Creative writing in response to literature is a way for students to respond to literature in a personal way. Creative writing provides a way for students to practice critical thinking and develop a stronger understanding of literary criticism while showing creativity and a bit of their own personalities. For this creative writing assignment, you will do a character analysis to allow you to get inside the mind of one of the characters.
“Woman Hollering Creek” is told as a third-person narrative, not as a first-person narrative. The difference is that a third-person narrative presents the characters to us in the words of a narrator rather than from the words of the characters themselves. The story contains descriptions such as “Cleofilas did this” or “Cleofilas said that,” but it’s not as if Cleofilas herself is telling everything from their perspective. Of course, sometimes she speaks in the story, but she does not get to tell the story or what she thinking or feeling. It is up to the reader to determine what she might be thinking or feeling.
For this assignment, imagine you are Cleofilas writing a journal entry the events described in the story. Try to get into the mind of Cleofilas. Be imaginative and creative. Pretend you are Cleofilas and have successfully left your marriage with Felice’s help. You will not be retelling the plot of the story; you will be Cleofilas reflecting on what has happened. In this journal entry you can put down whatever thoughts she might have using absolute frankness and honesty.