Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate is a novel by Laura Esquivel, a Mexican screenwriter and novelist, written in 1989 (Puccinelli 209). The novel's protagonist is Tita, a young girl who is not supposed to get married due to her traditional beliefs. Still, she eventually marries her beloved Pedro, Rosaura's husband. Before this, Tita only expressed herself when she cooked because she was always longing to get married (Puccinelli 210). Esquivel uses magical realism in the story as a combination of the supernatural it ordinary in the novel. The book became more common and won the American Booksellers Book of the Year Award in 1994. Feminism is evident in the theme from several perspectives while some view it as the idea that both women and men deserve the same amount of respect, while others consider feminism as a notion that women should be superior to men. The novel is mainly set in De La Garza Kitchen during the Mexican Revolution (Chakraborty 422). There are stereotypical standards and roles that the society in the novel imposes on women, and it takes place during a period when women as they continue fighting to achieve gender equality. Esquivel contradicts the story's setting by presenting strong female figures, further leading the reader to question the preconceptions that had been previously held on the capabilities of omen. The text proves that the female gender stereotypes do not always represent passive feminity, but they could also assist in subverting the female social norms. There are some limitations of gender conformities that are embraced to transcend the female stereotypes.

The novel can be linked-to feminine traits, which suggests the existence of many relationships showing how a certain gender is discriminated against. Amy Kaminski conducts a study on feminist theory and its relationship with Latin American Literature. The existing historical context advocating for social change shows the distinct definitions of feminine and its distinct definitions within each of the characters created (Puccinelli 213). Each female character in the story faces different needs to have security and a sense of belonging. They also have challenges in their issues with liberation, sex, and adventure, and they hope that everything changes.

Tita fulfills distinct characteristics related to the pure vaginal architect, like obedience and chastity. She follows family traditions where she is forbidden from getting married and is expected to remain a virgin. She is the youngest, and instead of getting married, she should take care of her mother until she dies. Tita desires love and freedom, but she cannot have them due to these traditions. Tita shows the different ideas of being the perfect woman when taking her roles as a wife and mother. Despite being forbidden from marriage since she marries Pedro, Rosaura's husband. Tita is the caregiver to Pedro, Rosaura, her mother, and even her children, which shows that she is a mother figure. She also nurses Roberto, Rosaura, and Pedro's first child, which is a miraculous ability. Her character could be linked to the ideas of the Virgin Mary.

Nonetheless, she eventually eradicates the Virgin Mary's character and follows her desires and thoughts, considered rebellious...…revolution and change instead of traditions, and it believes that many women have been suffering because of tradition and their dreams have not been heard. It also shows that affection and warmth are positive female characteristics, but chastity and obedience are negative since they make women hide their feelings. Gertrudis and Tita are cast heroically and positively, while Rosaura and Mama Elena are described as unhappy and villainous characters. The main differences are that they are loving and warm despite the distinct paths that Gertrudis and Tita are. Esquivel does not value the domesticity of Tita and the life Gertrudis is fighting for her rights. Esquivel emphasizes more on the value of women supporting each other. They also seek to get the power to make decisions for themselves without any external influence.

To conclude, Like Water for Chocolate is a novel by Laura Esquivel, a Mexican. The novel is an interesting one since it shows the plight of women and the feminine nature of society during this period. Women's rights are not respected, but they are expected to do what society wants. Tita is the protagonist, and she displays this theme well since the family tradition haunts her that the youngest child should not get married but instead, she should stay with her parents and care for them in their old age. She is obedient but feels bad and directs her emotions to cook. Nonetheless, Mama Elena is a staunch follower of traditions, and she wants her daughters to stay obedient and chaste, which is hard for them. Gertrudis runs away to make love with her…