Patricia (the Tocaya narrator) Character Analysis in Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories

The narrator of “My Tocaya,” who shares the same name as Patricia Bernadette Benavídez, or “Trish.” Highly critical of Trish, the narrator is prone to making callous remarks, even daring to say that she wouldn’t care very much about Trish’s disappearance if it weren’t for the fact that Trish serves as her only line of communication with her crush, Max Lucas Luna Luna. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the narrator is jealous of the large reaction Trish elicits from the entire school when everybody thinks she’s dead. When Trish finally turns up at the police station, the narrator snidely remarks, “she couldn’t even die right.”

Patricia (the Tocaya narrator) Character Timeline in Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories

The timeline below shows where the character Patricia (the Tocaya narrator) appears in Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The narrator of "My Tocaya" describes a thirteen-year-old girl in her class who has the same name as her: Patricia.... (full context)

The narrator of "My Tocaya" explains that Patricia Benavídez—Trish—has always been the “‘son’ half of Father & Son’s Taco Palace... (full context)

...end of the ad, she includes this message: “Honey, call Mommy y te quiero mucho.” The narrator of "My Tocaya" admits she would have no reason to care about Trish’s disappearance if it weren’t for... (full context)

One day before her disappearance, Trish tells the narrator of "My Tocaya" that Max Lucas Luna Luna has a crush on her. “Yeah right,” the narrator says,... (full context)

The narrator of "My Tocaya" is upset to hear about Trish’s disappearance because it means she has lost an important... (full context)

...find a dead body, which is later identified as Trish. Once again, newscasters descend upon the "My Tocaya" narrator ’s high school, and everybody resumes their hysterics. Strangely enough, though, Trish waltzes into the... (full context)