Research Paper Outline Form:

Paragraph number Main Topic of Paragraph Research Material or Research Sources

(Name the topic in a short phrase or that I Could Add to this Paragraph (name

sentence) the article’s author and state why or how

the material would fit where you have put

it)

1 Introduction

2 “Woman Hollering Creek”

Domestic abuse

William Rouster discusses instances of

domestic violence in the patriarchal

society and notes that "If women can be

socialized to believe that" to suffer for

love is good," then the men can The information will help discuss how

basically do as they please. Women will patriarchal societies promote domestic abuse

put up with it because they believe" the and the demeaning of women.

pain (will) all (be) sweet somehow. In

the end." Thus men can be unfaithful

and beat their wives with no fear of

recrimination." (393).

At the same time, Rouster also discusses

how toxic masculinity wreaks women's

lives by comparing the character of

Cleofilas to that of Nora in Henrik

Ibsen's The Doll House since they both

have very little power in a male-

dominated society. However, he notes,

“Cleofilas experiences some of the more

overtly physically and emotionally

painful aspects of patriarchy. Her

husband, Juan Pedro, takes advantage of

the power inherent in a man's position in

such a society by beating her, and she

just takes it” (394).

He further adds, “In a patriarchal society

such as this, men often beat their wives

with total impunity because the women

are relatively powerless. Many women,

such as Cleofilas, have no income apart

from their husbands, so where will they

go if they leave? (Rouster 394).

Guerra discusses how patriarchal

 societies silence the voices of women as

noted in the quote, “Cleofilas, through

Cisneros’s skillful exploration of

Cleofilas’s subjectivity, embodies the

woman who has to abide by the

“symbolic social contract” that says

women “may have a voice on the

condition that they speak only as wives

and mothers” (7).

3 Other instances of domestic abuse in the

story

4 How toxic masculinity causes toxic

relationships

Silencing of women in patriarchal This quote would help expound on how

societies toxic masculinity causes silencing of women

in patriarchal societies.
“Cisneros is concerned with

representing the silenced and

marginalized, including children,

homosexuals, and working-class and

immigrant Chicanos and Mexicanos,

whose stories have been untold or

 translated. Her particular focus on the

silencing of women is signaled in the

title story…” (Mullen 395).

“…a woman silenced in life, wails her

grief in death. Cleofilas learns to

decode… in the haunted voice of the

creek that hollers with the rage of a

silenced woman” (Mullen 395).

5 Whether alcoholism is a factor-Juan

Pedro is an alcoholic, abusive husband.

Juan Pedro is an abusive, alcoholic The information would help expound the

husband. Peacock notes, “Juan “Pedro is claim that alcohol contributes to violence

Cleofila’s abusive, alcoholic husband against women.

who only wants to marry his young

Mexican bride quickly and take her back

to his life of poverty in Seguin, Texas.”

(Peacock 385).

6. “Dry September”

How McLendon storms the barbershop

in his aggressive look.

 McLendon’s masculine look is seen in The information would best fit the above

the quote, “Led by the hot-headed paragraph to illustrate the character's violent

McLendon, who disregards Hawk- activities as a reflection of his insecurities.

shaw’s mild manner …as it were by

hotness and dryness….” (Bache 5).

At the same time, his violence is termed

as a form of insecurity, as illustrated in

the quote, “McLendon, the active leader

of the lynching party is a victim too…

But his violence we come to see is a

measure of the depth of his

insecurity…” (Spill 51).

7 How McLendon views his gun as a

symbol of power over other people.

Men as powerful beings in patriarchal The information would add to the role of

societies. men as protectors in patriarchal societies.

Men in society are also required to protect

Men believe that they are always right,
women from any form of violence.
as illustrated in the quote ", “On the one

hand, we find the self-made justices,

with a former soldier as their leader. The

 latter’s war medals contribute to his

legitimacy as a righter of wrongs… This

assertive portrayal which emphasizes

not only the man’s pluck and

experience…operates as the foundation

of McLendon’s unquestioned authority”

(Spill 51).

They are also viewed as protectors and

women as victims of violence.

The racial and social biases of this

masculinity community are thus made

clear right from the start. Moreover, the

motif of women as potential victims is

reinforced by the well-shared idea that

all of them must be protected from the

evil embodied by black males…" (Spill

51).

8 His relationship with his wife.

McLendon’s hypocrisy

“In the barbershop, McLendon

implicitly invokes the myth of Southern

womanhood and the need to protect the

 town’s white women from the danger of

sexual attacks… McLendon’s hypocrisy

as a defender of women is exposed

when he strikes his wife for no

reason…” (Johnson 270).

9 Conclusion