aback by the sound. Felice explains that the only woman honored or for whom any place is named in their town is the Virgin, and indeed, "you're only famous if you are a virgin."

Men are also constrained by the gender roles that society imposes on them. In Juan Pedro's environment, there is no encouragement for him to change. His friends at the ice house approve of violence against women, and even the women living nearby, who likely know about his abusive behavior, do nothing to stop him. His wife forgives him, pledging to remain silent about the abuse and even to lie if her doctor questions her about her numerous bruises. She plans to say "she fell down the front steps or slipped when she was out in the backyard, slipped out back, she could tell him that."

Cleofilas embodies the typical experience of a domestic abuse victim. After her husband assaulted her, Cleofilas "could think of nothing to say, said nothing. Just stroked the dark curls of the man who wept and would weep like a child, his tears of repentance and shame, this time and each." This cycle of violence, followed by guilt and remorse, continues unbroken. Like many other victims of male violence, Cleofilas is isolated, financially strained, has one child, and is expecting another. She lives in a setting where violence against women is overlooked—even accepted. Her husband and his friends at the ice house make jokes about Maximiliano, "who is said to have killed his wife in an ice house brawl when she came at him with a mop. I had to shoot, he had said—she was armed."

Similar to many women, Cleofilas feels compelled to remain with her husband, influenced by the telenovelas that have taught her that "to suffer for love is good. The pain is all sweet somehow." Even in quieter moments, the intense drama of passion continues to burn within her: "this man, this father, this rival, this keeper, this lord, this master," she repeats to herself, "this husband till kingdom come." In the end, with the help of the women at the clinic, Cleofilas successfully manages to "slip out back," freeing herself from her husband's abuse.