Greatness

Denise Cruz

Professor Bonadies

English 106

August 2, 2010

La Llorona:

A myth, a legend, a woman

The cause of fear and dread for many young women and children in Mexico is based on a myth, La Llorona, commonly known as the woman that murdered her child for a man, only to be rejected by him soon after. Sandra Cisneros; “Woman Hollering Creek”, takes this very legend and transforms it into the modern day woman, a woman who suffers the same hardships and tribulations as La Llorona but evidently realizes that the choice is not between man and death, but between child and life.

There are four common versions of the La Llorona myth, all of which have a few basic characteristics. In all the myths we find a body of water, a woman being betrayed by a man, a child being murdered and an underdeveloped society, all of which leads to a young woman’s untimely death and cause of her spirit’s unhappiness. The body of water, typically a sign of life and happiness, is used as a cemetery; not only is La Llorona’s child murdered in this creek, but this is where she condemned to spend an eternity suffering the loss of her child. Here she taunts whoever dares come near, whether it be a dishonest man, an innocent child or simply a young girl, La Llorona takes out her pain and anguish on whomever she sees fit.

One of the most important points in the legend is the man, and not just any man but a deceitful man, one that causes La Llorona pain. Every version of the legend is different, but each man betrays her in some way, causing her to blame and ultimately murder her child. The death of the child is the turning point in all of the myths; this is also where they all differ. In one myth she is enraged and murders the man and herself; in another there is remorse and what can be perceived as a slow and painful death; in yet another there is only sadness and a mysterious disappearance; and finally, in the last there is vengeance and irony. All of these characteristics make up...